# boa vs speed lacing



## Guest

i am looking at getting some new boots i just wanted peoples opinions on these two different systems, BOA vs SPEED LACING. what do you like better, problems you have had.i have a wide foot, i was looking at the burton ruler or k2 maysis.

thank for your time and opinions
moos420


----------



## Guest

I can only comment on the BOA's, as I have K2 Raiders. They are super smooth. People complain that the single dial BOA boots have pressure points, but I have yet to experience this. Stupidly fast too, which I like. While my friends lace up I'm already waiting on them. I also don't have to worry about them getting loose, because as they loosen up over the day, I just turn the dial to tighten them back up.


----------



## freshy

Laces have worked for thousands of years, tried tested and true. I dont think I will ever buy boa's.


----------



## xxfinnellxx

freshy said:


> Laces have worked for thousands of years, tried tested and true. I dont think I will ever buy boa's.


Don't think that laces are the only things in the world that work



Marshmellow said:


> I can only comment on the BOA's, as I have K2 Raiders. They are super smooth. People complain that the single dial BOA boots have pressure points, but I have yet to experience this. Stupidly fast too, which I like. While my friends lace up I'm already waiting on them. I also don't have to worry about them getting loose, because as they loosen up over the day, I just turn the dial to tighten them back up.


I had some boas and I miss them soooo much. Idk about the pressure point thing, i mean, you probably have to tighten the shit out of them to get pressure points which i dont recommend for that exact reason. 

but to moos420, Boas rock dude. Super super fast, somewhat easy to repair broken lines. Laces take a long ass time to secure, and have a decent tendancy to snap if you have sharp edges and you rest your board on your boots (I rest my board, but i have dull'ish edges for park and my laces are fine). 

Bottom line: Boas hands down


----------



## jimster716

freshy said:


> Laces have worked for thousands of years, tried tested and true. I dont think I will ever buy boa's.


And you'll stick to cambered boards and walking instead of driving. 

I've had single BOA, speed laces, and K2's Boa-conda. Liked the convenience of the single boa but didn't like the pressure points. Boa-conda is tits...love it. Speed lacing, is faster than traditional but the BOA's give me a throbbing chubby.


----------



## bryantp

*Boots for wide feet*

You don't say how wide your feet are. Feet have widths, not just length. Assuming your feet are EE or wider, you need to look at snowboard boots that are made for us "stabler people."

I ride nothing but Salomon Synapse Wide. I also buy them in person - I buy almost everything else on line - and get them fitted by a pro. I get the heat fit and heel wedges as I have a very wide (EEEE) foot but a narrow heel. That means that, without getting my boots fitted, my heel comes up a bit when I turn toeside...not a good thing for quick response.

They don't come in BOA. I've got no issue with BOA except way, way out in the backcountry where a failure in the system might be hard to rig and get back to civilization.

My advice - buy boots that fit so well you're happy to walk a mile or more in them. Then select the lacing system. Well-fitting and well-made boots will improve your riding more than...well, more than I imagined until I sprung for them.


----------



## Toecutter

I could never get laced boots tight enough for my liking. BOA's, on the other hand, I can tighten them appropriately and easily.

I had some single BOA boots that caused bad pressure points. I now have a double BOA boot (32 Focus) that is very comfortable.

I've never had a BOA system catastrophically fail, so I'd be comfortable with them in the backcountry (if I did that sort of thing).


----------



## freshy

jimster716 said:


> And you'll stick to cambered boards and walking instead of driving.


And you probably jumped on the step in craze and are back to straps.:cheeky4:
TBH I will stick to cambered boards because I like my pop, might have to settle for a C2 in the future tho. 

On the lifts I always rest my heelcup on my foot and have never sliced a lace in 15 years of riding.
I have heard good and bad things about boa's, but for me I cant afford to spend $300+ to try something new and maybe not like it. My buddy and long time riding partner had some 32 boa's and hated them, pressure points and wrong areas getting tight turned him off boa's forever. Granted it seems like those problems are solved for the most part...But still, it's not the system for me.

LOL at those that cant tighten their laces enough. I have the opposite problem and have to consciously apply light pressure so my feet aren't uncomfortable two runs later.
I do alot of out of bounds and backcountry too, so rigging up a broken boa out there would definetly suck. 

