# Thoughts on boa lacing



## forestfalcon (Jan 5, 2012)

I'm sure there is a thread on this somewhere, but I'm on my phone and it's a pain in the ass to search...
Anyway, I just got a pair of Ride boots with the boa laces. I haven't worn them yet (this weekend!) but a friend has already told me to take them back because of the laces. It's not anything on the brand of boots, just that she doesn't like the boa system in general. Something about them needing to be re-tightened a lot. 
Thoughts?


----------



## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

forestfalcon said:


> I'm sure there is a thread on this somewhere, but I'm on my phone and it's a pain in the ass to search...
> Anyway, I just got a pair of Ride boots with the boa laces. I haven't worn them yet (this weekend!) but a friend has already told me to take them back because of the laces. It's not anything on the brand of boots, just that she doesn't like the boa system in general. Something about them needing to be re-tightened a lot.
> Thoughts?


I just got some boots with the BOA system back in November. I have ridden with them 6 days. I find myself adjusting them more than I did with my laced boots because it is easier and takes less time to make adjustments. Before, I would endure whatever discomfort I had until I made it to the bottom of the hill. With the new boots I can stop by the side of a run and spend a few seconds twisting, tightening or loosening without having to retie lace knots.

So far, I prefer the boa system.


----------



## Sassicaia (Jan 21, 2012)

I much prefer the boa system and would never go back to laces.


----------



## easton714 (Dec 28, 2011)

I have a double BOA boot from 686/New Balance and I love it. I used them a week or two ago up at A-Basin and Keystone for the first time and never adjusted them again once I set them.

Now, a guy a rode with at Keystone had some cheap single BOAs and he was constantly re-adjusting them (and he said they occasionally would loosen without warning).

So...I assume the quality of the overall boot matters as well.

Additionally, I think BOAs really only work for those who like tight, stiff boots. I do. Others don't. I cannot imagine riding my new boots, for example, for anything but freeriding. They aren't flexible enough (by design) to do anything freestyle, really.


----------



## Efilnikufesin (Oct 8, 2011)

If you like the boots and they are comfortable, keep them, the boa doesn't loosen. In fact I find it much easier to get them as tight as I want. Tighten them when I put them on, walk around for a minute, then just give another crank or two if I need.


----------



## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

And laced boots never need to be retightened? I own Ride Jackon Boas (my second pair) and I love'em. Like rocker vs camber, Flow vs traditional, this is one of those subjects that generate a lot of loud opinion without a lot of decisive factual backup. No offense to your friend, but she is probably just repeating something she heard someone else say.

I retighten my boas after my first run, and I may have to retighten them once or twice during the day, but that's just a matter of cranking the dials a few times. You'll spend more time fiddling with your goggles.


----------



## DonTheBarber (Dec 3, 2011)

I bought the Ride Anthem Boa boots earlier this season. I had them heat molded before I left the store. The fit pretty good and they are comfortable. My feet stay warm and dry which is good too. I will say that the boa system did loosen a lot at first but the more you wear them the less the loosen. On the first run they werena bout 3 turns too loose. By the end of the first day they only were about a quarter turn loose.


----------



## Efilnikufesin (Oct 8, 2011)

DonTheBarber said:


> I bought the Ride Anthem Boa boots earlier this season. I had them heat molded before I left the store. The fit pretty good and they are comfortable. My feet stay warm and dry which is good too. I will say that the boa system did loosen a lot at first but the more you wear them the less the loosen. On the first run they werena bout 3 turns too loose. By the end of the first day they only were about a quarter turn loose.


It's not that the boa is loosening, it's your foot settling/packing out the boot. I just walk around a bit and maybe give a lean or two forward and backward, then I can usually give a couple more turns and its usually good to go till I take them off. Occasionally I might crank them down once more at the top of the lift, but once I get them tightened down good, they stay that way. Same ones Donutz has, Ride Jackson Boa.


----------



## forestfalcon (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies. I kind of figured as much, just wanted to get others' opinions. My previous boots were salomons and they were decent, but they had the pull laces, which I am not much of a fan. They started pinching my feet this year...I'm guessing my feet changed after pregnancy, not bigger, just different...but I digress. These boots feel so magical on my feet already, so I'm glad to hear you all like the boas. 
Thanks!


