Rome 390 Bindings and Burton Ruler Boots

Your question really comes down to preference.  Some people will pair up a softer boot with a stiff binding, others will pair a soft binding with a stiff boot, and some will go soft and soft or stiff and stiff.  What really matters is whether or not you will like the pairing.  I would go with Rome's size guide to make that determination...you definitely do not want the binding to be too big and size 9 is in the medium range to me.

Aloha, Bro. I wear a 32 TM-Two boot in size 8 and have the Rome Arsenals in S/M. The Arsenal shares the same chassis as the 390 and for me the fit in the heel cup is pretty snug and the straps just barely fit my boots and I have all the adjustments maxed out. If I had to do it over again I'd probably get the L/XL, but Alkasquawlik brings up a good point about L/XL being too big. Best to take your boots and try on a pair of L/XL 390's.

I've compared fitting my old Burton Boxers (size 9) on both the 390 boss s/m and the l/xl. I prefer the L/XL (although there is some adjustment required to bring the binding to its smaller setting). The s/m also has the capability to increase its size to fit boots on the higher end of the recommended size chart. I think ultimately, it depends on how high you want the highbacks. The s/m highbacks were noticably shorter than the l/xl (note, the highbacks are relatively short to begin with). Oh yeah, initially, the width of my boot was a better fit with the s/m, whereas the l/xl had a gap. This issue significantly reduced after adjusting the l/xl bindings to fit boots from the lower end of the size chart.