Hello and welcome to my Burton Imperial review.
In this review I will take a look at the Imperial as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Imperial a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
NOTE: The 2021 model was the last model of the Imperial, so this review will no longer be updated. The Imperial has essentially been renamed the Photon - the Imperial was always basically the speed lace version of the Photon Boa, so this makes sense. The 2022 Photon has a couple of changes from the 2021 Imperial, but nothing major.
Overall Rating
Boots: Burton Imperial
Price: $339 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (6.5/10)
Rating Score: 85.3/100
Compared to other All-Mountain Boots
Out of the 37 all-mountain boots that I rated:
Overview of the Imperial’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Imperial's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $339 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Lighter than Normal |
Lacing System: | Speed Lacing |
Who are the Imperial Most Suited to?
The Imperial are best for anyone looking for a speed lace boot that want something on the stiffer side of medium (6.5/10).
Would work best with boards with around a 4-7 flex, ideally 5 or 6.
The Imperial in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Imperial are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Burton Imperial
Size: 10.5 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: February 7, 2020
Conditions: Mix of snow and rain, but snow for the most part all be it wet snow.
Had snowed overnight a little but nothing epic
Groomer was soft packed and mildly slushy in parts. Off groomer was very similar- soft but not deep fresh
Temperature was around 0 degrees. A bit of wind but only noticeable on lift
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita 2017
Outersole Length: 31.1cm (mondo 28.5cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.6cm
Backstay Height: 30.4cm
Weight: 940 grams*
* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a good bit lighter than average. Heaviest were 1320 grams and lightest were 740 grams.
Flex
Burton rate their "support" as medium, but with a firm flex tongue. They feel just on the stiffer side of medium. I would say around 6, pushing 6.5.
Fit
Width: Mid-wide. If you've got super wide feet, you'll probably want a wide-specific boot, but for those with just wider than normal feet, these should accommodate well.
True to Size?: Yeah, I would say true to size. I rode the 10.5, when I'm typically a 10, and whilst the 10.5 was fine for demoing purposes, I think the 10 would be the better bet in the long run for me, so I'd say true to size.
High or Low Arch: Felt like the arch was quite low to begin with. There was pressure on the top of my right foot. But once I heat molded that settled down a lot. And then after the first lap I didn't notice it at all. So, I'd say normal arch.
Responsiveness
Good overall response. Maneuverability at slow speeds was still decent vs my test boots - maybe half a step down, but my test boots (Vans Aura) are a little softer and easier to maneuver in at slower speeds.
The Imperial did give a bit more on a carve vs the Auras. I felt like I could hold a carve a little deeper and for a little longer.
Heel Hold
It's not epic hold, but it's decent enough. There's not a lot of lift but there is some there. Wasn't bad enough lift to bother me.
Adjustability
There's some good separation between the upper and lower zone speed laces, so you can get a different tightness for each section if you wish.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Comfort
Very comfortable feeling boots for me. No cramping, no pressure points (a tiny bit on the top of the right metatarsal, but I get that with almost every boot and it died down the more I rode in them, and a lot after heat molding). Felt good all round - shins, calves, heels, ankles, toes, all very comfortable.
Shock Absorption
There's some decent shock absorption in these boots, without it being epic. But enough for me personally.
Board Feel
Decent board feel. Half a step down from my test boots, but pretty good none-the-less.
Traction
Looks and feels like a quality sole. Decent tread. Felt fine walking in car park and on snow. There's a good bit of rubber in the sole, so it should last a good while.
Reduced Footprint
Really decent reduced outer sole. The 2.6cm difference between mondo and outersole length is better than average and on top of that the Imperial (typical of Burton boots) has a good amount of toe bevel, more than any other boot that I measured the toe bevel on.
Entry/Exit
I'm not a big fan of the feel of doing up speed lace boots. They can feel a bit cumbersome. But it is a little faster than double boa or traditional lace. And once you get them in they do feel as tight as you want them, so it's all good. There's just something that I find less satisfying than when tightening traditional lace and boa.
