# At what point do you guys upgrade your boots?



## Kapn.K (Jan 8, 2009)

When they're worn out and falling apart. Not a fan of boa systems. I feel like I could keep my heel down with just my ankle strap, though. With non-boa boots, I can really lay into the ankle area laces to keep my heel in the pocket.


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

Heel lift sucks so no matter how comfortable its gonna be hard to be happy with them. Maybe go to a boot fitter and get them to help you out with heel lift issue? If it's an issue due to lacing bottom half of boot i'm not sure what they could do though.

Have you had em for a while?

My Vans are coming up on 3 seasons and have packed out a bit much now, the liner is kinda gone hard and its difficult to get lace tension just right... must nearly be ready to get something else


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## Gustov (Dec 17, 2011)

you could try putting regular laces in there instead of using the quicklace thing they have. i pretty much hate all quick lace systems. they don't seem to stay tight where you want them to. never tried a double boa though.


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## lacklusterskill (Feb 17, 2011)

If you get new boots, make sure you try on as many brands as possible. Don't just settle for the DC's other brands do the double BOA. You may find something else fits you better.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

I'm up to 3 seasons on my DC Scouts and I beleive this will be the last one for them. What started out as a great fit and ultra comfy ride has turned into a sloppy fit and not so comfy ride. Plus the exterior of them is getting pretty beat and I'm a little worried about some really thin spots on the fabric. I think it becomes fairly clear when you need to replace your boots. 

EDIT: WOHOO FOR 1,000 POSTS!  My internet street cred just went up a little. LoL! :laugh:


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

I just got a pair of double boa and they are the shit. You can fine tune them to suit your foot, its like you are your own personal boot fitter.


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## pairadux (Jan 13, 2012)

I've had them for a few seasons, but until I moved to Colorado, 5 times in a season was the max. They're still in great shape but the idea of cranking down on that double boa and making them more snug is very appealing. My thought is that being able to constantly crank down will alleviate the sloppiness that happens with my Synapses.

Anyone with double boa experience in this regard?


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## gchyld308 (Dec 9, 2011)

I had single boas and was looking to upgrade this fall. I purchased some double boas but after wearing them around the house I had to take them back. The wires on one of the zones ran right along my ankle creating a nasty hot spot that I didn't want to deal with. I ended up going with burtons that have the dual zone speed lacing system and am very happy with my purchase.
In regards to the question when to upgrade... I usually replace my boots when they get too soft and they can't offer the response I need.


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## smboarder (Nov 15, 2011)

pairadux said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I've got a pair of Salomon Synapse boots. They're pretty comfy overall, however I've got two issues:
> 
> ...



To each their own, I guess... I have the same boots and they're by far my favorite lacing system. Super fast to tighten up compared to most systems and they haven't given me any issues in 4 or 5 seasons (I've heard people needing wire cutters to get BOAs off when the tightening mechanism breaks).

I like how there's only one set of laces but you can still adjust the bottom tightness independent of the top. I do get some heal lift now that they've stretched but nothing too bad. 

Do you wear the top section slightly loose? I've noticed they come loose if they're not tightened pretty well. I usually just hold the tongue out slightly when I'm pulling the laces up. That seems to better set the laces in place.


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## pairadux (Jan 13, 2012)

Thanks all for the input. After wearing them around yesterday I've decided that they're just too comfortable to jump into another pair this season. 

Not sure how often the BOA breaks, but that is a concern and the Synapses have been pretty darn reliable.


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## gchyld308 (Dec 9, 2011)

I think I got two seasons out of my boas and my wife is on her third season. We average about 25 days a season, and neither one of us ever hade a wire break.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

ETM said:


> I just got a pair of double boa and they are the shit. You can fine tune them to suit your foot, its like you are your own personal boot fitter.


Heres some crazy shit: my traditional laces do that too.

I will grant you they don't have the cool factor of a gear assembly and stainless steel cables. Oh which by the way are all more fragile and catastrophic when they break, compared to their low-tech cousin. If you have a cable break on the mountain there is a decent chance your day is over. If the knob assembly breaks or fouls, your day is probably over for sure.

Ill admit I'm a BOA hater, I mean sure, its fun, and neat, but unless you are actually using these for something like skinning, quit singing their praises and admit you just like having another toy on your boots.

If the best boot that fits you at the shop has BOAs, then by all means, buy and wear them. Just don't tell yourself lies about what they are providing. Yanking your knobs has nothing to do with snowboarding, I tie my boots once and go ride.