----------



## Rufus (Nov 7, 2008)

I've owned BOA and speed laces in the past but I prefer traditional laces. The BOA boots I owned were single BOA, I think the double BOA would be much better.


----------



## Riley212 (Nov 9, 2011)

i tried a Ride double boa and K2 triple boa system, i like how easy they where and they never loosened up other than breaking in.

The problem i had with both is that the way the boa laces were attatched to the boot cause the boot flex to pinch my ankles which hurt a lot. They were comfortable in store and walking arround my house. but once i started riding is when they started hurting. 

I have used regular lace and speedlace boots with out ever having a problem. they are a pain in the ass compared to how easy the boas are though. 

im going to try the next years Flow boots out as they aren't designed like the boots i was using.


----------



## DanX (Oct 19, 2011)

I own DC Judges, which are dual zone BOAs, and I prefer them over traditional lacing as well. They are quick to adjust even with your gloves on. You can unlock the dial when walking around and just tighten them down when strapped in. Actually, the only time I find that they need retightening is right after I strap in. Also, I believe the cables come with a lifetime warranty. IMO, if convenience is your thing, you'll dig BOA lacing.


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I used K2's T1 double boas last year, and did not spend one day in comfort. It probably wasn't the boa engineering's fault, but the technology _is_ superfluous. 

I have boots that fit now, with traditional lacing, and I often won't even untie on a 30 minute lunch break.

Also just to point out if these break on the hill, it could end your day unless you are carrying a replacement kit. I had a cable break, had a replacement ship out quickly for free, only to find that my whole ratchet system was fouled/jammed and I needed more/bigger parts and a much bigger headache then expected. I imagine most on-hill shops these days can deal with almost any boa situation and get you back riding, but I could be wrong.

Also the ratchet system is subject to wear and tear, and can loosen up.

Lots of people around here love the BOA system, and I'm not a hater, but keep in mind there are a few pitfalls...

I fell for boa's, but seriously...what's wrong with laces?

If the boots fit, the material the laces are made from is irrelevant.


----------



## forestfalcon (Jan 5, 2012)

snowklinger said:


> I used K2's T1 double boas last year, and did not spend one day in comfort. It probably wasn't the boa engineering's fault, but the technology _is_ superfluous.
> 
> I have boots that fit now, with traditional lacing, and I often won't even untie on a 30 minute lunch break.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the heads up. I'll just take my old boots and keep them in the car as a contingency. 

Thanks again for all the replies. It's nice to hear different sides to it other than "I don't like them just because."


----------



## ceridwen (Dec 14, 2011)

Seems like you already got the replies you needed, but I'll go ahead and add my two cents anyway.

I'm riding relatively cheap boots (Vans Encore BOA) with a single BOA system this year. I've got ~12 days riding them so far this season and love them. I did not pick them because they were cheap, but rather because they fit me best of the boots I was able to try on.

I see a lot of hate for the single BOA boots but have found mine to be plenty comfortable, to the point where I put them on before we drive up the mountain and don't even bother loosening them when I eat lunch. The key was figuring out that if I flex the boot a few times while tightening it up it distributes the laces across the whole boot more evenly and lets me tighten things down properly in the first go. Sometimes I'll need to tighten them a bit more halfway through the day because my feet have settled into the boots more or I didn't flex them enough when putting them on for the day but the BOA system itself has never loosened up on it's own.

All that said, my husband had the BOA system on his K2 Maysis boots fail 5 days into the season. The boots are double BOA, with one controlling the boot tightness and the other the liner. The one controlling the boot failed to properly release when he went to take the boots off one day (it would release about one inch of cable but no more) and the only way he was able to get the boot off was by cutting the cable. We were not able to get them repaired on the mountain and he had to just rent boots the following day.

You can pick up a full set of replacement parts for $12 + shipping from BOA if you want extras to have on hand. If your BOA system actually breaks they will sent you replacements for free. There was someone on the mountain who would have been able to fix the boot for us if we'd had the parts, but the store there did not carry replacement BOA parts. He did mention that if it had been a cable that broke he would probably have been able to tie it back together as a short term solution to keep the boots running until we could get a new cable.


----------



## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

I'm a first season beginner, so my input should be judged accordingly!

