# Burton Photon vs Ion



## Zygovic

Burton Ruler as an all-around boot ? Beware of the tightness though. I was considering Almighty's and Ions, Almightys are deffinately much more comfy - like sneakers but dont provide that much response as IONs do. Mind the binding laces too - IONS are SpeedZones, Photons are BOAs - I personally prefer SpeedZone system


----------



## Jonny C

Not sure about the reviews you are reading but from my experience I have owning Burton boots:
-Ion: this year's version they are more comfortable but these boots are still intended for backcountry or aggressive all-mountain riding. The outer shell of these boots is hard as hell. The shocking absorption of these boots is also low because they are intended for you to feel the board under your feet. In last year's version, these boots were stiffer. I own a pair of 2017 Ions.​-Ruler: they can serve any purpose since they eventually break down. I still own my 4-year-old Rulers to ride in a more relaxed way.​-Photon: seems to be a great all-mountain boot. I never tested it because I'm not a fan of the BOA system. In the end, for me, it's whatever it feels comfortable in your feet.​
For your style, the best boot you could buy is the Burton Almighty. But only by testing in the store and feeling it you can see if they are good for you or not. There is no boot that is better than the other because of the price. You need to look for the features that fits better to your riding style and those requirements are:
-you are an intermediate rider​-you dont ride a lot of backcountry by your description​-you ride more aggressive all mountain​-you want to be able to hit the park and maybe some jumps​
For me, the best boots you could buy for your purpose are the Burton Almighty. Your boots, the Photon, and the Burton Imperial are also very good choices for your type of riding.


----------



## GDimac

I agree with Jonny. I actually came from Rulers and just got Ions this szn, and they are drastically stiffer. The liner can be deceiving tho, incredibly soft on first try. Took some adjusting and forced me to move my binders around a little bit as some setups became too overkill/stiff making the board feel dead. But I've broken them in now and they're at the perfect level of stiffness that I was looking for. 

But for the things you mentioned doing, Almighty would be a better choice. My bro got them this szn and also came from the Rulers and we both like to ride park a lot and he said it's insanely comfortable but great response. They are also cheaper than the Ions. Never tried on the Photons but def peaked my interest as I've never owned BOA's, and do want to try them out in the near future. Hopefully that helps a bit, gl dude.


----------



## tacoman50

Thank you for the reply guys, I have already taken off the tags and rode the Photons on Sunday. Although they were a bit stiffer than I expected, they were very comfortable and gave very good support and response. Also the stiffness was welcomed since the breaking in of the AMB boots began hurting my ankle on long ski lifts, and the boas didn't need to be as tight as I normally tie something like my speed laces due to stiffness of the overall boot. I was also kind of on the fence with double boas, but I didn't need to adjust them even once after putting them on at the start of the day.

And yea I know I mentioned park riding, but I'm still only at the starting stages of side hits, so I guess really any boot should work for that. But I agree that if I get more serious with park, I'll consider something like the Almighty.

Thank you for the suggestions everyone, I'll definitely take it into account next season as I progress my side hit and park abilities.


----------



## BuckarooBanzai

I have the Almighty's and love them. Comfy, very comfy. No fatigue or pain at all at the end of the day. I can't compare them to how an Ion feels, but I will say that I found them to fit a bit smaller than the Photon. I have a feeling it mostly has to do with the new, improved liner the Almighty has as well as how it's constructed.

I was a little on the fence about the Speed Laces (was kind of steering towards double-BOA), but really like them so far.

Seems like both of the boots feature Burton's latest tech (up till now anyways) and have super positive reviews.

Burton talked about them both on The-House.com:


----------



## BuckarooBanzai

BAH! You responded when I was responding. Glad you love the boots man... would not surprise me if the Ion was their most popular high-end boot.


----------



## tacoman50

BuckarooBanzai said:


> BAH! You responded when I was responding. Glad you love the boots man... would not surprise me if the Ion was their most popular high-end boot.


Haha yea I just noticed that! I really appreciate your suggestion though, and I'm glad you love your Almighty boots! A buddy of mine was thinking of getting the Almighty boots and I think this thread may definitely rid him of any doubt. And who knows, maybe I'll get them next season too (if I choose not to go for Burton Step Ins). 

Honestly though, I don't think anyone could go wrong with any of the boots mentioned in this thread. I've tried so many different brands in stores, from more affordable to flagship boots, and all had pain or pressure points. Burton somehow makes boots which are just the most comfortable for me at least.

And as for the video, yea same it seems like it is the most popular boot. Even Kevin from snowboard pro camp got them. But I found comfort that the co-host on the show got the same year Photons as me hahaha.


----------



## BuckarooBanzai

I liked the Photons a lot... the fit just wasn't right for me. They only had a 9.5 left in the Photons and they were too big. The 9 in the Almighty was waaaay too tight. My feet were in legit pain on the lift and while riding (felt kind of like the arch support was in the wrong spot and my foot was being crushed). The 9.5 almighty was the perfect middle... toes up against the front of the boot, snug/tight without pain, no heel lift, etc... after a full day of runs in it I was sold.

Good luck!


----------



## Erik Roman

I'm in the middle of buying new boots to upgrade from my old rulers so I went with the ions. I took those straight to the mountain with out any break in and I couldn't believe how stiff they felt. My ankles couldn't move what so ever compared to the rulers.im hoping the almightys will be the better fit for me lol


----------



## GDimac

Thankfully was able to snag an amazing deal for the Photons at a local shop that unfortunately had to close permanently.

Now that I own both the '17 Ions & Photons, I have to say that I prefer the Photons more. Aside from the BOA being super easy and quick to use/adjust, I really love the snug and super comfy fit of the Imprint liner in the Photons. Though the Life liner in the Ions are very comfy from the get go, I do feel that it's a little more roomy than what I prefer esp when compared to the Photons. 

The Photons are a touch softer than the Ions but not drastically. Love the responsiveness of the Photons, has perfect blend of comfort & performance. They're like the Rulers on steroids, which is exactly how I wanted my next boots to feel like :nerd:.


----------



## jstar

GDimac said:


> Thankfully was able to snag an amazing deal for the Photons at a local shop that unfortunately had to close permanently.
> 
> Now that I own both the '17 Ions & Photons, I have to say that I prefer the Photons more. Aside from the BOA being super easy and quick to use/adjust, I really love the snug and super comfy fit of the Imprint liner in the Photons. Though the Life liner in the Ions are very comfy from the get go, I do feel that it's a little more roomy than what I prefer esp when compared to the Photons.
> 
> The Photons are a touch softer than the Ions but not drastically. Love the responsiveness of the Photons, has perfect blend of comfort & performance. They're like the Rulers on steroids, which is exactly how I wanted my next boots to feel like
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .



Similar situation myself, have the '17 Burton SLX and imperials in the same size and prefer the imperials (which are pretty much the photons, just with speed lace).

Prefer them for the same reasons you mentioned comparing the liners, tighter and more comfortable fit.


----------