The liner has velcro and a typical lace harness. The velcro feels nice - it offers a nice snug fit around the top of the liner, with the harness more focused lower down the liner.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 4.0 | 20/25 |
HEEL HOLD | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.3/100 |
The Imperial are an all-round good quality boot, offering a great mix of comfort and response in a low profile outer sole.
Great option for anyone looking for a mid flexing boot that's just on the stiffer side of medium.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Imperial, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
If you want to see how the Imperial compared to other all-mountain boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hi Nate
I was simply wondering what was your snowboard size. Was it a wide or a normal size?
If it was a normal size was there any toe drag?
Thanks.
Hi Marcus, thanks for your message.
Regular width. I very seldom ride wide boards – I like to have easier edge to edge transitions. More specifically, the board I rode the Imperial with was 254mm at the waist, 265mm at the front insert and 266mm at the back insert. I rode with +15/-15 binding angles and a 550mm (roughly 22″) stance width. The binding angles do help with reducing boot drag, but with those angles I didn’t have any issues. The Imperial were quite low profile, which also helped. I seldom ride in 10.5s, so I did wonder when I rode the Imperials (and a couple of other 10.5s that year) but never had issues.
With a straighter back binding angle, it’s hard to say. E.g. with no angle (zero degrees), you’d be looking at total overhang of around 4.5cm (31.1cm outersole length and 26.6cm back insert width) – which would be 2.25cm per edge, assuming perfect boot centering. For the most part I would be pretty comfortable with that, but if you were wanting to carve really deep, you’d probably want 2cm or less on the toe. But you’d probably get away with it, if you were to position (if possible) your bindings so you had 2.5cm on the heel and 2cm on the toe, even if you were carving quite deep.
I’m not a super aggressive/deep carver, but also not super casual/moderate either. Somewhere in between.
Note that 3 degrees of angle doesn’t make much difference to overhang – it’s not linear – each extra 3 degrees you rotate gives you more overhang savings than the previous 3 degrees (if that makes sense – if not, let me know and I can show you some numbers to illustrate what I mean).
Hope this helps
I’m typically a 10 in regular shoes. Do you think the Imperial will pack out too much over time for me? should i go for a 9.5?
Thank you for your help, Nate!
Hi João
Thanks for your message.
I’m a 10 in regular shoes and a 10 for Burton boots, so that might be the same for you. But if you know your mondopoint (length of your feet), then that would help to decide. My left foot is 27.3cm and my right foot is 27.0cm. So technically I should be a 9.5, based on mondo but for some brands I’m a 9.5 and some I’m a 10.
The Imperial has been discontinued for a couple of years now, but I’m guessing you must looking at a used pair or a past seasons pair, since it sounds like you’ve already tried one on. Between the Ruler and Imperial, assuming you had both in the same and best size for you, then I would be leaning Imperial in most cases, but it would also depend on how you like to ride and the board you would most likely be matching them with. But the best fitting boot is the most important, so if you can only get them in different sizes, then I would go for the one with the size that fits you best.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
I’m wondering what you recommend between Burton Imperial or Burton Ruler double Boa.
I tried both and the imperial for me was size 10, while the ruler I used 9.5 although the Ruler was tight I felt that it could give in over time and become more comfortable.
Hi Nate
I’m wondering what do you recommend between burton imperial or dc lotus 2020
Hi Ice
Thanks for your message.
I haven’t ridden the DC Lotus (or the men’s equivalent of it), so I can’t say from personal experience.
This doesn’t always matter, but just in case you were unaware, the Lotus is a women’s boot and the Imperial a men’s boot. If sizing works, then it may not matter, but boots tend to be made with women’s or men’s anatomy in mind. One of the big things being that women’s calves typically, not always, sit lower than men’s, so that’s just one other thing to take into account.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
do you think the Imperials would be a good option to pair up with the Jones Mountain Twin and Union Atlas bindings? I wanted to ride mostly on slopes with maybe 10-20% off-piste. I wanted to look for a boot that would be medium slightly on the stiffer side for a bit more responsiveness. Do you think that purchasing a Imperial would be a good idea or does this shoe not work out for me?
Hi Lukas
Thanks for your message.
I think the Imperial would be a great match for that setup and what you’re describing. Assuming a good fir for your feet, I think the Imperial should work well.
Hope this helps