I have gone thru several pairs of boots via REI trying to get a comfortable & proper fit! One speed laced type boot & the rest Boa's.

I settled on the 32 ST's. I like the Boa system myself. I found that they can be WAY over tightened, which is what I was doing (...got plenty of incomplete & bad advice on fit and how to properly strap in)

This point was was touched on briefly in another reply, but I'll add my two cents to elaborate. Concerning loosening. I have not had the cables loosen on their own, but I have found that while I'm Strapping in,.. The bindings tightening down on the boot will sometimes cause "Slack" in the lacing cable. (Getting the bindings where I want them,.. the boots get squeezed a bit tighter than where I have them laced simply for comfort) If I notice this, usually a quick half to 3/4 turn on the nob takes care of it!

I actually have more trouble with my Cartel's binding straps stretching & getting loose during the course of a days riding!


----------



## pyrobee (Nov 3, 2010)

I have the K2 Raider Boa boots, and I just used them for the first time this weekend, and never had to retighten them once.


----------



## forestfalcon (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks guys! I rode the new boots yesterday and they seemed pretty comfortable! Ceridwen, I like your idea of flexing while tightening, so I'll give that a try today.


----------



## TorpedoVegas (Dec 25, 2011)

I have a pair of the K2 Raider boots as well. Hated them the first couple of days, felt like here was a few bad pressure points. After 6 days or so they packed out nice and now I really like them, no more pressure points or anything at all. These are my first Boa boots (other than my fly fishing boots) and I think the trick is to not overtighten them, which can be easy and tempting to do. If your boots don't feel great the first few days, just give them a little more time before you give up on them. I'll be sticking with the Boa system for the forseeable future. The first few days I think I did a lot of adjusting and re-tightening, but not anymore, I realized that most of the time I was overtightening them if anything.


----------



## extra0 (Jan 16, 2010)

boa is o.k., but I wouldn't buy any boot without dual zone lacing (that would mean double boa). I have heard of people getting stuck in their boots when the boa knob fails.


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

ceridwen said:


> You can pick up a full set of replacement parts for $12 + shipping from BOA if you want extras to have on hand. If your BOA system actually breaks they will sent you replacements for free. There was someone on the mountain who would have been able to fix the boot for us if we'd had the parts, but the store there did not carry replacement BOA parts. He did mention that if it had been a cable that broke he would probably have been able to tie it back together as a short term solution to keep the boots running until we could get a new cable.


btw. he would not have been able to tie the cable together.

If you are the smart, plan-ahead type, you can just email BOA now, before your shit breaks, and carry it around in your gear. Even tell them your ratchet spool jammed/exploded so they send everything (if not specific, they will only send a cable). Don't pay for shit. 

That's what I'd do if I ever have another pair of BOA's, which I won't, because I'm still confused about besides the addition of technology, r&d, material, and money, I don't understand what improvement they provide over laces. And don't say they are faster, because while they may be slightly quicker in the morning, you will see many people (myself included) who will fuck with them all day long just because they can. I don't even untie at lunch in the lodge because my boots are comfy and may as well been laced by magic lacing gremlins for all my feet know.

Tying traditional laces seems really easy to me, but maybe i'm like the fucking Michael Jordan of lace tying.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Huge improvements with BOA for backcountry riding. Being able to loosen your upper cuff with the dual zone system makes for much more comfortable skinning. If you need support for say steep side hilling, it's a few cranks away. You're not going to do this with laces or speed laces. Yes I've broken a few cables, it's been over 30 days each time. If you have the kit, it's just about as much of a hassle to replace as laces are, which break and stretch. Overall I have been quite happy with the dual BOA system. Having spares is a good idea. Especially for the upper cable. That seems to be the one I most often fray. Visually inspecting your cables before and after each use will cut down on the breakage factor. I've done a full day with a just frayed cable no problem. It's also worth tightening your boots back up after you take them off to make sure the cables don't get bent, snagged, and such. It has been nothing short of huge improvement for me.


----------



## stevetim (Dec 26, 2007)

Riley212 said:


> i tried a Ride double boa and K2 triple boa system, i like how easy they where and they never loosened up other than breaking in.
> 
> The problem i had with both is that the way the boa laces were attatched to the boot cause the boot flex to pinch my ankles which hurt a lot. They were comfortable in store and walking arround my house. but once i started riding is when they started hurting.


