DC The Laced Snowboard Boots Review

Hello and welcome to my DC The Laced snowboard boots review.

In this review I will take a look at The Laced as all-mountain snowboard boots.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Laced a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.

NOTE: The 2022 model was the last model of this boot, so, naturally, this review has not been updated beyond the 2022 model. 

Overall Rating

Boots: DC The Laced 

Price: $299 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mountain 

Flex Rating: Mid-Stiff

Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating Score: 85.3/100

Compared to other All-Mountain Boots

Out of the 35 all-mountain boots that I rated:

Who are the Laced Most Suited to?

The Laced are best suited to anyone looking for a mid-wide, traditional lace boot that's fairly stiff and responsive, but still has some forgiveness to it. 

Best matched to boards with a 5/10 to 7/10 flex. 

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Board Demoed With: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker 2021

Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita

Outersole Length: 30.7cm (mondo 28cm)

Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.7cm

Backstay Height: 29.5cm

Weight: 2lbs 8oz (1120 grams)*

* Average of a sample of boots I've weighed was 2lbs 4oz (1018g), so a bit heavier than the average, but not overly heavy. Heaviest were 2lbs 15oz (1320g) and lightest were 1lb 10oz (740g) . 

Fit

Width: Not super wide, but wider than medium. Mid-wide. 

True to Size?: True to size for sure, IMO. I'm typically a 10. Toes just brush the edge but not cramped at all. Just pull away when leaning into a toe side posture. Just right in the 10. 

High or Low Arch: Standard pressure on my right foot (which has a higher arch than my left) that I get from most new boots when I first try them on, but no worse than normal. And after wearing them for a while that died down nicely. And when I rode them it died down even more and was hardly noticeable. So I'd say normal in terms of arch.  

Responsiveness

Helped me to get into a deeper/harder carve and hold onto it better than my control boots (Adidas Tactical ADV), but not as agile at slow speeds as when using my control boots  but not far off - they were still fine at slow speeds. 

Heel Hold

There was some heel lift but nothing major, when trying them on (always do an in office test before getting them up the mountain). 

When I got them out on snow, they felt the same initially when I put them on, but by the end of the first lap, there was a lot more heel lift. I opened the boot up and retightened the liner and for the rest of the time testing them, the heel hold stayed good and constant. Not sure if I hadn't locked the lacing harness on the liner properly for that first lap or not - but it was both boots, so I'm not sure. But didn't have that issue for the rest of the time I rode them. 

Adjustability

Nothing out of the ordinary, but traditional lacing is just really nice and adjustable. To tighten the liner, you do have to open up the outer boot, to get in there. So there's nothing making it easier to tighten the liner, without having to do that, but overall very adjustable, simply by way of being trad lacing. 

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Comfort

Apart from the slightest bit of shin bite, they were really comfortable and just got more and more comfortable as I rode them. 

Shock Absorption

You feel quite a lot of chatter in these boots - the shock absorption isn't amazing. It's not bad, but it's not great. 

Versus my Tactical ADV in the stomp test that I do in my office before taking them out on snow, they were, as most boots are, not as good for absorbing shock as the Tactical ADV (a fairly unfair test as those things are shock absorbing beasts!) But even versus the Salomon Dialogue I also tested that day, they were worse both in the stomp test and on snow. 

Again, not terrible but nothing amazing either. 

Board Feel

Really good board feel. What you sacrifice in that shock absorption you gain in board feel. For the stiffness of the board - and even trying to flex the sole of the boot, there wasn't much movement (some in the toe end of the sole but otherwise not much), which is typically a sign that board feel won't be great. But they really surprised me. They do have a nice flat sole, and I guess lacking shock absorption does help them with board feel. 

Traction

The traction seems decent without being amazing. It's hard to say for sure, but based on a sole inspection and walking in the car park, it's not terrible, but not super grippy either. 

Reduced Footprint

The outersole is a little reduced, which is always nice. There's a 2.7cm difference between mondo and outersole, which is lower profile than average. 

Entry/Exit

A bit of time to get laces undone and done up and then there’s an extra strap on the liner that takes time (but of course benefits of that extra support outweigh that time). Foot slipped in nice and easy once I’d opened the boot out. Bit of an effort to get that strap on the top of the liner tight - but that might just be my on the skinny side legs.

The Laced are a great option for someone who wants to be able to lay over there carves, but don't want an unforgivingly stiff boot. 

They lack a little in shock absorption but make up for it in board feel and are really nice and comfortable - and come in at a price well under the average for this type of boot. So real bang for buck for performance versus price. Trad laces are typically less expensive, but these are even a notch less than most trad lace boots in this flex range.