Hello and welcome to my Burton Felix BOA snowboard boots review.
In this review I will take a look at the Felix BOA as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Felix BOA a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other women's all-mountain boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Burton Felix BOA
Price: $439 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 90.6/100
Compared to other Women's All-Mountain Boots
Of the 14 current model women's all-mountain-freeride snowboard boots that we tested:
❄️ The Felix BOA ranked 1st out of 14
Overview of the Felix BOA’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Felix BOA's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $439 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Weight: | Felt normal |
Lacing System: | Double Boa (independent upper and lower sections) |
Who are the Felix BOA Most Suited to?
The Felix BOA are best suited to those looking for boots that allow them to ride fast/aggressive, but have enough forgiveness in them, that they work when you want to just cruise or get more playful too.
They match best with boards in that 4/10 to 7/10 flex range and even more ideally in the 5/10 to 6/10 flex range.
Too stiff for beginners, IMO. Want to be at least solid intermediate to get the most out of these boots.
THE Felix BOA IN MORE DETAIL
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Felix BOA are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Burton Felix BOA 2023
Size: 8 (US Women's sizing)
Date: February 2, 2023
Conditions
Cloudy but high cloud. Very good visibility. No rain or snow.
Temp: 32°F (0°C) and with wind chill was 25°F (-4°C) though it didn't feel like that much wind chill. Wind around 12mph (20kph) SSE.
24 hour snow: 1.2" (3cm)
48 hour snow: 6.7" (17cm)
7 day snow: 7.5" (19cm)
On groomer: Groomers were real nice. Hard packed with some nice soft on top. Even though there was a decent amount of traffic, nothing got too messy. Nicely groomed.
Off groomer: Not too bad. Hard underneath but with enough soft on top to make it decent and nothing icy/crunchy
Setup
Bindings angles: +12/-12
Stance Width: 19.5" (49.5cm)
Board Demoed With: Ride Saturday
Bindings Demoed With: Ride DVA
Rider Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Rider Weight: 125lbs (56kg)
Rider Boot Size: Women's US8.0 (Ride Hera Control Boot)
Outersole Length: 28.2cm (mondo 25cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 3.2cm
Backstay Height: 10.6" (27cm)
Weight: 1lb 14oz ( 840grams)*
* Average of a sample of women's boots I've weighed was 1lbs 15oz (880g). Heaviest I've weighed were 2lbs 10oz (1200g) and lightest were 1lb 10oz (740g).
Fit
Width: During initial try on they are snug on both lateral and medial sides. Pinky toe (lateral side) felt cramped/ had bit of a pressure point. This was worse on left boot.
After heat molding and riding that lateral pressure point on pinky toe on left side was still there. It wasn't anything too major though and was lessening over time.
True to Size?: From first try on they were nice and comfortable length wise. My big toe was just touching at the end and the rest of my toes were just back from the end. On tops of toes it was snug - not a lot of wiggle room - but no pain or pressure points.
Felt pretty much the same after heat molding and riding in them. I would say true to size. For the first couple of days, I think I could have been happier in half a size up, but I think these would break it to be just right in the 8. So I'd say true to size.
Top of Foot (instep): Felt normal on tops of feet. Snug but no pressure points, so just how you want it really. This was the same when first trying on and after heat molding and riding in them.
Around Ankles: Felt very comfortable around the ankles the whole time. Didn't notice the ankles at all. Definitely not pressure points or discomfort there.
Fit with Bindings
They are a little bulkier around the ankle than my control boots. Had to loosen the ankle strap off a notch for best fit. The toe strap fit the same as on control boots - no adjustment necessary there.
Responsiveness
The Felix were a little harder for doing fast turns at slower speeds compared to control (Ride Hera). Still good but not quite as good as control.
For higher speed carves I found them to better than control. They gave more support and allowed me to carve deeper and harder.
Heel Hold
Heel hold felt similar to control. Pretty normal. Some heel lift but nothing major.
Adjustability
The 2 BOAs are completely independent from each other. The front BOA controls upper (front) portion across bottom of shin, side BOA tightens lower top of foot portion.
Comfort
Really comfortable overall. Slight pressure point at lateral side of pinky toe was the most bothersome spot. Pressure point was slightly less on right boot compared to left.
Shock Absorption
Good shock absorption overall. Significantly better than control boot, without being the most cush ride ever.
Traction/Sole Quality
The Felix has a Vibram outsole and it looks/feels like a quality sole. There's a little bit of tread variety, though not a whole lot and tread depth is medium/average.
Not a lot of flex in the sole and pretty consistent from heel to toe. Just a touch more flex in toe area, but often there is quite a noticeable difference in heel to to toe flex. Overall quite a stiff sole compared to most.
Entry/Exit
It was relatively easy to get my foot in. Not too much effort required. A little easier than normal.
The lacing system is smooth and easy to use. There's a typical lining drawstring that works on the liner harness and then the Double Boa system is really easy to use and works well.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
Factor | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
---|---|---|
Carving | 4 | 16/20 |
Slow Speed Response | 4 | 12/15 |
Heel Hold | 4 | 12/15 |
Comfort | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Adjustability | 4 | 12/15 |
Shock Absorption | 4 | 8/10 |
Traction | 4 | 8/10 |
TOTAL (after normalizing): | 90.6/100 |
The Felix BOA are well made boots and basically don't have any weaknesses.
They are a little stiffer than average but still strike a good balance between slow more playful riding and faster, more aggressive riding, being slightly more optimal for more aggressive riding, but still work for more playful riding.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Felix BOA, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Felix BOA compared to other women's all-mountain boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
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