# Normal Life expectancy of Boots



## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

20 great days
20 good days
20 too large too soft days readjusting tightness alla times days
+20 rather bad days stubbornly insisting on not wanting to buy new boots :/


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

Should get plenty of life out of the ions if they're properly sized. Typically a stiffer boot will last longer, but yours may be a half size big so now they're packed out they feel too loose. 

I've got around 70 days on my Ride Insanos, they'll make 100 but I'm tempted down half a size as well. I recall @Argo saying he gets around 100 days out of the stiff flow boots he uses (talons?) And he's a big dude who rides hard. 100 days seems like a reasonable expectation from a top of the line boot.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

I'm with neni except 5 days of pain proceed the whole lot and after about 60 days they get relegated from freeride to freestyle duties. 60 days is 2-3 years for me though.


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Phedder said:


> Should get plenty of life out of the ions if they're properly sized. Typically a stiffer boot will last longer, but yours may be a half size big so now they're packed out they feel too loose.
> 
> I've got around 70 days on my Ride Insanos, they'll make 100 but I'm tempted down half a size as well. I recall @Argo saying he gets around 100 days out of the stiff flow boots he uses (talons?) And he's a big dude who rides hard. 100 days seems like a reasonable expectation from a top of the line boot.


I have like 50-60 days on my Rulers. But I've had to add material to the exterior of the liner to keep em snug.


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## snowman55 (Feb 17, 2012)

neni said:


> 20 great days
> 20 good days
> 20 too large too soft days readjusting tightness alla times days
> +20 rather bad days stubbornly insisting on not wanting to buy new boots :/


Add another 10-20 days with some duct tape and foam. Once your whole liner is covered with duct tape, it's time to look for new boots.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

snowman55 said:


> Add another 10-20 days with some duct tape and foam. Once your whole liner is covered with duct tape, it's time to look for new boots.


I'm currently in the "put knots into laces to omit pull on chewed up lace parts" and "forget liners infront of fireplace and overheat them all night so they shrink 2 sizes, swear several days about them being painfully uber tight thinking now I _really_ need to replace 'em - till they widen once again - and now actually fit not too bad again" phase. Watertightness vanished completely this season. Lace stoppers creased to work abt 20 days ago. Awww... screw it, the velcro power strap still works, so I may get another 20 bad days out of them :laugh:


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Luckily the stench of my feet keep them ridged. Kidding there, i'm luckily not one of those people who can clear a room by removing their shoes.

I've actually gone 3 seasons on my boots. Of course that's probably about 50 days, and my vertical in a day on my 1000' hill is likely a lot less than others.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I buy a new pair each season but get from 100 to 150 days a season. I do add a bit of material like neoprene between the liner and shell after 50 days.


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## BoardieK (Dec 21, 2015)

I've just bought new Flow Hylites to replace the old ones, they were 3 seasons/130 days old and the guys in the shop couldn't believe how bendy they were. Apart from that and the packing-out they were in pretty good shape, I'm only 155lbs in size 10.5 US too so should be giving them an easy time. I ought to have replaced at 2 seasons/90 days really.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Oh yeah, im about 290 lbs and use flow talons.


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## slatermvp (Mar 3, 2017)

Alright nice to know. I'm going to have to take out the liner and add tape to them so they can stay tight then. The next pair I buy I will probably have fitted. Maybe even go down a half a size.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I did size down, make sure they are proper mondo size to your foot. See @Wiredsports thread on it...

I also have periods of time that I wear thicker socks. 

I start new with regular merino wool socks.

Then after 15 days I go to thicker merino wool socks. 

Then around 30 days I add the neoprene and go back to regular merino socks. 

Then eventually I go back up to thick socks around 70-80 days...


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

The reason they're loose now is likely that they're too big. 

The current Ride Fuse is the longest lasting boot I've had. Slime tongue rules. I have 100ish days on them and while I probably would complain on any days I ride more than 6 hours, they're pretty much OK still. Seriously, Slimetongue is for real. The liners are old as shit though. Probably 300 days on those. I'm surprised they're still alive.

Also, this boot has led me to realize my ideal boot doesn't exist. Mid-stiff-ish straight forward and mid-soft-ish laterally. A broken down Fuse is the closest thing I can get, because the Slimetongue doesn't really break down, I can close to maintain flex that direction but the boot breaks down side to side, which I like. Snowboard boot makers really need to focus in on tongue construction. That's what kills a boot, creased or dead tongues.


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Is it the boot that is toast, the liner or both? I find that the shell has many more miles in it than the liner.

I think that boot manufacturers design the liner to be the weakest link. It is toast after 50 to 100 days. At that point most people purchase new boots when simply replacing the liner would allow them to get many more miles out of their boots.

YMMV.


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

slatermvp said:


> What is the normal life expectancy of boots? I have Burton Ions which I bought about 2.5-3 years ago. They probably only have about 20 or so days of riding on them. This year I notice them getting loose and I had to keep tighten while riding. The liner began coming out when taking the boots off. I'm not trying to get new boots just curious as to how long boots normally last.


Your boots are still good. If they feel loose consider using thicker socks. Good aftermarket footbeds can keep your heel anchored even if the boot doesn't feel super snug. Liners coming out when you take the boots off isn't really a sign of much. It's good to take them out and let everything dry out thoroughly after riding.


