Are boots the most important piece of equipment?
I hear this said a lot, but I’d like to hear it defended.
Do you agree or disagree that the boot is the most important piece of your equipment? and why?
i think perhaps your setup is as good as the weakest part kinda idea might apply with this. if boots are painful then thats a showstopper, if the board is a stiff unresponsive plank thats not idea apart from stomping big airs, bindings i’ve never really noticed too much difference, i just kinda get used to them…..so i guess i am kinda agreeing with the title of this post. my question maybe is, do binding really make much difference?
I would say a strong yes to both your questions. Unfortunately I have to run to work now but I will reply in more detail later.
I think boots are most important solely because a rental pair of boots are pretty crap.
if you own your own set up, i think boots,binding and board are equaly important.
If you had to buy 1 piece of equipment though, definitly boots would be the first thing you would buy.
very easy to rent a high end board, but not very easy rent high end boots.
Aidy, as for bindings.
I’ve always said that a good binding can make up for where a boot lacks. whither it be comfort or stiffness or responsiveness.
I’m not commenting on the boots just yet.
Boots…#1
Yes Boots are the most important part!
they are like the last layer around the centre of a blow pop…which in this case would be your feet.
Being a boot fitter i always say the number one principal is, if your feet are having a shitty day then so are you. OR some version of that.
Its the only real piece of eqiupment that will cause you major pain or discomfort and ruin it for you. If your riding a board to big or too small , or binders that are to stiff or too soft, youll manage. It wont be as awesome as it could be but you’d still be able to ride a full day. Now, if your riding boots a size too small or too big, your gunna feel the wrath right away. With boots that are too small your obviously going to get mad toe cramage and then get it even worse after you buckle down. With boots that are fitted too big, they will eventually pack out creating all this extra space for your foot to move around in while your boot and bindings are secure. If your boots have alot of extra space in em and you start shredding, as soon as you start moving your foot will naturally slide around, and by doing so your natural reaction will be to try and grip on with your toes. When your riding you should be able to comfortably make carves with out curling your toes. If those toes are tensed up while your riding all day its going to create cramping and certainly promote the straining of feet muscles. EVERY BOOT COMPANY HAS DIFFERENT FORMATS FOR BOOTS, IF YOU HAVE SUPER WIDE FEET AND YOU LOVE BURTON…..UNFORTUNATLY YOU SHOULD PROBLY LOOK ELSE WHERE. Noone really understands the difference between having shitty boots and proper boots that are fitted to you correctly untill they have. Shop around when buying boots, color shouldnt matter if the fit is perfect!!!
Get gear your stoked on but dont let it get in the way of comfort and being able to enjoy a beautifull day!
-Pabst
Yeah, another vote for boots. If they’re not fitting right, or painful, or wet, then your day is going to be pretty miserable.
That said, rental shops ought to really really pay attention to this issue, it may mean the difference between having a first-timer that sticks with skiing or snowboarding, and one that never comes back. The rental board can be rapidly exchanged, bindings can be adjusted easily, but boots should be done right the first time.
Boots 100% You can have a board and binding made by Ullr himself but if your sliding around in painful ill fitting boots you’ll never feel the quality of the setup. Boots are your first point of contact.
I would say a strong yes to both your questions. Unfortunately I have to run to work now but I will reply in more detail later.
OK… time for more detail.
Boots are the most important part of your setup for a few reasons…
Comfort. No other part of your setup will have such a dramatic effect on how long you can ride for. If your boots cause a lot of pain, it doesn’t matter how good your binding and boots are, riding will not be enjoyable.
snownut touched on a good point. If you are buying one piece of equipment, it has to be boots. If I had to choose one piece of my setup to travel with it would be boots. Any of us could strap into most boards and easilty get down the mountain. Give me a crappy pair of boots and my ankles will be hurting after one run.
Movement in your boots is much more of a problem then being on a board that is too big, or too soft. The boots literally connect body to board; if the boots don’t fit right, the connection doesn’t work right, and somewhere along the body to board chain something will go wrong.
Bindings are also important. Personally I like a fairly stiff binding, reposnse is important to me. Power and immediate drive are important to me. I have used a lot of different bindings and I can ride much more aggressively, with better control and response in a good pair of stiff-ish bindings. That said, they aren’t as important as good fitting boots.
My intent with this thread is to get a collection of opinions to back up this often given advice.
I agree with it, I always have.
Funny thing is how many new riders get so focused on the board.
I guess it is the looks and the appearance that they are focused on… thinking they will be evaluated by what equipment they have.
It is interesting that boots these days can be so decorative, especially some women’s boots, but you never see much more than the toe of the boot. They are decorative so that they look good in your bedroom, where they would spend most of their time, I guess - not strapped in and on the hill.
The boot
Your body’s first point of contact. I love how pabst put it, that if the boot is wrong, everything is wrong.
during the months to come, we will have new riders as for advice on what to buy and I think the facts expressed in this thread can be a good resource for them.
using the term ‘moat important” is misleading i think, when you say it that way noobs are automatically going to think boots are the most important thing “to ride well” but the point is, like many other people have already said, if your feet hurt your day is going to be shitty.
oh yeah, you try and ride well with boots that are to loose or dont fit well. having a boot that fits you correctly will make a difference with your riding ability as it will be more responsive and give you a much better board control. Having a boot that is the right flex for your ability will also make a differnce to your riding.
using the term ‘moat important” is misleading i think, when you say it that way noobs are automatically going to think boots are the most important thing “to ride well” .
Hahah..Werd!..“Hey,how come I can`t stomp 720`s?..I have new boots.”
thinking of getting some custom footbeds done and my inners heat moulded - what are your thoughts on that?
have been wearing my orthotics (hard plastic style) - but u don’t great ankle flex with them. Doing calf raises in them is terrible!
Since we are talking about boot fitting, and how it is important… I am glad,Pow that you brought up footbeds.
Custom footbeds, is what I always think of when I think about foot beds.
I know they have been a big thing with skiers for decades, but I dont know too many boarders that have them. is it because we use soft boots? Is it because we buy new boots much more often than skiers?
How does the foot bed transfer to another boot? Can you use one foot bed for various shoes and boots?