I cant believe I am the only fan of laces. :dunno:


----------



## Toecutter

freshy said:


> I cant afford to spend $300+ to try something new and maybe not like it.


The deeper reason you don't like rockered boards, BOA's, and taking the lift? Get a job! Ha.


----------



## freshy

Toecutter said:


> The deeper reason you don't like rockered boards, BOA's, and taking the lift? Get a job! Ha.


Ummm what deeper reason? You trying to make fun of me because you think I'm poor or because I'll shell out for equipment I like?


----------



## conwayeast

I had Salomon Dialogue Selects. They have speed lacing, I thought those were an upgrade over traditional laces. That is until I got the K2 Maysis. Boots are awesome. The Double BOA is great.


----------



## xxfinnellxx

freshy said:


> Ummm what deeper reason? You trying to make fun of me because you think I'm poor or because I'll shell out for equipment I like?


Its because it sounds as though you dont believe in new technology and you find that it is "expensive". Boas are great and cheap. You have to be retarded to break them. Anti Cambered boards are better for some aspects of the mountain. All though less pop and less playfull, they are very stable, feel great, and can rip pow and park much better than a traditional "all mountain" board. Thats why I got my 2010 banana 

Some anti-camber boards are cheap too! 

I severely miss my Old DC judges. First year boa came into action i just had to try it out. And that was back in 06/07.

And toecutter...stop fueling the fire


----------



## freshy

xxfinnellxx said:


> Its because it sounds as though you dont believe in new technology and you find that it is "expensive". Boas are great and cheap. You have to be retarded to break them. Anti Cambered boards are better for some aspects of the mountain. All though less pop and less playfull, they are very stable, feel great, and can rip pow and park much better than a traditional "all mountain" board. Thats why I got my 2010 banana
> 
> Some anti-camber boards are cheap too!
> 
> I severely miss my Old DC judges. First year boa came into action i just had to try it out. And that was back in 06/07.
> 
> And toecutter...stop fueling the fire


Oh I guess I might have come across that way that I dont like new tech, but thats not true. I just like the feel of my mtx dark series better than the btx version, mind you I have never tried the C2 yet. And I dont even know if Northwave makes the decade boot in a boa, but when I'm spending $350 on boots there going to have laces because I trust laces more than BOA. 
I mostly freeride and if I do hit the park it's only for the pipe. For my riding style sweet pop trumps better float and easier butters. Dont get me wrong I would love to have a rocker for certain days, but not every day. I definetly am not cheap when it comes to my gear, but I guess I am an old man set in my ways.


----------



## Leo

Get last year's boa boots... $300 problem solved. I myself am also a traditional lace fan. I can tighten certain points of my foot to my liking. I am highly interested BOAs though. I want to try the BOA focus system. BOAs used to be crap when they first came out, but the technology has since improved by leaps and bounds. They are all over the place now, from running shoes to inline skates.

I will never do speed laces again. I had two different brands of speed laces and if you count my fiancee's Burton speed lace that makes three brands. All of them completely sucked ass. We had to constantly re-tighten those things. I had Salomon and Ride boots with speed laces. Salomon's were the worst by far. Never again with speed laces for me.


----------



## SnoRidr

Toecutter said:


> I could never get laced boots tight enough for my liking. BOA's, on the other hand, I can tighten them appropriately and easily.
> 
> I had some single BOA boots that caused bad pressure points. I now have a double BOA boot (32 Focus) that is very comfortable.
> 
> I've never had a BOA system catastrophically fail, so I'd be comfortable with them in the backcountry (if I did that sort of thing).


Believe me you can get laced boots TOO tight. Have you ever tried using the hockey skate lacing technique? I have laced boots and never have a problem getting them tight using the "hockey skate" lacing method.


----------



## SnoRidr

Leo said:


> I myself am also a traditional lace fan. I can tighten certain points of my foot to my liking.


X2. It is really easy to get laces dialed in.


----------



## Toecutter

SnoRidr said:


> Believe me you can get laced boots TOO tight. Have you ever tried using the hockey skate lacing technique? I have laced boots and never have a problem getting them tight using the "hockey skate" lacing method.


I've never heard of the hockey skate lacing method. What is it? Is it easier, quicker or more secure throughout the day than the BOA?


