# 2009 DC Judge review



## RVM (Jan 31, 2007)

Alright, so I'm no expert, but I figured I'd review my 2009 DC Judges.

For starters, my feet are nearly impossible to fit. They are around a US size 8 in length on a good day and as wide as a basketball players size 15 foot. In addition, my feet duck out naturally a great deal, so when on the balls of my feet they tend to pronate (the outside area near the "6th" toe flattens out and gets a lot wider) quite a bit. I tried on almost 20 different pairs of boots and the DC Judges had the best overall feel to me. 

As a note, the Judges are advertised as coming with the Command liner, but actually comes with a lower end Delta liner. The Deltas are quite comfy, but lack a couple of minor features that the Command has, most notably the stock footbed. Since I use aftermarket orthotics, I didn't really care about that. Despite this, I contacted DC and they sent me a set of their air bladder Bravo liners that comes in the Allegiance boot. They overnighted them, were quick to respond to email and phone and gave me a direct line to a warranty rep. 

*I have not tried the Bravo liners so the review below is with the Delta liners.*

Retail: $265 US
Paid: $169.95 US
Al's Sporting Goods

*Impression on construction quality*
Good quality overall. The stitching is solid, but it isn't as "clean" looking as it could be. I have read about killclimbz experience with blowing the stitching on a top-of-the-line DC Status boot, so I'm gonna keep a close eye on my Judges. On close inspection I was able to find one thread that seems to have left it's home (not in its hole) near where the tongue meets the toe area. This spot I am going to be paying especially close attention to, but otherwise everything is solid. 

*Warranty service*
Since I contacted DC about the liners, as mentioned above, I thought I'd post that their warranty department is top notch. They promptly replied to my e-mails, gave me a direct number to reach a warranty rep and used overnight shipping. A+++ here for sure.

*Ride & BOA*
The boots didn't soften up much as far as flex goes. While DC rates the Judge as being moderate in stiffness, I'd say that it was more like moderately stiff. This is a good thing for me, but is something to keep in mind. The BOA Focus is awesome and allowed the boot to fit my funky feet really well. The soles grip snow and ice like a champ. The boots are also quite warm. The liner itself is of decent quality, though not the best I've seen. The Bravo liners are a lot better.

The ankle brace inside the boots was very effective in holding my foot in place and tightening the liner evenly. It's basically a sleeve attached to the inside of the boot that wraps around the liner and pulls it closed, also locking the liner down inside the boot. I really liked this feature of the boots.

*Overall impression*
Very good boot. I'm keeping an eye on the stitching based on hearsay and the one thread I mentioned, but overall everything is solid. The boots are comfortable and fit me well. I don't think these would be good for someone with narrow feet, though they would definitely be worth trying. How is the value? At $264 they would be of "ok" value (most stuff at full retail usually is "ok" to me); at $169.95 I feel like I got an excellent deal. 

*Grade*
A-


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2009)

Hows the sizing on the judge. i just tried on a size 11 in a local board shop and it fit small when i wear a sz 10.5 in street shoes. ive read reviews where they recommend sizing up a size. is it true?


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## RVM (Jan 31, 2007)

I don't think the size street shoes you wear is at all relevant to what size snowboard boot you will wear. Try the boots on - if they fit well and you like them then buy them if you like. The actual number of the size doesn't really matter.

To answer your question, size-wise they are about the same as most of the shoes I wear.



jjin said:


> Hows the sizing on the judge. i just tried on a size 11 in a local board shop and it fit small when i wear a sz 10.5 in street shoes. ive read reviews where they recommend sizing up a size. is it true?


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2009)

I have 09' dc phase in 11 and thought they judge was small in comparison. thanks though.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2009)

hi RVM,

thnx for the review about the dc judges. i bought them today, i'm from germany, for 200 euros. next i would like to know what bindings you are using with the judges and which board. thank you for answering my question.

sam


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2009)

what did you tell them to give you a free upgrade on the liners. My buddy just bought them and wouldn't mind hooking him up like that


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## RVM (Jan 31, 2007)

At the time, they were advertising the Judge as having a different liner than what it came with. Best thing I can suggest is to just call them and see.



madsteez626 said:


> what did you tell them to give you a free upgrade on the liners. My buddy just bought them and wouldn't mind hooking him up like that


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2009)

Good review...I bought a pair of size US 12 (I wear the same street shoe size) and they fit great.
My gf actually bought a pair first and I'm really happy with them, chronic feet cramping no more!
I have wide feet and I have no problem with slippage - I get minor rubbing on my little toe and inner ankle but I think that's from cranking the ankle bladder too much...

They work fine with my flow bindings, they are starting to get a little worn where the BOA lacing rubs against the boot, but overall are in pretty good shape (A season of around 20-25 days).
Would buy another pair for sure.


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