The 5 boots featured below are what I consider to be the best freestyle snowboard boots currently on the market.
This post has been updated for the 2017-18 season.
As per SnowboardingProfiles.com tradition I have rated each pair of boots out of 100.
Comparison Stats
Of the 46 boots that I rated as freestyle boots:
- The average score was 79.5/100
- The highest score was 90.2/100 (see #1 below)
- The lowest score was 64.9/100
- The average price was $259
O.k. let’s get into the top 5.
Freestyle Boot #5
Boot: Thirty Two Lo-Cut
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Traditional Lacing
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating: 86.2/100
Starting off the list in #5 are Thirty Two’s Lo-Cut boots.
With a super flat sole, the Lo-Cut is the most skate-like boot in this list.
Thirty Two’s 86FT uses the same sole, but the Lo-Cut offers better response and more comfort.
Overall it’s a very comfortable boot that offers great board feel and flex for freestyle riding.
Learn more about the Lo-Cut in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Lo-Cut
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 3.0 | 12/20 |
| Board Feel: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
| Response: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Heel Hold: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Reduced Footprint: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Traction: | 2.0 | 2/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 86.2/100 |
Freestyle Boot #4
Boot: K2 Renin
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating: 86.2/100
The stiffest equal boots on this list (along with the Almighty’s), the Renin offer great heel hold in a comfortable and shock absorbing boot.
They’ve got a pretty big outersole compared to some others on this list, but if that’s not an issue for you, then they are a great option for all-mountain-freestyle or freestyle riding.
Learn more about the Renin in the video below
The Renin’s Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Board Feel: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Response: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Heel Hold: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Flex: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| Reduced Footprint: | 1.0 | 1/5 |
| Traction: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 86.2/100 |
Freestyle Boot #3
Boot: Burton Almighty
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Speed Lace
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Rating: 86.8/100
Burton’s Almighty boots, #3 on this list, are an awesome boot for riding the whole mountain, riding the park, riding freestyle or combining all of the above.
There are no weaknesses here and they’re also a great option for those looking for a reduced footprint.
Learn more about the Almighty in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Almighty
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Board Feel: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Response: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Heel Hold: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Flex: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| Reduced Footprint: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| Traction: | 3.0 | 3/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 86.8/100 |
Freestyle Boot #2
Boot: Adidas Superstar ADV
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Traditional Lacing
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating: 87.9/100
The Superstars are comfortable, offer great shock absorption and have pretty good board feel.
And they’re the lowest profile boots on this list, so if you really need something that’s going to reduce the size of the outersole of your boot, then these are great options for that reason and many others.
Learn more about the Superstar in the video below
The Super star’s Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Board Feel: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Response: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Heel Hold: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Comfort: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Reduced Footprint: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Traction: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 87.9/100 |
Freestyle Boot #1
Boot: Vans Aura
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Medium (On the soft side of medium – 4.5/10)
Rating: 90.2/100
And coming in at #1 we have the Vans Auras.
The Aura’s are super comfortable, have great shock absorption, really good heel hold and great in terms of board feel.
They also have a really low profile outersole and are just overall a well rounded boot for freestyle or all-mountain-freestyle riding.
Check out the video for more on the Aura’s
Aura Boots Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Board Feel: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Response: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Heel Hold: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Reduced Footprint: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| Traction: | 3.0 | 3/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 90.2/100 |
Quick Note
This is by no means an exact science – but the ratings should give you a quick reference as to the performance of these boots.
Also note that some freestylers who are into really big air are likely to want a stiffer flexing boot. This post is aimed at your average freestyler who enjoys small to medium jumps, butters, grabs, 360s, jibs, ollies etc.
Over to You….
So there you have my picks for the top 5 freestyle boots for the 2017/18 season.
If you’re interested in any of these boots check out the links for each boot above for more information.
Hi Nate, thanks for the great information and the in depth reviews. Seems like the Salomon F3.0 is definitely the best hands down all around freestyle boot. I’m living in Canada, can I ask what is the average price for those boots, is it better to get the best or go with something not quite as good and save a few bucks?
Hey Kurt
Thanks for checking out the review.
The recommended price for the F3.0 is USD$299 which would currently convert to roughly CAD$390 at the current exchange rate. But you are likely to be able to get them cheaper most times of the year (just maybe not right before the season starts) – the lowest I’ve seen them recently is USD$145 so that’s around half of their recommended price – though that would be an awesome deal.
Whether it’s better to go with the best or not quite as good to save money is done to your own personal budget and what you are willing to invest. That said, when it comes to boots I wouldn’t skimp on them to save cash – boots are going to make a big difference to your comfort and performance – as does other snowboarding gear, but I would sacrifice on board and bindings before I sacrificed on boots.
It should also be noted that the most expensive aren’t necessarily the best. Sometimes boots can be overpriced.
I hope this answers your questions.
Hey Nate,
Great review! My boyfriend is (or was) an avid boarder until he broke his leg a few years ago. He’s been talking about getting back at it this winter. His talking has become window shopping online, so I’m pretty sure he’s serious about it this year, haha.
His birthday is coming up and I think buying him new boots would be an awesome gift, but I know nothing about this stuff. He needs something that will offer stability and flexibility (he has screws in his thigh bone – his docs have said it was safe for him to get back on a board), and I’m guessing shock absorption.
With all this info, what boot would you recommend?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Catherine
Hey Catherine.
Thanks for visiting – glad you liked the review.
I can’t claim to be an expert when it comes to the best gear for someone with screws in the leg but my best guess would be that something with a bit of give (so some flexibility) would be good – so going with a really stiff flex may not be the right way to go because it won’t offer any give for his leg. Also, yeah shock absorption would help I imagine.
If he is a freestyle rider – which I’m guessing he is since you are checking out freestyle boots – then shock absorption and a mid to soft flex is a goo thing anyway so he’s covered there I would say (but again I am just guessing here).
Again assuming he is a freestyle rider then anything on this list would be suitable – assuming it fits right. You can check out my post on getting the right fitting snowboard boots at the link below to help you choose something that will fit right. It’s a little bit tricky when you are buying as a gift if he is unable to try them on – but doable – the more info you can get about his feet the better – check out the link below for more.
http://snowboardingprofiles.com/how-to-size-snowbo…
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
This is sort of off topic, but your menus are great! Anyway, admittedly, I know very little about snowboarding, but I’ve always wanted to do it. This definitely helps because I can make sure I get the highest quality boot (which I hadn’t considered, but is extremely important) when I go shopping for them. Snowboarding 2016 here I come!
Hey Jay
Awesome that you are keen to get into snowboarding. Yeah good snowboarding boots are definitely important. You should start out with beginner boots – check out the link below to check out some great beginner boots.
Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you like the menus – I try to make the site as easy to navigate as possible and appreciate the feedback.
I read your review about Snowboard Boots. Snowboarding was one of my passionate areas and I didn’t know much about this field. I used to live in Canada and snow is very common there. During Winter, I used to buy snow boots – but I didn’t have much idea earlier. You clearly detail the different categories of Snowboard boots and it all makes sense to me now.
Hey Shivaram
Thanks for visiting. I’m glad this has helped you make more sense of choosing snowboard boots.
Yes we do get plenty of snow in Canada! Send me a message next time you’re in Canada (if you’re in BC) and we can hit on of the many mountains BC has.