----------



## Leo

Toecutter said:


> I've never heard of the hockey skate lacing method. What is it? Is it easier, quicker or more secure throughout the day than the BOA?


Traditional laces will always be more secure in my opinion. Once you get your laces tightened and knotted properly, you don't have to mess with them for the rest of the day. The greatest benefit from BOA that I see is the ability to loosen them up while you are relaxing in the lounge without having to worry about taking the time to re-tighten the laces. BOA is like the FLOWs of the lacing world. Still want to try those BOA focus boots. Dunno, I really like my traditional laces though :dunno:


----------



## zakk

the wife has dual boa and loves them. she did get those pressure points on her foot to the point it would bruise. Duals have solved the problem :thumbsup:


----------



## Toecutter

Leo said:


> I myself am also a traditional lace fan. I can tighten certain points of my foot to my liking. I am highly interested BOAs though. I want to try the BOA focus system.


You should try a double BOA system. You can tighten certain points around your foot. What's really nice is that if you're in the middle of riding and decide you want to adjust the tightness, all you have to do is reach down and tweak the knob. You don't even have to pull the pant leg up; you can grab the knob through the pants with gloves on. Try that with laces!


----------



## Toecutter

Leo said:


> Traditional laces will always be more secure in my opinion. Once you get your laces tightened and knotted properly, you don't have to mess with them for the rest of the day. The greatest benefit from BOA that I see is the ability to loosen them up while you are relaxing in the lounge without having to worry about taking the time to re-tighten the laces. BOA is like the FLOWs of the lacing world. Still want to try those BOA focus boots. Dunno, I really like my traditional laces though :dunno:


But you've never even tried on a pair of BOA boots, correct? You really ought to try on a pair before you declare laces superior.


----------



## Toecutter

freshy said:


> Oh I guess I might have come across that way that I dont like new tech, but thats not true. I just like the feel of my mtx dark series better than the btx version, mind you I have never tried the C2 yet. And I dont even know if Northwave makes the decade boot in a boa, but when I'm spending $350 on boots there going to have laces because I trust laces more than BOA.
> I mostly freeride and if I do hit the park it's only for the pipe. For my riding style sweet pop trumps better float and easier butters. Dont get me wrong I would love to have a rocker for certain days, but not every day. I definetly am not cheap when it comes to my gear, but I guess I am an old man set in my ways.


freshy, have you ever even tried on a pair of dual-BOA boots? If not, do you think you're maybe being a bit closed-minded about them?


----------



## Toecutter

SnoRidr said:


> X2. It is really easy to get laces dialed in.


How about you SnoRidr, have you tried on dual BOA's and still found laces superior?


----------



## Leo

Toecutter said:


> But you've never even tried on a pair of BOA boots, correct? You really ought to try on a pair before you declare laces superior.


I have tried on plenty of BOA boots, but they were older models. Those sucked ass. I am very open to trying the newer BOA Focus boots though. In fact, for my next boot I am 90% going that route.

By the way, BOA Focus = two BOA wheels, one for lower and one for upper. Some double BOA boots have two wheels, but one is for the liner.

I am not declaring laces superior. I am just saying they are the most secure. When knotted correctly, they never come loose no matter how much you ride or crash. That is the one common con I hear about even the newer BOAs. They do come loose here and there, but everyone says it is not a big deal at all and the trade-offs are more than worth it since it is super easy to re-adjust.


----------



## Toecutter

Leo said:


> I have tried on plenty of BOA boots, but they were older models. Those sucked ass. I am very open to trying the newer BOA Focus boots though. In fact, for my next boot I am 90% going that route.
> 
> By the way, BOA Focus = two BOA wheels, one for lower and one for upper. Some double BOA boots have two wheels, but one is for the liner.
> 
> I am not declaring laces superior. * I am just saying they are the most secure.* When knotted correctly, they never come loose no matter how much you ride or crash. That is the one common con I hear about even the newer BOAs. They do come loose here and there, but everyone says it is not a big deal at all and the trade-offs are more than worth it since it is super easy to re-adjust.


BOA's do not loosen up unless you want them to. It's a mechanical ratchet that doesn't slip.


