Burton Moto Review

Hello and welcome to my Burton Moto review.

In this review I will take a look at the Moto as freestyle snowboard boots.

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

Overall Rating

Boots: Burton Moto

Price: $229 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freestyle

Other Uses: Beginner

Flex Rating: Medium-Soft (3/10)

Flex Feel: Medium-Soft (3/10)

Rating Score: 79.9/100

Compared to other Freestyle Boots

Out of the 26 freestyle boots that I rated:

Overview of the Moto’s Specs

Who are the Moto Most Suited to?

The Moto are great as beginner bindings. A nice soft, comfortable, simple boot at a friendly price point.

They are also a good option for those looking for a softer boot for playful freestyle riding but for those looking for that at a good price point - so most likely as a second pair of boots to match their park/jib board, if they don't want their stiffer boots with their freestyle setup. 

Finally, they work for those who just like to ride really casual/slow and don't need a ton of support/response for high speed riding and want to save some cash vs more pricey options.

Match best with softer flexing boards - from anything really soft and up to 4/10 flex. But I wouldn't match them with a board stiffer than 4/10, in terms of flex. 

The Moto in More Detail

Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018

Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita

Outersole Length: 31.0cm (mondo 28.5cm)

Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.5cm

Backstay Height: 30.6cm

Weight: 740 grams*

* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a good bit lighter than the average. The lightest that I weighed. Softer flexing boots tend to be lighter anyway, but the Moto were light even for soft flexing boots.  

Flex

Burton just rate these as soft. And that's pretty accurate. Their pretty soft. I would say 3/10 in terms of flex and would likely get softer than that over time. 

Fit

Width: They've got a good bit of width in the toe box. I wouldn't say super-wide but wider than medium. Medium-wide. 

True to Size?: I rode a 10.5, where I would typically ride a 10. Ultimately I would go for the 10. The 10.5 was fine for demoing, but even by the end I could feel it packing out and if I actually bought these they would pack out more the longer I rode them. So definitely a 10 for me, I would say, so true-to-size. 

High or Low Arch: Middle of the road. Ever so slight pressure on the top (metatarsal) of my right foot, but that's typical for me with new boots. After riding for a bit I stopped noticing that - which is also typical. 

Shock Absorption

OK shock absorption without being anything special. 

Board Feel

Good board feel. A boot this soft and with a fairly flexy, fairly flat sole was always going to have good board feel. And felt almost broken in right out of the box - so really didn't have to wait to break them in too much to get that really nice board feel out of them. 

Responsiveness

On a carve, they're pretty floppy. Can't get real deep on a carve or hold it for that long with confidence. They made my board feel less carvy than it does with my test boots (Vans Aura). 

At slow speeds they're pretty good with maneuverabilty, which is typical of a softer flexing boot, but they still weren't as good in that area as my test boots. 

Adjustability

Good upper and lower adjustability with Burton's speed lace. Not much going on with the lacing system. Pretty simple speed lace boot. The Boa version is less adjustable (with just one Boa). 

Comfort

Really comfortable from the first lap. They have that already broken in feel from the get go. They do break in even more as you go, but in terms of being plug and play from day 1, they're one of the most already-broken-in feeling boots I've ridden. 

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Heel Hold

I found some fairly noticeable heel lift in there. It wasn't anything so bad that it made them unusable, but more heel lift than I would prefer.  

Reduced Footprint

Good amount of reduced footprint. Just 2.5cm longer on the outside than the mondo. And the toe bevels up more than on most boots (which is typical of Burton) giving you more angle on the toe side to help reduce toe drag even more. 

Traction

The sole is pretty basic. Not great quality. With too much hiking would probably wear out fairly quickly and don't think they'd provide too much grip. Didn't hike with them on anything too gnarly or icy, but just the impression I got from inspecting the sole. 

Entry/Exit

Simple lacing harness on the liner and then the speed zone lacing on the outer boot. I find the speed lacing a little cumbersome compared to boa, but it is a little faster and certainly faster than traditional lacing. 

Getting the foot in and out was easy. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

The Moto are Burton's top selling boot. And that's largely down to pricing, but also because they are a comfortable out of the box boot that work really well for beginners - so a lot of people start out in these boots - and everyone has to be a beginner at some stage. 

They do work as super casual boots for just cruising in, if you're not looking to really carve and only want to ride slow or if you want a soft comfortable pair for jib/playful days to compliment your soft board setup, but they are best suited as beginner boots.