Celsius Cirrus - My favourite snowboard boots!
Todays question comes from Andrew L:
How long will my snowboard boots last and when should I replace them?
Good question! Typically, you’ll replace a snowboard boot when it becomes to soft to offer support or it’s torn to shreds. However, each snowboard boot is different and how long each one lasts depends on 2 areas:
1) How stiff are they and how stiff do you want your boots?
Boots slowly get softer and offer less support as they wear down and it takes longer for a stiffer boot to become too soft to use. A 7 or 8 out of 10 on the stiffness scale will last longer than a 4 or 5 out of 10 because it starts out stiffer to begin with.
You should replace your boots as soon as they don’t feel like they are offering the amount of support you like. How soft is too soft? That’s up to you, but you do have to be aware that a softer a boot will increase your chances of hurting your ankles.
2) Are they falling apart?
This one is pretty obvious. If your boots are literally falling apart, it may be time for new boots. A typical boot will last about 100 days of riding, but your experiences may vary.
In addition, how much you walk about the ski resort in your snowboard boots will affect how fast they wear down. Just like shoes, if you walk about the ski village in them, they’ll wear down a lot faster than if you go straight home and take them off every day.
Personally, I find that my boots last about half a season to a season before they are either falling apart or too soft to use, but I do tend to ride nearly every day during the winter. If you don’t ride that often, you may find that your boots will last you many seasons.
Remember, if isn’t broken, don’t fix it. There’s no need to get some new fancy boots if your old boots are perfectly fine. In fact, I personally hate changing my boots because it means 1-2 weeks of breaking them in, not to mention having to make sure your new boots fit as well as your old boots.
Boots are your most important piece of gear, so don’t mess around with them if your current boots fit you well.
Happy Shredding!
– Jed