----------



## Leo

Toecutter said:


> BOA's do not loosen up unless you want them to. It's a mechanical ratchet that doesn't slip.


I am fully aware of how the system works. More than I care to know actually :laugh:

Just from stories I heard that people have experienced it loosening up after some crashes and riding. I'm guessing it gets caught on some ice or something and the wheel catches to the unlocked position. Happened to my Flows before too. Nothing is perfect, especially when it comes to mechanical mechanisms. 

At any rate, no worries. I still want a pair of BOA boots for my next purchase. In fact, I recommend BOA Focus boots a lot to people. Speed laces are the real enemy here :laugh:


----------



## Guest

*Boa & Backcoutry*

Just to add on backcoutry use and Boa. If and when the Boa system was to fail...more than likely it's not, you can easily tie the steel laces together to hold until you make it to a shop or contact Boa to replace. It's a quick and easy fix. Remember the Boa Reels and laces are guaranteed for life! 

http://www.boatechnology.com/guarantee


----------



## killclimbz

I haven't not had any problems with my BOA boots getting loose. I am beating on them in ways that most people don't as I mostly splitboard to get my turns. Which is also the main reason I use the BOA focus system so that I can loosen the uppers for the skin up and tighten them up on the down. Super quick and easy. 

That said, laces are tried and true. For some styles of riding they are probably the best option. Also, they are very easy to replace when you break a lace. Not that BOA is hard to replace, but laces are still easier.


----------



## Guest

*Boa and splitboarding*

I agree. Using the Boa Focus system for splitboarding is great. The ability to easily leave the upper and/or lower zone loose or tight can make all the difference on a long skin in to hit a line. It's almost like a "walk" mode in a hard touring boot. Customize!


----------



## SnoRidr

Toecutter said:


> How about you SnoRidr, have you tried on dual BOA's and still found laces superior?


I have always stuck with laces. I don't have any personal experience with dual BOA's, sorry. My wife tried the single zone BOA's and she didn't like them. She was experiencing hot spots etc. I think that the dual zone will provide a more "fine tuned" solution to the BOA system, by providing the rider the ability to adjust the upper and lower zones of the boot to taste. I am not too interested in having the ability to tie my boots fast so I never really worried about BOAs. Laces have always been my personal fav. If you use the "hockey skate" lacing technique, you can really cinch them up tight and they will not loosen up. Another thing is, if you are set on BOA lacing you can pretty much cross off 70%-80% of your boot selection. I am a firm believer that the fit of the boot is most important, not necessarily the lacing system, color, brand, etc. I would place the price of the boot as close second to the fit, because budgets should be considered, but overall the fit of the boot is critical so I like to leave all options open when fitting for boots. 

Here is a linky to a YouTube video that shows the "hockey skate" lacing method for traditional laced boots if your curious.
YouTube - Snowboard Boot Guide - Traditional Lacing


----------



## banana420

ehhh i like my vans dk4's they have laces and straps maybe im just old fashioned but ill prolly try to get a boot similar to them


----------



## Guest

SnoRidr said:


> I have always stuck with laces. I don't have any personal experience with dual BOA's, sorry. My wife tried the single zone BOA's and she didn't like them. She was experiencing hot spots etc. I think that the dual zone will provide a more "fine tuned" solution to the BOA system, by providing the rider the ability to adjust the upper and lower zones of the boot to taste. I am not too interested in having the ability to tie my boots fast so I never really worried about BOAs. Laces have always been my personal fav. If you use the "hockey skate" lacing technique, you can really cinch them up tight and they will not loosen up. Another thing is, if you are set on BOA lacing you can pretty much cross off 70%-80% of your boot selection. I am a firm believer that the fit of the boot is most important, not necessarily the lacing system, color, brand, etc. I would place the price of the boot as close second to the fit, because budgets should be considered, but overall the fit of the boot is critical so I like to leave all options open when fitting for boots.
> 
> Here is a linky to a YouTube video that shows the "hockey skate" lacing method for traditional laced boots if your curious.
> YouTube - Snowboard Boot Guide - Traditional Lacing


Not sure why this is called the "Hockey Skate" Lacing method. In 15 years of playing Hockey I've never seen anyone tie their skates that way. :dunno:


----------



## SnoRidr

BoardNbob said:


> Not sure why this is called the "Hockey Skate" Lacing method. In 15 years of playing Hockey I've never seen anyone tie their skates that way. :dunno:


that is how it was first introduced to me. so i guess I :dunno: either. lol I do know that it works though.


