Hello and welcome to my Burton Ion boots review.
In this review I will take a look at the Ion as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ion a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Burton Ion
Price: $619 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Stiff
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)
Rating Score: 88.0/100
Compared to other All-Mountain Boots
Of the 25 current model men's all-mountain snowboard boots that we tested:
❄️ The Ion ranked 6th out of 25
Overview of the Ion’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Ion's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $619 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Normal |
Lacing System: | Speed Lace |
Who are the Ion Most Suited to?
The Ion are great for anyone looking for a boot that's on the stiffer side, but don't want to go super stiff. Someone who values speed and carving more so than slow speed maneuverability, but that doesn't want to reduce their slow speed agility too much.
They are suited to those with a higher budget. These things don't come cheap. But they also seem high quality. I can't attest to how they hold up in the long term, but from my experience with them, they certainly seem to be good quality.
Best matched to boards with a 6/10 to 8/10 flex. But can work for 5/10 or 9/10 depending on your preferences.
The Ion in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Ion are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Burton Ion 2022
Size: 10 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: February 4, 2022
Conditions
Snowing. But quite a wet snow. Cascade concrete for sure. Visibility iffy in places and OK in others.
Temp: -1°C (30°F). Apparently as cold as -7°C (19°F) with wind chill but didn't feel that cold.
24 hour snow: 3cm (1.2")
48 hour snow: 8cm (3.2")
7 day snow: 26cm (10.2")
Snow conditions on groomer: Soft, with fresh wet pow. Some well groomed other parts cruddy. Slow. Cascade concrete for sure. But not the slowest cascade concrete I've been in.
Snow conditions off groomer: Some good soft building on top. Still felt some crust in patches but pretty good all round.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker 2021
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita
Outersole Length: 30.3cm (mondo 28.0cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.3cm
Backstay Height: 30.3cm
Weight: 1100 grams (2lbs 7oz)*
* Average of a sample of boots I've weighed was 1018g (2lbs 4oz), so a bit heavier than the average, but not overly heavy. Heaviest were 1320g (2lbs 15oz) and lightest were 740g (1lb 10oz).
Flex
They felt stiffer than the Photon that I also rode that day and my test boots (Tactical ADV) and certainly stiffer than average, but with some flex - not as stiff as the stiffer freeride boots I've ridden. Not quite an 8 for stiffness, but more than a 7.
Fit
Width: Plenty of room in the toe box width-wise, but not overly wide throughout the boot. But certainly not narrow. I'd say a mid-wide - a little wider than average, but nothing super wide. Good for regular width feet or slightly wider than normal feet, IMO.
True to Size?: Yes. I'm typically a 10 and the 10 fit well. Just the right length and everything else about it fit well. If I was being fussy, could maybe fit in a 9.75, but that would be really fussy. The 10 fit pretty ideally.
High or Low Arch: Normal in terms of the arch. When first putting them on my right foot (which has a higher arch than my left) there was some pressure there, which is the case with every single boot I wear. But it was minimal and got less and less the more I wore them - which was also typical.
Bindings Fit
Fit very similarly in my Medium Burton Malavitas as my Tactical ADVs. Felt like they were a little bulkier around the ankle but not so much so that I had to lengthen the ankle strap. Fit very similar width-wise in the binding and very similar on the toe strap.
Responsiveness
As expected from the boot - it allowed me to carve deeper and harder compared to my control boots and made my board more carvy. On the flip side, also as expected with a stiffer boot, they weren't as as good for quick turns at slower speeds. Made the board feel less nimble at slower speeds. Not to a great extent, but noticeable.
Heel Hold
I found some heel lift, but that's case for pretty much every boot. But the heel hold overall was really good. I've had boots that had better heel hold, but the heel lift was minimal enough that I didn't notice it when riding - only when actually trying to lift the heel up in the boot.
Adjustability
Outer lacing: Speed Zone: The bottom zone (3 laces) are controlled by one "puller" (not sure of the technical name of those plastic things you pull on to tighten the laces!) and the top zone (top 3 laces) is controlled by the other "puller". From what I could tell the zones were both completely independent.
Inner Lacing: Has a standard lacing harness on the inside, with velcro straps that help to tighten and keep in place the top of the liner. I liked how the velcro worked - got a nice secure feeling around the shins. T