# Beginner question: Do i really need "special" boots for Snowboarding? If so, why and



## Chase

*Beginner question: Do I really need "special" boots for Snowboarding? If so, why and...*

As the title suggests I'm a beginner.
I've never even seen a designated ski slope before. I have only seen snow a couple of years back. Had fun being a kid in the first snowfall. And want to have more fun.
I just picked up a snowboard for just such a thing. Used.

It has bindings and a carry case. Now comes the boots.

But I hike quite a bit. So my thought was/is, why do I need special snowboarding boots? Why can't I just wear a good waterproof pair of high-top, full-support winter hiking boots?

That way after I'm tired of busting my butt, I can just walk back. Lol... Hopefully, it's not too hard to learn to snowboard. But seriously, can't I just use my hiking boots to snowboard in?

If not... Why?
And if positively no way, can't be done, the thought would be the ruin of the snowboarding community if it were done... Then aside from figuring out my boot size.
Where do I begin?
I don't know anything about types of snow. It never snows here where I live. It rarely gets below 40-45°F.

I know I just got a snowboard... with bindings.. and a carrying case.

And I know I'm not going to want to spend a small fortune on snowboarding boots. Though I'm clueless as to a good one from a bad one... Or costs.

I haven't looked them up online to see... Because I don't know what I'm looking at or for yet.

I could use some help.
Consider me an exchange student of sorts.. coming to the snow-covered mountains from the tropics where we never see snow... Or have mountains for that matter.. or hills.. just little bumps called overpasses for roads.

tia


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## wrathfuldeity

Just do a bit of research...see link below

BOOTS ARE the MOST IMPORTANT piece of snowboard equipment PERIOD.

2nd is a helmet

3rd is some lessons

And no hiking boots will not work. they could work (at least historically) but if you use your hiking boots YOU would be sad and going WTF...so don't do it.

*http://www.snowboardingforum.com/boots/51066-boots-faq-etc.html*


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## f00bar

Welcome to the cold. First off let me just say moving from the tropics to some place with Winter I think some sort of outside activity will keep you from going insane come Winter time. It can hit you really hard and mess with your head if you find yourself cooped up. So get out there. And snowboarding is by far the most fun way to enjoy it.

Now to your question. Ya, you kinda need actual boots. In fact there's quite a few stuff that you'll need to get. A decent jacket, pants, gloves, helmet, and some layers. 

It's going to seem over whelming but we can help you past that, recommend starter gear, where to look for cheap on sale or second hand stuff etc.


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## Chase

Thanks for the replies. 

I did some Google searching, video watching after posting the question.

It seems it's the consensus snowboarding boots are different and preferred in many respects over hiking boots with many who tried both. 

It seems boots are made for particular riding styles, snow conditions etc etc. 

Fitting them, I have a clear understanding on how to fit them. And the lacing variations now. 

Snow conditions and riding styles...?? I'm lost. Completely clueless.

I ride an e-board. And wind surf... That's the closest to snowboarding I've been. 

Yes.. my first winter with snow winter before last... I was thrilled about the snow. As wither cane on quick. It was 75 one day, snowing the next night.
I had a blast sliding down the hilly roads with my sneakers as the snow fell. Only 6 or 7 inches but it was a blast. I was out in it at 1-2am. 
My Sneakers got wet, froze solid. My face hurt.. literally. So did my toes. I mean really hurt. But.. it was fun. 
And i had nothing as far as winter clothes. In the next couple days i was wearing three winter jackets, two shirts, thermals, two hats, two pairs of gloves, three pairs of socks, sneakers, boot golloshes (sp?). 
I still froze my butt off. Lol. But where i was it's a wet cold. 
Little different than Vermont which is the only other time i saw snow but i was just little then. Snow drifts bigger than i was. A dry cold. I'd go out with just a shirt on. Play in the snow. Didn't bother me. Not like two winter's ago that's for sure. Lol.

I guess it's just a matter of finding a general purpose good snowboarding boot that'll keep me warm and fit right until i get the hang of snowboarding.

And yes, sales are good as well as any help keeping me away from the junk gear. 
I don't want to fall into a tourist trap purchase kinda thing. 

As you guys are pointing out, there's quite a bit of other gear to get as well. 

Most of the sports I've dealt with... You grab your bathing suit, beach towel, boat shoes and go.

Winter sports... I literally forgot about all the clothing you have to wear. And i definitely want to be better prepared than last time. Lol. 

I was definitely a fish out of water at the time one could say. The only guy with a tan shaking like a leaf trying to crawl into the fireplace with three heavy coats on... while others are just wearing sweaters.. i stood out from the crowd a bit one could say.

The people were great though... They really were. They made it worth being there when there was only the cold and no snow. Great excuse to drink hot chocolate or hot cider too!!! Which I drank plenty off.. just to keep my fingers warm! 

