When you are outside, and you see a few flakes in the air, you would know that winter is coming soon.
Some hate the winter, but others love it. When I saw snowflakes, the first thing comes to my mind is snowboarding so I would put myself in the ‘love it’ category. Right now I want to get out my snowboard, blow off the dust, and do a test run somewhere.
Yet the snowboard is not the only piece of equipment. Another item would be the boots, bindings, snowboarding jackets, snowboard pants, snowboard helmets, gloves, goggles etc.
There are numerous reasons to get new boots. Maybe some want more control. While others need to replace their old boots. Now the question comes, where to get the boots?
In Store
So where to start? The first piece of advice is to try on snowboard boots in a store. I realize finding a store can be challenging.
But in an ideal situation, there will be a snowboard shop near where you live. Thus take advantage of the resources available and try on the boots.
But before you visit the store you need to have the basic know-how of a snowboard boot.
Right Length
I know in the past I would try on some boots, but I wasn’t always confident that I had the correct size. I didn’t want to get something too tight. I didn’t want to get something too loose.
I was looking for my Goldilocks place where everything was just right.
I tend to wear a different shoe size depending on the brand. For example, sometimes I wear 7.5, but for my snowboard boot, I wear a size 8.0. To make things even more confusing, there are centimeters to consider.
Mondo-Print
Fortunately, there is something on snowboard boot size conversation charts called ‘mondo-print’ size. Mondo is the length of the foot in centimeters. This might not sound like a big deal, but I will explain the significance.
The Mondo-Print helps the buyer pick out the right size boot.
As I mentioned earlier, my shoe size is somewhere around 7.5 and 8.0. According to the chart, I have a 25.5-centimetersize foot. For me, I would need a Mondo size of 255.
advice
If you have a lot of room in your current boot, then your snowboard boot will be half a size smaller.
But if you have a close-fitting walking boot, then the snowboard boot will most likely be the same.
European sizes
I haven't purchased a European boot in a long time, and when I did, it wasn't for snowboarding. Yet, I realize there are some who would like a European boot.
I would suggest checking to the chart given here if you need to figure out your European size.
MEASURING
For those who really don’t want to wait to know your foot size, there’s an easy method to calculate the centimeters of your foot.
You only need a sheet of paper, a pencil and a ruler. Stand in such a way that the heel is against one edge of the paper and then place a mark at the end of your big toe.
You then simply measure and find the number of centimeters.
SNUG FIT
Typically the advice given for getting the right boot size is to have a slight gap between the end of the boot and the toes. Normally about a thumb’s width. But for snowboard boots, there shouldn’t be a gap.
This should make sense considering how you need precision control of the board as you go down a hill and if there’s too much space for the foot, then the control factor is gone.
CONCLUSION
For some of us, buying the best snowboard boot is a stressful experience. But should it be? Follow the advice in this article and your stress will be gone. In fact, it will be replaced with an assurance that you have bought the exact pair of boots you need to enjoy one of the best winter sports.
So, stop stressing. Instead, the dream of yourself going down some snow covered runs on your favorite hill with some properly fitting boots.
Helpful Article: How To Choose The Hiking Boots For Tough Conditions
Last updated on December 28th, 2021 at 12:39 pm
