How to Choose the Right Snowboarding Boots

The way a snowboarding boot fits and supports your ankles and feet are the most important factor in selection the correct boots. Because snowboard boots transfer energy from your feet, through your bindings, then to your board, knowing how to select the right boots for you is essential.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Try on boots with the same sock you like to wear while snowboarding. Also use the sock as a fit tool. Wear a thinner sock as the boot breaks in and a thicker sock if your foot moves around on the boot.

2. It's common knowledge that your feet swell throughout the day, so if you can, try on boots at the end of the day as opposed to early in the day. Trying the boot on in the evening will ensure the proper fit during the last few hours of snowboarding.

3. Find the best “out of the box” fit. To achieve this, a rider must put one boot on their foot and another model on the other foot. The rider then must choose the better fit, remove the other boot and put on one more. This process will continue until all models have been tried. After a selection is made the other boot must be tried on to ensure the same comfort level in both boots.

4. All boots break in and stretch, so use the next size down and try every boot on. Note that the initial performance fit will be very tight. After a few days of hard riding the materials and seams stretch slightly, allowing for a perfect fit. Most of the time, this is achieved by down sizing one complete size. In other words, if a rider wears a street shoe in a size 9, we recommend first trying on the size 8 then try the 8.5.

5. All of the integration of you and your equipment starts in your boots. More time and money should be invested in this purchase than any other piece of snowboarding equipment.

Resources

• Colorado Boarder

[amylaine]

on 8/18/2008 great info