# Soft(?) boots with stiff board and bindings?



## Pablo$ (Oct 10, 2020)

What's your hardgoods setup?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Boot flex is all personal preference. I would say I generally ride stuff on the stiffer end and I ride noodle boots. STWs might feel mediumish now, but they will soften up significantly. If that worries you return then and get something else. Keep in mind the retail price, not all expensive boots are stiff, but stiff boots are expensive.


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## Seppuccu (Dec 4, 2012)

What Kevin said.

Also, keep in mind that female boots are softer than male. Only the stiffer male boot goes all the way to 10. If you are a lighter rider you will also experience a boot as stiffer.

Edit: sorry, there's apparently a male stw, and as you wrote size 13 I should have paid attention to that. Anyway, the weight part still stands.


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## WigMar (Mar 17, 2019)

Ousimanie said:


> At the end of the day, what really matters is that I can now ride the whole day comfortablt without smashing my toes.


I ride much softer boots now that they fit properly. I used to ride in size 13, same as my shoe size. I needed stiff boots for response. Then I measured my feet in cm to get my Mondo size, and I realized I'd been riding boots that were too big for many years. I've sized down to an 11, and life is so much better. Soft boots offer all the response and comfort I need. You should have firm pressure at the toes, but no pain or discomfort. Extra room for the toes actually causes the foot to slide forward and smash the toes. 

Measuring your feet at home is free, and can be pretty illuminating. If you're in 13's, I'd double check to see if you can ride a smaller boot just for more board selection if for nothing else. Here's the method: kick your heel against the wall and measure the longest part of your barefoot in cm. Kick the inside of your barefoot against the wall and measure the widest part. I'd bet you're less than 31cm.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I don't think soft boots will be as big a deal as soft bindings on a stiff board. The bindings will still transfer the energy to the edges pretty good and you might need to put a little more effort into toeside, but it won't be that big of a deal I don't think. Maybe if you came off stiff boots it will fell very different but you'll adjust.Since you did not really get what you were looking for I'd consider returning if they still haven't left the house, if you already rode them you have to make due. 
Niveks right with the personal preference thing. As I found my self wanting to leave deeper trenches more than tweaking my airs my boots have been getting stiffer.


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## Ousimanie (Dec 13, 2020)

Thanks to everyone for the advice! I might just stick to the ThirtyTwos, as the fit's most important to me at the moment. My bindings, while marketed as freestyle, are more on the stiff edge of medium (Ride Bindings), and my board's just stiff (Korua). I already had a hunch that the bindings would help in energy transfer, and freshy confirmed that.

Also, to WigMar, my big toe actually already touches the end of the boot haha. My feet just aren't getting beat up like they were in my old boots - it'll likely go away once they're broken in. The last pair I was riding (Deeluxe ID PF 6.1 or something, don't quite remember) were 11.5 iirc, and they were just way too small. I ride 36/18, though, so boot overhang isn't really much of an issue. You're right about board selection though, haha. I might look into ultrawide boards in the future!

Thanks again to everyone. This likely won't be my last pair and I'm saving up for some stiffer boots right now, so hopefully I'll be able to keep the STWs as freestylers and a get a stiffer boot for when I want to charge hard and need that extra response.


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## kimchijajonshim (Aug 19, 2007)

Personal preference. I once sat through a clinic with Dave Downing and he said he runs over this boots with his truck to break them is as much as possible as quickly as possible. That guy has ridden faster and taken gnarlier lines than I will ever think about.

I wouldn't sorry so much about the boots being soft, I would worry about the single boa personally. If you're lucky and they fit your foot well you're fine, but I definitely need more fine tuning in my fit than a single boa with provide.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

kimchijajonshim said:


> Personal preference. I once sat through a clinic with Dave Downing and he said he runs over this boots with his truck to break them is as much as possible as quickly as possible. That guy has ridden faster and taken gnarlier lines than I will ever think about.
> 
> I wouldn't sorry so much about the boots being soft, I would worry about the single boa personally. If you're lucky and they fit your foot well you're fine, but I definitely need more fine tuning in my fit than a single boa with provide.


I swear I might wear my next ones in the hot tub for break in. 
I went back to laces from my double boa for the fine tuning.


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## WigMar (Mar 17, 2019)

+1 on laces over double boa for fine tuning. I don't know if I can go back to boa again.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

+2 even though I blow through laces, I should be gentler...


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

If you like soft/flexier boot feel/comfort but want stiffer response, put in tongue stiffeners. Or get boots that you adjust the flexibility. Or learn to tie yer laces.


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## WigMar (Mar 17, 2019)

Phedder said:


> +2 even though I blow through laces, I should be gentler...


Yeah, I've been getting around 40 days out of my laces. I just replaced my laces with some hockey skate laces. We'll see how those hold up. They look cool.


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