Choosing snowboard boots is a serious and responsible business. As with any sport, choosing the right footwear can have a decisive impact on your performance. Considering the rather high injury risk of a snowboard in comparison, for example, with athletics, it is worth buying snowboard boots only after a careful study of the various models offered on the market.
Instructions
Step 1
First of all, decide what direction of snowboarding you plan to do. It depends on whether you need hard or soft boots. Rigid boots fix the foot as firmly as possible. They are designed for high-speed disciplines such as carving, as well as for downhill on hard high-speed tracks. In appearance, hard boots resemble ski boots, although they have a number of differences.
Snowboard boots have a higher inner part, a greater angle of inclination, and they can also tilt not only forward, but also to the side. Choosing boots that are too stiff increases your risk of corns, bruises and even fractures. And of course, these boots are not for beginners.
Step 2
If you are just starting out with snowboarding, choose soft boots. They are more suitable for normal walking. They are also cheaper.
Soft shoes are much more common. Such boots are chosen by those who are engaged in freestyle and freeriding. In soft boots, the outer part is only slightly tougher than the inner, but in hard boots, the outer part is made of hard plastic and the leg in them is "like a glove".
Sometimes in stores you can find a kind of intermediate option - hard boots with soft inserts in the ankle area.
Step 3
Be sure to pay attention to who the boots are for. Women's boots differ from men's boots primarily in the width of the bootleg. There are also special children's shoes, they are only soft.
Step 4
When choosing the material from which your future boots are made, give preference to synthetics. Of course, we are all accustomed to the fact that natural leather shoes are better than synthetic shoes, but this axiom does not apply to snowboard boots. Leather boots get wet very easily and by the end of the workout they will weigh much more than at the beginning. In addition, leather boots deform over time and can cause injury. As for the synthetic material for the manufacture of sonboard boots, as a rule, these are high-tech materials of the latest developments.
Step 5
It is very important that the foot in the boot is firmly fixed. This is achieved through tight lacing. The best models have separate ankle and instep lacing. In addition, the inner part of the boot, "boot" or "felt boot", is made in such a way as to gradually take the shape of the wearer's foot. It is often made from a specially heat-forming material. Such a "boot" is warmed up with a special hairdryer or in the oven and put on the leg while still hot. During the cooling process, it is recommended to perform movements that simulate snowboarding. In this case, the "boot" will take its perfect shape.
Step 6
Even having clearly defined the model, in any case do not buy snowboard boots "by eye". Fitting is a must. Choose strictly your shoe size. Put on your boots, lace them up as tightly as possible and try to move your foot, if you can pull the heel off the sole, then this pair is not suitable for you. Lean forward, squat down - the heel should also not come off the sole. Try on boots for 20 to 30 minutes. In a good sports equipment store, sales assistants will be sympathetic to such a delay. The boot should not press or rub, the leg should not become numb after trying on. Walk, move, simulate movement on a snowboard. You should feel comfortable.
Step 7
On the sports market, there are models from companies that have proven themselves, such as: Airwalk, Burton, DC, Elan, Forum, Flow, HBS, Head, Heelside, K2, Nidecker, Nitro, Northwave, Original Sin, Palmer, Ride, Rossignol, Salomon, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Vans, Volkl.
The main thing is, when choosing boots for a snowboard, be guided not by the name of the company, but by your own feelings. After all, you choose the best pair for yourself.