You can like them all you want, I liked them even when they were on boots that didn't fit. Going from them back to laces just made me realize the reality of the situation.


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

It takes a lot for me to buy new boots. I spend a lot of time and traveling to find the right pair. This is my 3rd season on my Vans Wiig's. They started out at a stiffer boot but have broken in perfectly. Swapped the food beds, replaced the laces twice, and had to jimmy the liner laces when one of the steel hooks snapped. Still in great working order.

That being said, I just scooped up a pair of Celsius Cirrus with speed lace because they were on sale. In the end I didn't want to wait til something on the boot shit the bed on the hill.


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## AlexS (Feb 12, 2010)

Been riding my Rome Libertines for 2 seasons. They're so amazingly comfortable I can't imagine a better boot right now..


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

snowklinger said:


> Heres some crazy shit: my traditional laces do that too.
> 
> I will grant you they don't have the cool factor of a gear assembly and stainless steel cables. Oh which by the way are all more fragile and catastrophic when they break, compared to their low-tech cousin. If you have a cable break on the mountain there is a decent chance your day is over. If the knob assembly breaks or fouls, your day is probably over for sure.
> 
> ...


Someone was in improperly fitting boots. Been in BOA close to 10 years if it's on a boot that fits your foot and fits your needs do it. Laces suck boa doesn't plain and simple. As far as how long I go between new boots typically get a pair every season and I'm lucky if they're not destroyed by May. 100 to 150 days depending on the boot.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

snowklinger said:


> Heres some crazy shit: my traditional laces do that too.


Thats good if you can achieve a good fit with laces. I cant.



snowklinger said:


> quit singing their praises and admit you just like having another toy on your boots.


Why should I not praise something that worked so well for me. I went from laces to BOA on basically the same boot and achieved a much better fit. Speak for yourself and dont drag down other people for speaking what they think or this forum will turn into the snowklinger forums and nobody really wants that.



snowklinger said:


> You can like them all you want,


Thank you dear lord.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

^ Bingo I need Boa for my foot shape it works.


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## metric (Jan 16, 2011)

Love my Thirty Two dual boas. Fit like a glove. Way better a than any laced boots I ever wore


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Well I don't see how they fit differently, and I admitted that I'm a hater whose k2's didnt fit well at all.

Figured BA would chime in eventually, I know he loves 'em.

"Speak for yourself and dont drag down other people for speaking what they think or this forum will turn into the snowklinger forums and nobody really wants that."

Sorry I am just sharing my own hindsight, and just want to urge people to look at the actual stuff rather then getting all excited about the tech and gear (which I feel I totally did). Maybe I am alone in this disposition to excitement over such things. I'm not a dragger-downer and I don't want to seem like one, my statement which was quoted was aimed at the general excitement, certainly not you personally.

I'm sure if those boots I had last year fit perfect, I would sing a different song.

How do laces suck?

And all the caveats of "if they break" remain regardless of fit.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

yeah no worries man. It just works for me as i am sure it would for a lot of others. I dont believe laces suck, they just dont have the leverage over the boot that a boa does. If a lace breaks you still have to come back and fix it just like a boa . The first thing i did when i got mine was pull a boa apart and put it back together. Its not that hard.


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## Aliaz (Oct 14, 2010)

Ive had my K2 T1 Dual-BOA for 2 seasons now (around 50 days riding in total) and the only problem Ive had was that one of the knobs broke and wouldnt tighten anymore. Went into the local shop and they fixed in 2 minutes luckily. Other than that I have no complaints. This is my third set of boots and Im definatly going for Dual-Boa again when its time to replace them.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

I've had lace up and double boa 32's, both work great with out complaint, double boas are just more convient/faster to get into/out of.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Wouldn't be suprised any more if any resort worth a shit can fix anything on a BOA pretty quick and have you back out there. I'm thinking lace you just tie to itself if it breaks.

When I tried to fix mine, the mechanism exploded and little parts went flying everywhere (user error I won't try to deny, but that thing was jammed as fuck).


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

everything you say may well be true but you are talking about the worst possible scenario which may never happen to most people. The benefit of not having heel lift far outweighs the potential bad day you could have if one fails and you are not capable of fixing it.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Blew my front knob off my Vans Fargos at Keystone when I hit a rock in the fucking asshole of that resort. Had to take 3 chair lifts and a gondola to get to the base area to get it fixed. Walked into the shop walked right back out in 5 minutes and back on the hill.


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