----------



## FLuiD

I have tried it all and currently ride 686/New Balance with dual zone focus boa. I love the boa!!!


----------



## Guest

Leo said:


> I will never do speed laces again. I had two different brands of speed laces and if you count my fiancee's Burton speed lace that makes three brands. All of them completely sucked ass. We had to constantly re-tighten those things. I had Salomon and Ride boots with speed laces. Salomon's were the worst by far. Never again with speed laces for me.


Which brands did you try? I just picked up some DC Siloh's with speed lace and they seem decent so far.


----------



## Guest

chicagoblue said:


> I just picked up some DC Siloh's with speed lace and they seem decent so far.


I've got a pair of Silohs. DC's Rapid Lace System was sweet for about 20 days before design flaws started to surface. Laces get locked up. Pull tabs don't always function properly. Packed out in a matter of days. All of which has apparently been commonplace.


----------



## Guest

boarderchic said:


> I've got a pair of Silohs. DC's Rapid Lace System was sweet for about 20 days before design flaws started to surface. Laces get locked up. Pull tabs don't always function properly. Packed out in a matter of days. All of which has apparently been commonplace.


Thanks for the heads up, but not what I wanted to hear. Being based in Chicago now I'll only probably have 10 days or so this year. I'm trying to get up to one of our bunny hills before my Colorado trip to test them out, don't really want to have to drop another couple hundred on boots. :dunno:


----------



## Guest

BOAS by far....But the only problem I had with my Boa system is the boots (mine sucked, not all of them suck though) themselves sucked. So I had to give them up and go to speed lacing which isn't bad either, but if I could have my boots now with a boa system I would be 

I suggest dual system boa's though...the single system boa system tends to cause pressure points cause you cannot loosen the bottom and tighten the top or vise versa. With speed lacing I am almost sure that option comes standard (dual zone lacing I mean), but the dual boa system is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.


----------



## Leo

chicagoblue said:


> Which brands did you try? I just picked up some DC Siloh's with speed lace and they seem decent so far.


Ride, Salomon, Burton... <---- :thumbsdown::thumbsdown:


----------



## unsunken

BoardNbob said:


> Not sure why this is called the "Hockey Skate" Lacing method. In 15 years of playing Hockey I've never seen anyone tie their skates that way. :dunno:


Never played hockey, but when I was younger and took ice skating lessons, that's how they taught me to lace my skates. *shrug* I'm also in full agreement with SnoRidr. I don't know about you, but I only mess with my boots at the beginning of the day and around lunchtime -- not a whole lot of time. I just found the best-fitting pair of boots I could and went with it. Coming from a traditional lacing system, the speed lacing is awesome in comparison. I wasn't terribly impressed by the BOA system, but then again I didn't use it on the mountain.


----------



## Guest

unsunken said:


> Never played hockey, but when I was younger and took ice skating lessons, that's how they taught me to lace my skates. *shrug* I'm also in full agreement with SnoRidr. I don't know about you, but I only mess with my boots at the beginning of the day and around lunchtime -- not a whole lot of time. I just found the best-fitting pair of boots I could and went with it. Coming from a traditional lacing system, the speed lacing is awesome in comparison. I wasn't terribly impressed by the BOA system, but then again I didn't use it on the mountain.


Yeah, idk, Were you using figure skates? Hockey Skates these days don't have like the hooks on the sides that would allow you to do it that way, they are just laced the same as a pair of shoes, with eyelets all the way up. I know my sisters figure skates have the hooks tho. Maybe Hockey Skates used to use this lacing system as well? Idk, not since I've been playing though.


----------



## Guest

I went from Forum Team boots (tradtional laces) to Vans Fargo with the BOA Focus (one knob on the tongue for the top and one on the side for the bottom/front) and I'll never go back to traditional laces again. It is VERY easy to over-tighten, but just as easy to pull the knob and start over. I can even make small adjustments with my pants covering the knobs.

As someone stated earlier, BOA is the Flow of lacing systems... and I'm also a huge Flow advocate... AND I'm an engineer. Go figure.


