# How tight are boot suppose to fit



## Guest (Feb 2, 2010)

How tight are boot suppose to fit? I tried a few at the stores and am looking at 2. 1 is the Burton ruler, I walked around for about 15/20 min and it feels fine on my foot but it is super duper snug fit. 2 is the Salomon Maori(?) and it feels fine like a shoe but not as tight and snug as the ruler. The ruler feels different walking around in as my ankle seem to be stuck at a certain position, whereas the Maori is like wearing a boot shoe. What type of feel do I want from snowboarding boot?


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## SnoRidr (Jan 7, 2009)

seattlelite said:


> How tight are boot suppose to fit? I tried a few at the stores and am looking at 2. 1 is the Burton ruler, I walked around for about 15/20 min and it feels fine on my foot but it is super duper snug fit. 2 is the Salomon Maori(?) and it feels fine like a shoe but not as tight and snug as the ruler. The ruler feels different walking around in as my ankle seem to be stuck at a certain position, whereas the Maori is like wearing a boot shoe. What type of feel do I want from snowboarding boot?


It pretty much comes down to preference and what feel YOU want. I like a snug fit around the calf and ankle of my boot, but my toe box is usually relatively loose cuz I have a wider foot. This fit pretty much eliminates all heel lift and keeps my foot in place. My wife, on the other hand, keeps her boots a little looser. It is more comfortable for her without loosing board control. 

No matter what you prefer, the main issues are preventing heel lift and your foot from slipping around too much in the boot. Too much play will drastically reduce board control, and that get's you into trouble. If you find a boot that keeps your heel planted, no pressure points, and your feet tell you their happy, I'd say you found a decent fitting boot. Just comes down to feel. Also remember that the boot will probably pack out a bit. I don't think boots pack out nearly as much as they used to in the early days, but expect the boot to loosen up a bit during the break in period. I'd say my boot loosened up maybe a half size at the most. Hope that helps some.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2010)

Can you explain heel lift? Y it's bad?


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## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

SnoRidr pretty much summed it up. You have very little control on your toeside turns if your heel is not planted in the boot properly.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

I like mine to fit pretty much the same way SnoRidr described. I like it nice and snug through the calf, ankle, and heel with no heel lift. Heel lift is a killer. It's the number one thing I'm looking for when trying on new boots.

What makes it very difficult for me is my very narrow heel. Trying to find boots with no heel lift is virtually impossible. Salomon F22 is the only thing I've found so far that fits the bill.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

seattlelite said:


> How tight are boot suppose to fit? I tried a few at the stores and am looking at 2. 1 is the Burton ruler, I walked around for about 15/20 min and it feels fine on my foot but it is super duper snug fit. 2 is the Salomon Maori(?) and it feels fine like a shoe but not as tight and snug as the ruler. The ruler feels different walking around in as my ankle seem to be stuck at a certain position, whereas the Maori is like wearing a boot shoe. What type of feel do I want from snowboarding boot?


Just from personal experience I can tell you that the Rulers when new are a little stiff, but they soften out nicely, they won't get overly soft, but it will definitely feel better after they are worn a bit, after mine broke in they became way more natural to walk in.

Where is your toe in the boot? You want it lightly brushing up against the inside front of the liner when you stand. Boots will pack out slightly as well, but as long as it is comfortably snug with no pressure points or pain, you should be fine.


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## Bkeller (Nov 3, 2009)

seattlelite said:


> Can you explain heel lift? Y it's bad?


This is when your foot is strapped into your bindings, when you lift your heel, the board should immediatly follow, when there is heel lift, your heel shifts inside your boot then eventually brings the board with it. (This is bad)

I dunno if that makes sense but thats the best way I can describe it. :dunno:


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Bkeller said:


> This is when your foot is strapped into your bindings, when you lift your heel, the board should immediatly follow, when there is heel lift, your heel shifts inside your boot then eventually brings the board with it. (This is bad)
> 
> I dunno if that makes sense but thats the best way I can describe it. :dunno:


Yep. Heel lift is simply your heel sliding up and down inside the boot. You want your boot to move directly with your foot, you want minimal heel movement inside the boot. This will all lead to poor responsiveness on your toe edge. If it's bad enough, it'll lead to catching your heel edge when you're trying to get on your toe and that will lead to some nasty slams!


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2010)

So how do i test heel lift? Do I bend my knees while in a snowboard stance? If I get no movement, then the boots are good, i guess.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Simply stand on your tip toes in the store with the boots on. If your heel stays secure inside the boot and the heel of the boot comes off the floor with your movement, then you're probably good to go.


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