Well... I've gabbed enough. I'll look around. See what i can find. Not much down here though. But what is here, is really inexpensive compared to up north for winter stuff. No demand down here... Unless, you're going up there.

Guess that's like buying surf boards up there must be.

Thanks again guys,
Cheers...


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## kriegs13

As stated, Boots are your number one piece of equipment. Good (not necessarily high end vs low end but rather a proper fit) boots =happy feet and more riding; bad boots (again, more focused on the fit here)=sad feet and a disdain for riding. They really are make or break. I think most people here will agree that I'm not being dramatic. 

When it comes to cost. Just about all makers have a decent low end boot that will suffice for a beginner. The thing is, you have to buy a boot that fits your feet. Get the worries of appearance, make, model, etc. out of your head until you are more familiar with gear/tech/etc. A good place to start would be something like a Burton Moto, 32 Lashed, k2 raider or darko (I <3 K2 boots). Those are all relatively affordable solid beginner boots. That being said, they may not be that perfect fit that you want/need. It's really a matter of going to a shop and trying on everything. I only order boots online if its a model that I KNOW works for me and hasn't changed from season to season. 

Check out the wired sports boot fitting thread here. It is an excellent place to start and they tend to chime in on forum posts to help with any specific questions. That will give you an idea of what size to be looking for. Boots are almost ALWAYS smaller than you would think. 10.5 shoe size does NOT necessarily= 10.5 boot size etc. 

As for other gear; you're going to want stuff that is solid enough to keep you warm and dry. One of the biggest problems new riders have is having shitty waterproofing, spending the day on their ass, getting soaked in said ass and hands and thinking that mountains are some miserable place where people go to freeze and die! This stuff can add up depending on what you get, but fortunately used soft goods are never hard to come by. 

What's your height/weight/general clothing size? I, and many others here, likely have something that will fit you that we could sell you at reasonable prices. And where is your new location?

Lastly; get a helmet...you could maybe find used but I always get new with helmets due to fit and wanting to make sure that all the protective tech is in tip top shape. Solid helmets can be had for well under $100 USD with many other options as you look at all price points. 

Good luck! and get out there!


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## snowklinger

i heard u can go tubing pretty cheap and almost any shoe will work.


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## Chase

Yup, that's what I'm reading. To make sure your boots are comfy and fit correctly.

And i guess for beginners such as my self they're suggesting a"soft" or "semi-soft" style boot to start with. 

As far as clothing. I do appreciate the offer but as i mentioned, down here, winter stuff is dirt cheap. I mean dirt cheap. Pennies by comparison to what you're probably use to seeing up north.

Most of the snow birds that move here end up just giving it away. Literally.
Those that can afford vacationing up north or going skiing at the resorts, rarely buy used gear. 
Used winter gear or last year's styles... All the thrift stores have them for pennies. 
Only locals will buy maybe a jacket... To us, the winters are cold here. To northerners our winter's are like your fall. Or spring time. One of the ways we can tell a local from a snowbird down here. You guys don't get cold during our winter. Which is all of maybe 1-3 months. Of that, maybe 2 weeks of what I'd call really cold to me. As that's usually only early morning or evenings. It'll be 75-80 during the day then drop to 45 at night. 

I already bought what i think it's a good winter ski coat. A little over sized. But it's two in one. There's a coat inside the outer coat. I've only worn the inner down here. I tried both one time and ended up sweating my butt off a couple hours later and had to remove the outer coat. 

It's not the latest style for sure... But it has many features. 

I also have a second one... I don't like the military green color of it. I guess it's a hunting coat, but it's super comfy and definitely warm and has a nice removable hood that's also insulated. It just looks like crap due the color. 

So coat wise I'm set. 

Pants... That's something I'm unfamiliar with. I mean sure, i bought a few pair a couple winter's ago while up north. But i don't have them anymore... It's the tropics. Who wears long pants? I haven't truly owned a pair in forever. 

Point being it's a little harder for me to determine layering and test fit. 

My coats are oversized by a bit. I'm guessing for ski pants or winter over pants, I'd want the same fit. And I'd need something that'll go over the boot.

Again, locally there's racks of them just sitting here that are very good. If it's pay $5 for a good pair... That'd be pushing it.

While i was up north a couple winter's ago i did learn about the new materials. The thin light weight thermal stuff. I have a hat that i bought that i kept. It was pricy to me but, gosh it was so warm! And comfy. 

Gloves another matter, i didn't find any while up there that kept my fingers from getting cold. Really cold. I guess my blood being so thin from being down here so long.. it wasn't pumping to my fingers and toes. I had a hard time in that area keeping them warm. 

