Hello and welcome to my Burton Sapphire snowboards boots review.
In this review the Sapphires will be assessed for their prowess as women’s freestyle boots.
Ratings
As per SnowboardingProfiles.com tradition the boots will receive a rating out of 100. This isn’t an exact science but helps to understand the boot’s performance. It also provides an easy way to compare the boots to other similar boots.
Overall Ratings
Boots: Burton Sapphire
Price: $249 (USD recommended price)
Lacing Style: Traditional Lacing
SnowboardingProfiles.com Rating: 86/100
O.k. let’s see how the Sapphires compared to other similar boots.
Compared with other Freestyle Boots
Out of 39 women’s freestyle snowboard boots that I analyzed:
- The average score was 72.7/100
- The highest score was 86/100 (the Sapphires!)
- The lowest score was 45/100
- The Sapphires ranked 2nd out of 39 boots
Check out my top 5 women’s freestyle snowboard boots list at the link below to see how the Sapphires beat the rest of the freestyle boots I looked at.
O.k. let’s take a look at some details.
Flex
The Sapphire’s have a flex rating of 4 out of 10 (1 being the softest and 10 the stiffest).
This is ideal for freestyle boots. Freestyle riding requires a bit of give and flex for landing jumps and tricks, tweaking grabs, butters, presses, hitting jibs etc.
But too soft and you would lose all response and you still want some responsiveness even when riding freestyle (particularly if you want to ride the groomers now and then). So something like a 3,4 or 5 is, in my opinion, the ideal balance.
Heel Hold
The Sapphires have some great heel hold. This will improve the response of the boots but will also, importantly, mean that you can predict the movement of the boots better. If your heel is lifting then there is a delay between when your muscles do something and when you boots engage with your feet.
Part of the reason that the sapphires have great heel hold is the speed zone cable that tightens up around the liner of the board to lock your heel down.
They also have internal and external j-bars on the liner to further help with heel hold.
Learn more about this in the video below.
Let’s Break Up All this Text with a Video!
Shock Absorption
Any good freestyle boot worth its salt will have good shock absorption.
When you’re landing jumps and tricks all day and hitting jibs you definitely want some good cushioning underneath.
The Sapphire’s wouldn’t have scored this highly as freestyle boots without their great shock absorption.
They use B3 Gel which is great for shock absorption but is also really light so doesn’t add too much to the weight of the boot.
Adjustability
One big advantage of traditional lace boots is that they help make the boots really adjustable.
This means that you can have the lower section of the boot tighter and the upper looser or visa versa.
It also means that you have more control over any potential pressure points – which shouldn’t be a problem in the sapphires anyway if they are a good fit.
Comfort
Last but not least – comfort.
Comfort is important for any rider, including freestyle riders, and the Sapphires are on top of this too.
- To start with the shock absorption helps. Standing on something cushioned all day is a lot nicer on your body.
- The great heel hold actually helps too surprisingly. If your heels are constantly lifting up and you are constantly fighting this and it can be quite fatiguing for your feet.
- On top of that the high quality liner and molded footbed also add to the comfort of the Sapphires.
- If you tend to get cold feet then the liners should also help to keep you warm as they are insulated with “thinsulate”. They also have a heat reflective foil underneath your feet in the boot.
- Finally the Sapphires are super-light – so they won’t be a chore to carry around all day – you should hardly even notice them on your feet.
Breakdown of the Final Score
Check out the table below to see a breakdown of how the Sapphire’s scored their points.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Flex: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Response: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| Heel Hold: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Comfort: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| TOTAL | 86/100 |
As mentioned earlier these boots were 2nd in my top 5 women’s freestyle snowboard boots list so these are top of the line when it comes to freestyle boots.
Current Prices, User Reviews and More Info
Whilst the recommended price on these boots may be $249 (USD) you can often find them cheaper. Check out the links to see current prices at a couple of different stores. You can also find out more info at those links and some user reviews.
Thanks for reading and I hope you have found this review helpful.
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