boots buying guide

i think it would be good to have a boots buying guide.  things to look for.  which brands for a certain type of feet (wide/narrow). how they should fit. what boots have a smaller footprint.  different lacing systems.

There should be a 101 forum.. Boots 101, Snowboarding 101, Tuning 101, etc... it'd be pretty useful.

ya u cant say a boot is good for this kind of foot, go to a shop get fitted right and your set..

I heard burton boots are like a 1/2 size bigger or smaller than regular shoes i cant remember thoug

step 1. go to a reputable shop (or an online store that is willing to help you with fit and offer you return opportunities for free like Sierra)

step 2. try on the boots at the end of the day with snowboard socks on (or whatevery socks you ride in). end of the day? yep as the blood pools to your feet by the end of the day, making them swell slightly.

step 3. walk around the store (or house). simulate carving (bend your knees and rock back on your heels or rock forward on your toes). walk around some more.

step 4. keep walking around. check out what is playing on the TV at the shop or at home.

step 5. check to see how they might fit with your bindings. be gentle as you don't really own the boots yet.

step 6. inquire about any performance features. hopefully they have heat molding Options.

step 7. smile. you got some killer boots that fit. it's probably been 20 minutes in the boots so you get a good feel on how they would fit on your feet.

step 8. pay for your boots (if you are in the store) and get those suckers heat molded!

step 9. buy other shit like orthodics if your feet are like 99.9999% of the population (wacked feet).

step 10. SHRED!

i wear a size 12 sneaker and i went to my local store to try on the burton rulers in a size 11.  Its a bit snug but the rep there said these things will eventually loosen up a bit and conform to your foot. 

I dont know if I should get a 11.5 or a 11 based on what he said.

its not that tight on my foot, but I dont want to find out later after I rode on it my foot starts hurting.....

Originally posted by brodster I agree with you completely. Good points. IMHO the worst thing you can do is straight up buy a boot without trying them on. It is very risky! But I used to go to my local way overpriced shop and try on boots I couldn't afford. Found the perfect size and bought from a place that I could afford.

Yeah dave did this too and i reckon its the best idea. If you can find a decent boot fitter(harder for me out here in oz) then get them to get you the best fitting boots for you and then buy them from SS or somewhere:D its certainly the way im going to go as Oz is soo damn expensive for anything to do with snowboarding

I would love to see a 101 forum. I'm searching for info on boots now and wading through tonnes of posts with not much help!
I think the "go to the shop and try" is getting way overdone though, you need to remember that some people don't like anywhere near a shop and that travelling to a shop may cost them just as much as the boots themselves, so buying online is the only viable choice!

I'd love to hear anyones reccomendations on boots especially which they think fit narrow, wide, longer, tighter ect..

boots 101 would be nice, but there is a search function on this site, and there have been plenty of discussions on boots, fit, and brands...just takes a little time to find them, like ten seconds, as demonstrated by spenser above...plus the sierra site has info on it too. follow hoons advice and try on as many boots as you can. as an example, my wife is looking for new boots, we went to the shop and she tried on five different brands, nearly twenty different models...and still hasn't found what she is lookin for, Women. Ippy where are you, boots 101 sounds like a new project for you...

I have burton jermey jones and forum kickers and they both are the same size of my regular shoes

Originally posted by spenser Originally posted by Gf_intelligence I would love to see a 101 forum. I'm searching for info on boots now and wading through tonnes of posts with not much help! I think the "go to the shop and try" is getting way overdone though, you need to remember that some people don't like anywhere near a shop and that travelling to a shop may cost them just as much as the boots themselves, so buying online is the only viable choice! I'd love to hear anyones reccomendations on boots especially which they think fit narrow, wide, longer, tighter ect.. http://www.sierrasnowboard.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=37693&PID=776696#776696 read both those long posts, and especially the link to the burton site at the end of the first post.

Originally posted by lineskis I am wondering if boots generally run around the same for each company or should I try them on before I buy them online

stiffer = more instant reponse, more power.  but theres a balance.  as you get stiffer, you get more control basically, but when you reach a certain point (this depends on preference and skill level among other things) the stiffness can actually start to make it harder to control, ie it controls you more so.

i dont know, you might find it to, others wont.  it doesnt change your board at all obviously, but with the support that works best for you, it can affect all aspects of your riding.  pop is part of your ability to control your board, so maybe it can help in some way.

anyone here or noobs in need of a boot buying guide.