----------



## snajper69

I got boa single zone system and no complaints. Love it I hate laces in any form. I wish boa would come in all shoes including my timberlines


----------



## wrathfuldeity

got 32's: 305 with laces...very comfortable and a tad bit more tweakable for comfort and focus boas with 2 knobs are certainly stiffer, can be tweaked for stiffness and easier to get on and off, both are fine though.


----------



## Stef

It's all about trying them on I would say.

I bought new boots a few weeks ago, tried on 32 Boas and some Vans Boas, neither were anywhere near as comfortable as the Salomon Savage speed lace ones that I eventually bought.

Definitely felt the Boas were putting pressure on a part of my foot no other boots had.

Try them both, walk round the shop and maybe even ask if you can step into a binding on a board too?

My Salomon Savages were only £120 but feel great. Highly recommended.


----------



## mikez

I think they can both be great. BOA works and, if you go zonal, there shouldn't be any problems. It's probably the easiest to do/undo and the most adjustable.

THAT SAID, I just swapped some K2s (after praising them no end) because certain pressure points became apparent after a bit more riding. Specifically, there's a lump of plastic where the internal BOA (BOAConda) connects to the inside of the boot. This was fine at first but before long I could feel it through the liner. For my feet at least, this was a design flaw.

I've since settled on Burton Ozones - very comfy, good heel hold and zonal speed lacing.


----------



## baldy

how do u guys feel about burtons speed lacing? is it durable? me and my friends has salomons speed lacing, but my liner lace ripped and my friends eyelet popped off once. dunno if i trust them so much now..


----------



## Guest

Having used the DC Rapid lace system for about a week I really don't have any serious complaints about it. The first day I had a ton of pressure points, but by the second day they were quite comfy. For what it's worth I supplemented them with a pair of the red Sole inserts.


----------



## Guest

baldy said:


> how do u guys feel about burtons speed lacing? is it durable? me and my friends has salomons speed lacing, but my liner lace ripped and my friends eyelet popped off once. dunno if i trust them so much now..


I have the Burton speed lacing system...but that was definitely my 2nd choice next to the boa system. The boots themselves with the boa system sucked, so I had to get different boots. For women, I couldn't find any good boot with a boa system at the time, so I had to settle for the burton lacing system. Boa is definitely my first choice for damn sure, the BF has them and he wont go back to anything else, but the Burton Speed lacing system is definitely not bad either, just not the best in my opinion. Check out the DC judges with the dual boa system, it reduces any pressure points you may get cause you have the option of tightening and looseing both the bottom and part, as opposed to typical boa systems you just have one option of tightening the whole boot. 

Im just guessing your a guy? Anyway, if so, my suggestion for you- All around mountain boot- DC judges....but good luck finding them. The DC status's are also good boots, just a little stiffer then the Judges and also like another $100 or something. Anyway, the judge's seems to be everyones choice! They are sold out damn near everywhere. E Bay would maybe be your best bet....


----------



## baldy

hmm i haven't actually thought about dc's.. i'll have to check them out too, they have a dc store as well as burton in nyc so i will be able to try them out, if they have it that is. i'd really like to look at the k2 T1 DB though but k2 stuff are so hard to find around here.. im just scared if i go with burton that the laces will rip, the laces seem quite thin to me, compared to my salomons atleast


----------



## unsunken

I don't know about Burton speed laces, but I recall seeing somewhere that Northwave ones (which I still highly recommend) are very easily replaced because they use a standard nylon cord that can be found in any sort of outdoorsy-type store. Maybe other brands are similar in that respect?


----------



## killclimbz

I've said it before and I'll say it again. DC has a quality problem. More so than most other boot manufacturers. The only reason to buy DC boots is that they are the only ones that fit your foot. Otherwise I'd look at anyone but DC.


----------



## MunkySpunk

Vans Cirro.

Focus Boa, fits like a glove..... only for your foot. :laugh:

It's mid-flex, and not DC.

I'll never buy another type of boot again.


----------



## Guest

killclimbz said:


> I've said it before and I'll say it again. DC has a quality problem. More so than most other boot manufacturers. The only reason to buy DC boots is that they are the only ones that fit your foot. Otherwise I'd look at anyone but DC.



