SNOWBOARD BOOT SIZING
How to Choose the Right Snowboard Boots - Size, Fit & Flex
There's no quicker way to ruin your day on the slopes than to have poorly fitting boots. Selecting the correct size and stiffness (referred to as flex) of your snowboard boots is crucial. Snowboard boots also
How should they fit? Snowboard boots should fit snugly to your foot without having any pinching, poking, or restrictions that cause a lack of circulation. Snowboard boots are sized the same as street shoes and thus fit very similarly to street shoes except that you don't want lots of movement of your foot inside the boot. Snowboard boot liners are designed to mold and shape some to your foot as you wear them, so they will get more comfortable and roomy after you break them in a bit.
In a properly fitting boot, your toes should gently touch the toecap, and you should be able to wiggle them. Heel hold is crucial: when you bend your knee forward, your heel should stay in place to ensure proper board control during toeside turns. Socks also affect boot fit; a single thin to medium-weight wool or synthetic sock is ideal. It's important to find a balance between boots that are too tight and uncomfortable and those that are too loose and cause heel lift.
PRO TIP: Try not to listen to folks that tell you that your snowboard boots should be several sizes smaller than your street shoes! We have dozens of folks who walk into our shop each year that "read online" or had that guy at the "other shop in town" tell them that their snowboard boots should be two sizes smaller than what they wear in their street shoe. Let us be the first to tell you that if your toes are bunched up at the end of the boot when you first put them on, they will not magically get more comfortable the more you suffer in them! Boot liners will mold some to your foot as you wear them, but they won't grow in two sizes. Think about how your foot fits in your street shoes and ask yourself if you have much room inside the shoe. If you don't have much room, order that same size in snowboard boots. If you do have room, consider ordering 1/2 to 1 full-size smaller than your street shoe. And if you can, go into a snowboard shop and try on a few pairs to know what you're getting into!
What is snowboard boot flex? Most snowboard boots will have a "flex rating". Sometimes this is a rating from 1 to 10 with 1 being super soft and 10 being the stiffest, while other manufacturers simply use a rating that ranges from Soft to Medium to Stiff. The "flex" of a snowboard boot refers to how much give the boot has. A stiff boot will give you an excellent "feel" of the snowboard and will be the most responsive, while a soft boot tends to be most forgiving and generally better for longer days on the slopes. Most beginner to intermediate snowboarders stick to a soft to medium boot, while most experienced riders who are looking for more performance opt for a stiffer snowboard boot.
What type of snowboard boot lacing should I get? Snowboard boot manufacturers are always looking for ways to keep riders as secure as possible inside their boots, which is why you have three main types of lacing systems being used today: traditional laces, quick-pull laces, and Boa laces.
- Traditional Laces: It's hard to beat the tried and true traditional laces. They last forever and there are no fancy parts that might break. If you're a casual rider or a rider who just prefers the traditional look of laces, save yourself a few bucks and shoot for regular old laces!
- Quick-Pull Laces: Sometimes referred to as Speed Laces or Speed Zone Laces, this lacing style combines the speed of a Boa system lace with the cheaper price point of traditional laces. This lacing system can take a minute to figure out, but generally, once you figure out how to tighten and loosen the laces, you can put on and remove these boots extremely quickly. Most quick-pull lace systems also typically feature an upper and lower section so that you can get a customized fit.
- Boa Lacing System: The Boa system is quickly becoming the most popular and sought-after snowboard boot lacing system out there. This system uses a single or dual Boa dial to tighten the high-tension wire that acts as the lace of your boot. This system is extremely easy to adjust while riding, even with gloves on. Boots with a Boa system do tend to cost more, but if you're looking for the ultimate in snowboard boot lacing, the Boa lacing system is the cream of the crop!
When considering snowboard compatibility, boot size is important. People with larger boot sizes (11.5+) should opt for wider boards, while those with smaller boot sizes (<7) should choose narrower boards.
Conversion Chart Caution:
Using this shoe size conversion chart to find your size can be inaccurate because shoe sizes vary widely and people often wear shoes that don’t fit perfectly. Unlike walking, snowboarding demands a precise fit, so relying on a conversion chart should be a last resort.
SIZING CHART
| MONDO (cm) | MEN (US) | WOMEN (US) | EUROPE | UK |
| 15 | 8 (youth) | 25 | 7 | |
| 16 | 9 (youth) | 26 | 8 | |
| 17 | 10 (youth) | 27 | 9 | |
| 17.5 | 11 (youth) | 28 | 10 | |
| 18.5 | 12 (youth) | 29 | 11 | |
| 19.5 | 13 (youth) | 30.5 | 12 | |
| 20 | 13.5 (youth) | 31 | 13 | |
| 20.5 | 1 | 32 | 13.5 | |
| 21 | 2 | 33 | 1 | |
| 21.5 | 3 | 34 | 2 | |
| 22 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 3 |
| 23 | 5 | 6 | 36.5 | 4 |
| 24 | 6 | 7 | 38 | 5 |
| 25 | 7 | 8 | 39 | 6 |
| 26 | 8 | 9 | 40.5 | 7 |
| 27 | 9 | 10 | 42 | 8 |
| 28 | 10 | 11 | 43 | 9 |
| 29 | 11 | 12 | 44.5 | 10 |
| 30 | 12 | 45.5 | 11 | |
| 31 | 13 | 47 | 12 | |
| 32 | 14 | 48 | 13 | |
| 33 | 15 | 49 | 14 | |
| 34 | 16 | 51 | 15 |
* Note: Half sizes are available in most models of snowboard boots. The sizing chart above is a good starting point, but remember that all manufacturers and boot models vary and each has its fit profile. If you can try a boot on in person before buying, please consider doing that!