Comments on: These boots were made for boardin’

By: Martin Drayton

Martin Drayton — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:28:11 +0000

Sorry….the review above was for the FOLSOM…. THIS is for the Vice!

I was given a pair of the 2011-12 Vice boots last season to replace a pair of 2010-11 Rome Folsoms that had lost all their stiffness.
The boot was a great fit, really nice moderate flex and good-looking too! It did everything I asked of it and I even managed to win a US Master Boardercross title on them.the very novel lacing system worked flawlessly, they never loosened of their own accord-very impressive indeed. Ok, that’s the good stuff. On the down side, the Anti-Grav sole was indeed super light…but that was because it is super thin. This equates to good board feel, but not much in the way of traction. The lack of tread reduced me to all fours at times when hiking off-piste. Ok, I thought, that’s not really what it was designed for, so maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh…but I was slipping and sliding on my daily walk from the locker room to the lifts!
In addition, after just two weeks, there were major signs of wear at the point where the highback wings contact the boot. I sent some pics to the then boot designer at Rome who asked whose binding was eating his boot? It’s a Rome Targa 2012 model was my reply. He decided that he needed to chat to the binding designer more…
Other than those two issue, the boot was outstanding in all other ways.
-Strengths
Great fit, excellent lacing system, very light with a good consistent flex pattern.
-Weaknesses
Questionable durability, sole was fast wearing due to thinness and also very little grip. As an aside, I noticed that their 2012 freeride boot the Folsom also has this sole-crazy! With a decent sole, I would have given them 4.0.
-Similar Boots Used
Rome Marshall, Folsom and Nike Kaiju.

By: Martin Drayton

Martin Drayton — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:26:19 +0000

Rome Vice 2011-12 – Ok, so Rome discontinued my all-time fave boot, the Marshall, so I had to choose whether to go softer with the Vice, or stiffer with the Folsom. As I was coming out of competitive retirement to race SBX, I went for the stiffie.
As usual, the fit of the boot was great and it was indeed noticeably stiffer than the Marshall. The heat moldable inner gave me a great fit, comfortable yet supportive at the same time. The heel has good shock absorbsion (better than the 2011-12 model IMHO) and the sole gives you excellent grip when hiking unlike this years boot which has the Anti-Grav sole….you might as well hike in Vans Slip Ons!
The inner boot has their In-and-Out system where the lace for the inner comes out of a hole in the outer, really handy for tightening or loosening the inner without undoing the outer boot. However, mine had something sharp on the molded window, so it shredded my inner lace in no time at all…annoying.
Now, my big gripe with this boot. Like many “stiff” boots, when it broke down, after only 30 or so days of use, it didn’t do so gradually. One day it was stiff, the next day it was softer than the old boots I had done 130 days in. Gutted!
My view is, especially after getting the 2012 Vice to replace them, is that the previous boots may have been ‘over-engineered’ and were lasting too long. Great for someone who gets to ride as much as I do, but overkill for most riders. Solution? Don’t make them quite so burly.
So if you do a few weeks a year, these may be just the ticket for you for higher speed freeriding and going off big kickers, but they may not be the best choice for a Seasoneer.
-Strengths
Well made, great-looking boot. Heat molding ensures near custom fit. Ingenious lacing system minimises heel lift. good sole and cushioning.
-Weaknesses
Lack of consistency of flex pattern over time.
-Similar Boots Used
Rome Marshall, Salomon Malamute, Burton Driver, Atomic Waiver.

By: Martin Drayton

Martin Drayton — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:24:34 +0000

I’m currently riding the Nike Kaiju – I know a lot of people get upset when the ‘Big names’ get involved in snowboarding, but you know what? If it provides quality product AND makes the established brands step up their game, I’m all for it! Look at who they got to help develop it- Gigi Rüf, Nicolas Müller, Justin Bennee, Danny Kass, Austin Smith, Annie Boulanger, Laura Hadar and Eric Jackson.
Last season I tried a pair of these on but didn’t get to ride them. They felt really good and seemed very well made, so this year I managed to get a pair via a very kind friend from Nike.
The foot last was perfect for my foot, giving me a really snug fit yet plenty of toe-wiggling space in a boot that seems low volume, but roomy where it counts…a bit like the Tardis.
Flex-wise, the boot was a medium flex, a little softer than my all-time fave, the now discontinued Rome Marshall (a moment of silence). The cut out flex panel and the feedback from Park City’s Park Crew who ran the boot the previous winter, suggests to me that the boot’s flex does not change much during its life.
The spine material is super rigid and strong, there’ll be no creasing there! The lace system is old school with a touch of flair, making the boot quicker to lace than a standard system and without the worry of possible mechanical failure-I liked it a lot.
Using Air technology they seem to have created a boot with great shock-absorbing qualities yet you can still definitely feel the board…brilliant!
So far I have had 2 weeks out of them and love them, there is even a reflective foil insole in there which helps retain heat in a low profile boot. The inner is heat mold able allowing you a degree of personalisation and in all honesty, at no time have I had any breaking-in foot pain. As a fulltime Instructor, that is worth it’s weight in gold.
Personally I can’t see how they could improve the boot. Perhaps an even speedier lacing system? But let’s face it, are we that lazy? You only put them on once a day!
This boot is as near perfection, for me, that I can imagine.
-Strengths
Great fit, build quality, flex pattern, construction and they look pretty cool too!
-Weaknesses
None yet, I’ll keep you posted.
-Similar Boots Used
Salomon F series, Rome Vice, Folsom and Marshall.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:05:14 +0000

Hey Shay
Great article, it really highlites how different boots are and how important they are
Nate’s comment try on as many different boots and get them fitted by a pro boot fitter
Everyone’s feet are different… Spot on

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:13:12 +0000

I have a set of Burton IONs which have about 80 days on them. They are still in good service condition. Only real wear, is the velcro straps on the inner are getting a bit worn. Also, I’ve run these boots for 4 seasons and have replaced the laces twice. I don’t know if Burton has updated the laces, but the speed zone laces on mine wear out pretty fast and are not the easiest to replace. All in all I am very happy with these boots though. They took about 10 days to break in and form to my feet and so, were a little uncomfortable at first, but once broken in, the fit has been excellent. I did replace the foot beds with some Remind insoles for that extra bit of support and feel good on the feet. I really like the shorter footprint as I am a size 10.5 and these boots allow me to ride standard width boards without compromise. In terms of stiffness, the boots are perfect for all mountain freestyle. A bit stiffer than a traditional freestyle boot but not as stiff as a dedicated freeride. The stiffness of these boots has also held up well over the seasons.

By: TylerIngram

TylerIngram — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:43:09 +0000

I have some old Burton Progressive boots that make my feet cold and wet after a long day of riding. Unfortunately, being a student, i cannot afford to buy new boots 🙁 This will be what.. my 4 or 5 season with them now?

I would love myself a nice new pair of board boots. Having cold/wet feet just isnt cool! Perhaps after I’m done school I’ll upgrade boots, then board/bindings. So much to buy.. so little time/money to do it haha