# Boot stiffness...



## FL_Boarder (Oct 28, 2011)

I recently purchased Ride Anthem BOA boots. Now they are rated at a 4 for stiffness 1 being soft and 10 being stiff. How much is boot stiffness going to play a role in my riding? Obviously stiff is more responsive, but do park riders still have responsive boots with a soft board?


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## twin89 (Jan 21, 2009)

i wouldn't even pay attention to boot stiffness when looking for a new pair. simply try on as many boots as you can and pick the most comfortable one. I ride mostly park and i ride in the stiffest DC boot (ceptors). You should also consider that after 100 days a soft pair of boots will offer the same resistance as a wet tissue compared to a boot that started out stiff and may end up with some life left in it.

Pay more attention to board and binding stiffness in terms of response. The boots you buy should simply be the most comfortable pair that you tried on. If you are buying online, i would highly discourage that as you may end up with a pair of boots that don't fit and feel like they are stabbing your feet with rusted nails.


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## FL_Boarder (Oct 28, 2011)

Yeah I tried the boots on and loved them. Ride makes similar boots but stiffer. My board is a Ride DH2 and Ride Capo bindings so it is fairly stiff setup but still playful.


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## doron (Nov 14, 2010)

Will you report back about how the Capo's are treating you? I just picked up a pair and would love to hear from other riders. The high back feels really stiff so I'm hoping it's still playful enough.

As for stiffness, remember that someone weighing 200 pounds size 10 shoe will flex a boot differently than someone weighing 150 pounds with a size 10. It's really a matter of comparing what you rode before and whether you feel the need for greater response or not (especially toeside).


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## FL_Boarder (Oct 28, 2011)

I won't have a ride report until December 9th. Me being 6'3" and 180lbs without my gear on I have more weight and leverage to flex things. I am a little nervous about this setup coming from a Burton Custom but I think this stiffer setup will help with my progression when hitting the double blacks and steeper runs.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

Stiffer boots for freeride/pow softer for freestyle/park

_or_ whatever is in your comfort zone


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## xDOTY (Nov 29, 2010)

You got BOAs. The same boots as me. When you want stiffness, spin it a lot. When u want flex and tweakablilty, you leave em a little loose.


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## FL_Boarder (Oct 28, 2011)

Its just so hard to gauge how these are without being able to take 1 run down a slope. I'm sure they will be fine but if I'm doing some speed runs down the blues I hope they have enough response and hold. Then again being softer might take some chop out when hitting those clumps almost like ice usually on the steeper runs or when I get a sketchy landing in the park. My main focus this year is grabs and spins so they might be suitable. Living in a place where it rarely snows and when it does theres not enough or a decent hill to go down really makes buying new gear hard to do.


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