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## Varza (Jan 6, 2013)

Oldman said:


> Is it the boot that is toast, the liner or both? I find that the shell has many more miles in it than the liner.
> 
> I think that boot manufacturers design the liner to be the weakest link. It is toast after 50 to 100 days. At that point most people purchase new boots when simply replacing the liner would allow them to get many more miles out of their boots.
> 
> YMMV.


Yeah, it's the liner on mine that feels like it gets loose now. Well, the whole boot feels a lot floppier than before. 32 Lashed bought, umm... early 2014 I think it was. I don't count the days but put some stiffer boots on the list for next year. 

Do they even sell liners separately?


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Varza said:


> Yeah, it's the liner on mine that feels like it gets loose now. Well, the whole boot feels a lot floppier than before. 32 Lashed bought, umm... early 2014 I think it was. I don't count the days but put some stiffer boots on the list for next year.
> 
> Do they even sell liners separately?


Yes. Intuition does for sure, and probably others.


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## snowman55 (Feb 17, 2012)

Varza said:


> Yeah, it's the liner on mine that feels like it gets loose now. Well, the whole boot feels a lot floppier than before. 32 Lashed bought, umm... early 2014 I think it was. I don't count the days but put some stiffer boots on the list for next year.
> 
> Do they even sell liners separately?


They do but for the price of the liner is only little less than the new boots during end of season sale. Mine as well pay little bit more and get the new boot.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Oldman said:


> Is it the boot that is toast, the liner or both? I find that the shell has many more miles in it than the liner.
> 
> I think that boot manufacturers design the liner to be the weakest link. It is toast after 50 to 100 days. At that point most people purchase new boots when simply replacing the liner would allow them to get many more miles out of their boots.
> 
> YMMV.


I see and experience quite the opposite. I know many riders who will go 200 days on liners but only get 100 from the shells. It's the reason few know that you can even get aftermarket snowboard boot liners and why there are very few options of doing so. Any high density thermomoldable liner, if the boot is taken care of properly, should outlast the boot. And unless the OP has some old ass Ion's, his are the Infinity liners that are PU, which don't break down.



Fielding said:


> Your boots are still good. If they feel loose consider using thicker socks. Good aftermarket footbeds can keep your heel anchored even if the boot doesn't feel super snug. Liners coming out when you take the boots off isn't really a sign of much. It's good to take them out and let everything dry out thoroughly after riding.


I do not understand how people have come to the conclusion that supporting the underside of the foot is somehow going to keep it from lifting. In fact this can have the opposite effect if the boot is too big since supportive insoles effectively shorten the foot, thus giving it even more room to slide forward and out of the heelpocket. Also, I see many a heel blister from people using thicker or doubling socks to compensate for boots that are too big. Always thin socks. If your boots are too big, they're fucking too big. There are about 3 things you can do to fix that as a boot fitter. Where if they feel too small there's about 10. Always go smaller. Always.


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

Nivek said:


> Oldman said:
> 
> 
> > Is it the boot that is toast, the liner or both? I find that the shell has many more miles in it than the liner.
> ...


Simple: by using a firm footbed that truly supports the arch, the heel is held in place with only a moderate amount of force applied to the laces (or whatever). With the arch being fully supported, the foot does not move fore/aft inside the boot. I know it works because I've done it. is it as good as having boots that fit properly? Nope.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Fielding said:


> Simple: by using a firm footbed that truly supports the arch, the heel is held in place with only a moderate amount of force applied to the laces (or whatever). With the arch being fully supported, the foot does not move fore/aft inside the boot. I know it works because I've done it. is it as good as having boots that fit properly? Nope.


I get about 20 days out of the stock footbeds. I crush them and They end up paper thin and flat. I have some remind insoles with like 300 days on them and still love them. I put them in the new boots after day 15 or so.... they make all the difference in foot comfort for sure. I just use the stock ones to give me a little more time on the aftermarket ones....

I agree 100% on nivek earlier mention of the tongues. They really should make it a bigger priority on boots. Flows is ok but it would be awesome of it was made in a more comfortable and lasting way...


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Varza said:


> Yeah, it's the liner on mine that feels like it gets loose now. Well, the whole boot feels a lot floppier than before. 32 Lashed bought, umm... early 2014 I think it was. I don't count the days but put some stiffer boots on the list for next year.
> 
> _*Do they even sell liners separately?*_


I don't think most SB boot makers do,.. but Remind sells an aftermarket liner. It significantly stiffened & added about 2 seasons to my old 32 ST boas. 

The liner cost about as much as the boots did. (...bought on sale anyway.) But the added stiffness & comfort was worth it. 

BTW,.. the liners survived over 2.5 seasons of use in those bootsand got transferred into the new ST's I bought. (...but I sized down & discovered 32's binary boas this past season. So now the ST's /w the Reminds are my spare boots.) :laugh:


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## Bataleon85 (Apr 29, 2017)

Totally depends on your riding style, frequency of use and how well you take care of them. I've definitely found some brands hold up better than others. I have a pair of DC cougars (don't even make these anymore) from 2009 that are still in pretty good shape. Mind you, I'm a gear junkie so I rarely wear anything out since I rotate what I ride in so much but yeah. Liners and laces are usually the first to go. Providing you have a reasonably well made boot you can usually get quite a few days out of the actual shell as long as you're not excessively careless with your gear. 

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk


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