This for me!

I had K2 single Boa Raiders. I loved them and they were easy as hell to adjust. But the wire threaded over the inside of my left ankle bone and as soon as I did a couple of runs, put way too much pressure on that point leading to so much pain I could barely walk after taking off the boots. 

Just make sure when you buy the Boa system, they have adequate padding under the wire on the pressure points of your foot.


----------



## easton714 (Dec 28, 2011)

snowklinger said:


> btw. he would not have been able to tie the cable together.
> 
> If you are the smart, plan-ahead type, you can just email BOA now, before your shit breaks, and carry it around in your gear. Even tell them your ratchet spool jammed/exploded so they send everything (if not specific, they will only send a cable). Don't pay for shit.
> 
> ...



Honestly, the only reason I even got rid of my lace boots was because I didn't feel like I could get them tight enough. I like mine pretty snug - but that goes for pretty much all shoes for me but especially for anything athletic. I played college baseball and I wore shoes a half size too small and cranked them as tight as I could get them before double-knotting. Snowboard boots, because of all the padding and the general size, I just can't do that. BOA could.


----------



## bobthegood (Sep 14, 2011)

I owned a pair of K2 single boa's, and am on my 2nd pair of TIDB’s. Shit just keeps getting better. But as others have said, if the boots don't fit right to begin with, boas's are not going to help.


----------



## SnowRock (Feb 28, 2011)

My two cents. I love them, but also realize boot technology has probably improved in terms of comfort/heel lift versus my last pair with standard laces so I am coming at this from a point where any pair of new boots I would have probably appreciated. I got the K2 Thraxis through a friend at a discount which helps, so I have their triple BOA system and a heat molded boot.

What I like most is that you don’t have to over-tighten which is something I did far too often with laces. I throw them on at the hill and tighten, but lean towards not tightening them down too much. Then after the walk to the lift I will adjust before strapping in. The ease in which I can tighten at any point of the day/anywhere has made my riding much more comfortable. With laces I would go overboard because I didn’t want to have to stop to tighten more.


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> Huge improvements with BOA for backcountry riding. Being able to loosen your upper cuff with the dual zone system makes for much more comfortable skinning. If you need support for say steep side hilling, it's a few cranks away. You're not going to do this with laces or speed laces. Yes I've broken a few cables, it's been over 30 days each time. If you have the kit, it's just about as much of a hassle to replace as laces are, which break and stretch. Overall I have been quite happy with the dual BOA system. Having spares is a good idea. Especially for the upper cable. That seems to be the one I most often fray. Visually inspecting your cables before and after each use will cut down on the breakage factor. I've done a full day with a just frayed cable no problem. It's also worth tightening your boots back up after you take them off to make sure the cables don't get bent, snagged, and such. It has been nothing short of huge improvement for me.


good point about skinning, didn't think of that.


----------



## KG29 (Jan 20, 2011)

I love the boa system and the dual boa even better

It's a hate love thing some people love you just slip you foot in and twist the knob and your going on the chair left.

I view it as the rear entry bindings you hate them or think they are cool

Myself very dislike the tradinal lace system(hockey skate style) never could get my laces tight enough


----------



## metric (Jan 16, 2011)

Love my Thirty Two Focus Boas, which are a dual boa. I tried and returned the Ride Jackson which is a single boa. Too many pressure points


----------



## eek5 (Jan 5, 2011)

metric said:


> Love my Thirty Two Focus Boas, which are a dual boa. I tried and returned the Ride Jackson which is a single boa. Too many pressure points


Same here. Went from DC dual boas to K2 "dual" boa (one for shell and one for the conda) and I hated the K2s. So many weird pressure points. Dual boa for the shell is just better, period.

It seems like most people who are satisfied with single boa haven't ridden a good dual boa boot.


----------



## GorgeDad (Jan 24, 2011)

I'll throw in another vote in for the BOA. Most importantly, you need a boot that fits and is comfortable regardless of the closure type. I find the ease of the BOA is great, though i would recommend a dual BOA. I have experienced when riding hard that a single BOA can cause the bottom (on your foot) to tighten from the pressure you put on the upper boot from flexing. This can happen with a lace, too, but is alleviated with the dual BOA because you can adjust leg and foot zone separately.


----------

