Hello and welcome to my DC Judge review.
In this review I will take a look at the Judge as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Judge a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: DC Judge
Price: $429 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)
Rating Score: 87.0/100
Compared to other All-Mountain Boots
Of the 25 current model men's all-mountain snowboard boots that we tested:
❄️ The Judge ranked 7th out of 25
Overview of the Judge’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Judge's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $429 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Felt normal |
Lacing System: | Double Boa (independent upper and lower sections) |
Who are the Judge Most Suited to?
The Judge are best suited to those looking for boots that can give them a good balance between performance at slow speeds and performance when you're looking to ride more aggressively, with higher speeds and deeper carves.
Too stiff for beginners, IMO, unless you're a particularly big or particularly strong/athletic rider. Otherwise should work well for intermediate and up within a board flex range of 5/10 to 8/10. Ideally 6/10 to 7/10, if you're being fussy.
The Judge in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Judge are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: DC Judge 2023
Size: 10 (US Men'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: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: YES Greats
Bindings Demoed With: Union Falcor
Outersole Length: 30.5cm (mondo 28cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.5cm
Backstay Height: 11.9" (30.4cm)
Weight: 2lbs 9oz (1160 grams)*
* Average of a sample of around 50 boots I've weighed was 1028g (2lbs 4oz), so the Judge was a little heavier than normal on scales but felt about normal on snow. Heaviest I've weighed were 2lbs 15oz (1320g) and lightest were 1lb 8oz (680g).
Flex
The Judge felt like they were a 6.5/10 bordering on 7/10 flex to me.
Fit
Width: Good bit of room for widest part of forefoot. Narrows a little at the toes, but still fine. Overall I would say they are mid-wide. Not as wide as the Tactical ADV (my control boots) but a little wider than average.
True to Size?: True to size I would say. I wouldn’t go any smaller, but I also wouldn’t go any bigger than the 10. My toes just barely brushed the end. They have a little bit of wriggle room. Can’t wiggle them too much up and down or anything but a little bit. Not as much as in Tactical ADV's (my control boots). But not so tight that there's pressure points or anything.
High or Low Arch: Felt them a bit on the top of my right foot. I always do, but a little bit more than normal. Loosening off the side boa (which controls the cables for the top of the foot) definitely helped – and easy to do when you have that complete separation of boas. And the pressure gradually got better after heat molding and riding.
Around Ankles: Again a little pressure around ankles, but again it was short lived. After heat molding and riding in them for a while, hardly noticed it anymore and would only get better with time.
Responsiveness
In terms of short sharp turns and slower speeds, I felt like the Judge did as goo