# northwave domain: any experience?



## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

Gregor Mahler said:


> after being disappointed by Salomon Malamute lacing system, i am considering either the Driver X (which i already tried) or the Domain (which havent seen yet).
> Any comment/review/experience, and how they compare to Malamute/Driver X?
> thanks in advance
> Board is Hovercraft and Bindings will most likely be Falcor


What didn't you like about the laces? What year were they? I've had about 20 days on mine and think the laces are great - the internal heel strap thing could be better though. No experience of Driver X but my mate has some last season Burton boots and the quick lace system looks pretty similar to Salomon's.

Domain? Northwave? They looked geared towards people that do a lot of hiking.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

Find some FLOW boots.
Now they're Nidecker, but the same boots.

Best boots ever!!!!!!!!!!!!


TT


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## Gregor Mahler (Jan 18, 2017)

Snow Hound said:


> What didn't you like about the laces? What year were they? I've had about 20 days on mine and think the laces are great - the internal heel strap thing could be better though. No experience of Driver X but my mate has some last season Burton boots and the quick lace system looks pretty similar to Salomon's.
> 
> Domain? Northwave? They looked geared towards people that do a lot of hiking.


i tried the 2019 Malamute and the lacing system is much less practical than I thought. All those laces dangling around...instead of being kept in place like all other brands (Burton, Northwave, etc) and getting all over under and around the boot. Also, that criss cross thing you have to do every time to lace up, and undo every time when you want to loose. Can't imagine using that on a cold day in the snow. And there is no tab to pull your laces either. The boot is great, but the lacing system seems to be like a decade ago.


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## Gregor Mahler (Jan 18, 2017)

Snow Hound said:


> Burton boots and the quick lace system looks pretty similar to Salomon's.


Burton looks like the opposite to me: laces never leave their place and stay tidy both when they are tight or when they are loose. And are way easier to tighten.


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## Rip154 (Sep 23, 2017)

Domain has a stiffer sole than driver, how much depends on the model. I'd def go for the sl version, less bulk newer lacing. The upper part of the boot flexes differently on the driver, so the driver can feel stiffer from the ancle up. Lacing on both is ok, the northwave ones are sturdier and much better placed for tightening and preventing damage from rocks and so on. The northwave boots have a little more forward lean, depends what you like, and driver feels a little narrower in the toe, but overall the liners are about the same when broken in.

Oh, and if you have a high instep, northwave for sure.


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## Gregor Mahler (Jan 18, 2017)

thanks
biggest difference is how bigger the Domain are, while the external boot of the Driver is clearly smaller. 
Overall, Northwave speed lace system is the best (in my view)


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

Gregor Mahler said:


> Burton looks like the opposite to me: laces never leave their place and stay tidy both when they are tight or when they are loose. And are way easier to tighten.


I see what you mean. I have some older speed lace Burton's and yeah the laces stay in their guides. They could be a pain to get off sometimes though. What I thought was similar was that you tighten and then lock the laces in with a plastic cleat. 

The loose Salomon laces have never been a problem for me as I tighten them in the morning and don't think about them till the end of the day - I'm pretty sure they've never come loose on me.


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## Kala (Mar 13, 2018)

Gregor Mahler said:


> thanks
> biggest difference is how bigger the Domain are, while the external boot of the Driver is clearly smaller.
> Overall, Northwave speed lace system is the best (in my view)


Hi guys, found this post a bit later than original discussion. Do you have a sense of how much bigger (esp length) the Domains are compared to a Burton stiff boot? The other day I was comparing/measuring a 2018 Northwave Decade US12 (my size) with a Burton Ion US 13 (a 12 in Burtons doesnt fit me). The Burton's outer sole was about 1,3cm smaller than the Decades but not much smaller. Do you know how the Domain sits in the footprint department? It also seems slight sham-ish to say that you reduce footprint when in fact your sizes run smaller.

Re: Laces. Northwave Lacing is reliable and sturdy. I haven't tried Burtons over a long period of time but the set up visually seems fragile (single thin ropes attached to plastic pieces on one side only!) and there are TONS of reports online of people saying their laces broke (a big problem if it happens on the mountain and you aren't snowboarding in places where Burton stores are right by the gondola!).


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