Reallllllly.....? I wouldn't think that so much just cause DC focuses so much on shoes you would think that by now they would have it down pat. Damn...that sucks. Me and the BF just spent an eternity looking for the right size judges...I hope they last! Thanks for the info tho...that was something I definitely never heard before.


----------



## Guest

baldy said:


> hmm i haven't actually thought about dc's.. i'll have to check them out too, they have a dc store as well as burton in nyc so i will be able to try them out, if they have it that is. i'd really like to look at the k2 T1 DB though but k2 stuff are so hard to find around here.. im just scared if i go with burton that the laces will rip, the laces seem quite thin to me, compared to my salomons atleast



Sooo your from NYC....I would suggest going to the Burton store and trying boots on then finding them to buy somewhere else. Right across the street down the block a little is the DC store, but I dont think they have snowboard boots- Not 100% positive, but from what I remember I dont think they did. Definitely worth it to look tho. That Burton store is so overpriced. I know that they can only sell Burton stuff at the Burton price everywhere, such as for every other brand also, but idk..I just feel like you can always find them cheaper online. Anyway, as for Burton, check out the rulers. Those got some really good reviews. 

The DC judges...just to add my 2 cents here...have a stiffness rating of 7 on the website but they really are like a 5. They are really comfortable too. And they also pack out A LOT. So while you might be an 11, an 11 in the store might fit tight, but get the 11 believe me. They will fit after an hour of riding. And the liner has this thing on the heel, so heel lift in that boot will be non existant. They really are one of the only focus boa boots out there that arent as stiff as a damn ski boot. I know that Killclimbz said they aren't reliable...but check them out. Me and the BF did A LOT of research on SOOOO many different boots and he ended up going with the judges and he is very happy with them. 

You said you want to check out some K2 boots also? K2 has some really nice boots. When the boa system first came out I know that the K2 Primes were a great boot. I dont know about the boots you mentioned, but I know that the K2 Prime's was a good Boa boot. The only thing about those were they didnt last long, about a season and a half. Then they fell apart.

Also, if your not too far, go to Long Island and check out Snohaus (in Hempstead). They dont have a huge selection, but give them a call and see what they do have. I am not such a fan of ski stop in Plainview cause I got into an argument with the managaer, but they do have a pretty big selection of snowboard stuff. 


Good luck!


----------



## killclimbz

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> Reallllllly.....? I wouldn't think that so much just cause DC focuses so much on shoes you would think that by now they would have it down pat. Damn...that sucks. Me and the BF just spent an eternity looking for the right size judges...I hope they last! Thanks for the info tho...that was something I definitely never heard before.


Yeah they do. Ask anyone who works in the industry (outside of a DC rep of course) about who makes the crappiest boot and DC will probably be in the top two if not the top offender. I bought a pair of the Allegiance boots towards the end of the 07/08 season. Last week of Feb or something. I then found out from BA, A Burton rep, and Shayboarder, that DC had all sorts of problems. The fit was good and I thought maybe I'd luck out. Less than 20 days later the stitching on the shell blew out on the right boot. These are their high end boots mind you. So I had to ride out the season in my old boots and send them in on warranty return. Of course I didn't get a new pair until August as it was off season by then. 

On that pair, I am not sure I made as many days as the first pair before the same damn thing happened. The left boot was showing signs of blowing too. Again, back to the old boots and sent them in. 3-4 weeks later the shop got back with me saying that DC no longer had replacements of those boots. So they could give a store credit or send me a different pair of DC boots. I quickly took the store credit and got the Celsius boots I am rocking now. They have easily outlasted the DC boots already.

My friend who had the DC Judges with the air bladder, popped the bladder fairly quickly. Hopefully yours don't have that. She wasn't very happy with their quality either. I won't say every boot has a problem, but their quality control sure seems to need some improvement.


----------



## killclimbz

Carmen, they don't make the BFB anymore, just sayin'...

Then again, at your age, there is a lot of stuff that they don't make anymore. :laugh:


----------



## Guest

i really want to make my next boot a boa...trying to decide between a focus boa or a double boa, ie like the conda that has boa for liner.


----------



## Luburgh08

I just stick with traditional lacing.
Always worked for me


----------