That and my face. I didn't know a person's face could hurt that bad. The wet cold wind just bit the heck out of my face. My nose and cheeks were on fire when i was outside.

I found solutions while up there but didn't buy them... I kept thinking winter will be over soon anyway, being use to our winters here.. so i just toughed it out.

What's sad is i owned my winter coats at the time. But had gone up there during the summer and left them behind. I decided to stay up there.. to experience winter. 

It's not like down here. Up there, it's like a light switch being turned on. One day it's warm.. the next. It's snowing and winter is there.

That was the second time on a road trip i got caught like that being in a new area. 

The first time the worst. I got caught in northern California off guard. Weather during the day was gorgeous. 75-80F. 
I only brought shorts. Went out that night too see the town taking public transportation to get there. 

I didn't know they shut down all public transit at 9pm. I walk out of the club at 1am and it's 40°F. 
Nothing is open. No cab service. And i was stuck. By 4am i thought i was going to die i was so cold. 

I left the next day heading south east towards Denver. Lol. 
But it was so freaking beautiful there. The people so nice. OMG... Just amazing. 

This time.. I'm going to bring it with. Lol.


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## freshy

You don't need them, Sorels used to be the norm at one point so...
But...Everyone is right. They are the most important piece of kit and you should spend all it takes even if its a small fortune to make you feet happy. That is if your serious about snowboarding.

If your super casual and just need something for few days a year just get a used pair in your size in whatever is the most comfortable.


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## timmytard

Well, you still haven't given your boot size, I don't think?

There's a pretty good chance, I have a pair of booties that will fit you.

Plus everything else you might need.

For cheap & all in one spot.:surprise:

If your jacket is that ugly?
Bite the bullet, I'll sell you a cool one of those to.


TT


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## Walter313

Hey, that really helped. Thanks


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## Oakey1000

Chase said:


> *Beginner question: Do i really need "special" boots for Snowboarding? If so, why and*
> 
> As the title suggests I'm a beginner.
> I've never even seen a designated ski slope before. Only seen snow a couple years back. Had fun being a kid in the first snow fall. And want to have more fun.
> I just picked up a snowboard for just such a thing. Used.
> 
> It has bindings and a carry case. Now comes the boots.
> 
> But i hike quite a bit. So my thought was/is, why do i need special snowboarding boots? Why can't i just wear a good waterproof pair of high top full support winter hiking boots?
> 
> That way after I'm tired of busting my butt, i can just walk back. Lol.. Hopefully it's not too hard to learn to snowboard. But seriously, can't i just use my hiking boots to snowboard in?
> 
> If not... Why?
> And if positively no way, can't be done, the thought would be the ruin of the snowboarding community if it were done... Then aside from figuring out my boot size.
> Where do i begin?
> I don't know anything about types of snow. It never snows here where i live. It rarely gets below 40-45°F.
> 
> I know i just got a snowboard... with bindings.. and carrying case.
> 
> And i know I'm not going to want to spend a small fortune on snowboarding boots. Though I'm clueless as to a good one from a bad one... Or costs.
> 
> I haven't looked then up online to see... Because i don't know what I'm looking at or for yet.
> 
> I could use some help.
> Consider me an exchange student of sorts.. coming to the snow covered mountains from the tropics where we never see snow... Or have mountains for that matter.. or hills.. just little bumps called overpasses for roads.
> 
> tia


I was thinking the exact same thing. I was looking at motorcycle boots as I ride a motorcycle. My name is pretty hard leather as well. And the boot size is a lot smaller than a snowboard size. So you will have no overhang over your snowboard from the telly to heal therefore. You're able to do a little bit of carving if you want to dig your edges in with your turns. As long as you're bindings fit quite tight, I cannot see any problems with it. I will be trying it this snow season at Thredbo to see if it works boots are only $140. And their long boots as well.


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## Donutz

The first time you strap your street boots into bindings and tighten them down, I bet you'll rethink. Snowboard boots, even the ones rated 'soft', are way stiffer than regular footwear, and for a reason. Among other things, they transfer the pressure from 2 straps over your entire foot. And if you have the run-of-the-mill bindings for nowadays, the toestrap is trying to push your toes back to your heels. Oh, and the first time you do a hard heelside and your boot sole flexes and allows the whole boot to pop out from under the toestrap, that will also be fun.

Good luck. Make sure your health insurance is paid up, though.


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## schulz48003

I rode for my first 2-3 seasons with my sorel pac boots. But than again it's ankle strength imo. I'm actually thinking of going back


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## WigMar

Everyone rode Sorels back in the day. I'm grateful for other options.


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## ridethecliche

schulz48003 said:


> I rode for my first 2-3 seasons with my sorel pac boots. But than again it's ankle strength imo. I'm actually thinking of going back


Start by taking off your high backs imho.


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