Nidecker Kita Review

Hello and welcome to my Nidecker Kita review.

In this review I will take a look at the Kita as freeride snowboard boots.

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

Overall Rating

Boots: Nidecker Kita

Price: $399 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freeride 

Flex Rating: Stiff (9/10)

Flex Feel: Stiff (8.5/10)

Rating Score: 88.8/100

Compared to other Freeride Boots

Out of the 22 freeride boots that I rated:

Overview of the Kita’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Kita's specs.

Specs

Who are the Kitas Most Suited to?

The Kita;s are best suited to hard chargers that need a stiffer flex and extra support at high speeds. 

They match best to boards in that 7/10 to 10/10 range. 

Too stiff to be good for beginners or lighter rider's, IMO. You want to be advanced/expert to be riding in these boots. But if you are, and you're riding style suits them, they will give you a ton of support and allow you to push the limits. 

The Kita in More Detail

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Board Demoed With: YES Greats

Bindings Demoed With: Union Falcor

Rider Height: 6'0"

Rider Weight: 180lbs

Outersole Length:  31.0cm (mondo 28cm)

Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 3.0cm

Backstay Height: 12.2" (31cm)

Weight: 2lbs 6oz (1080 grams)*

* Average of a sample of around 50 boots I've weighed was 1028g (2lbs 4oz). Heaviest I've weighed were 2lbs 15oz (1320g) and lightest were 1lb 8oz (680g). 

Fit

Width: During the first try on, they felt medium at the forefoot. Snug but not pressure laterally or medially on the widest part of the forefoot. When riding they felt like they were a little narrower than medium. Not to a point where they were uncomfortable narrow for me, but just a little narrower than average and probably wouldn't work for wide feet - but for regular width feet like mine, they were fine.   

True to Size?: I would say true to size for sure. At first try on my toes were just brushing the ends but not pressure. Same with tops of toes - there’s not heaps of room, particularly on the big toe, but there’s no pressure. After heat molding and riding in them for a bit, that wiggle room for the tops of my toes increased. And overall felt just right length wise, width-wise, everything. 

Top of Foot (Instep):  From first try on, they were snug on the top of my feet and very mild pressure point on my right foot, but no more than every other boot on my right foot. Felt the same when riding - with the pressure point a little lessened. 

Around Ankles: Some pressure around the ankles. That’s the only real place (tiny bit top of foot but not really) that it’s not super comfy but it’s not bad either. This was felt both when first trying on and when riding. But it's something that didn't bother me that much and would also likely improve with time. 

Fit with Bindings

Fit very similarly to my control boots (Adidas Tactical ADV). Fit well in my Medium Burton Malavitas. 

Responsiveness

For how stiff these boots are, they weren't bad for sharp turns at slower speeds, but still not quite as good as my control boots. 

For higher speed carves and riding at higher speeds in general, they were better than my control boots. They were really good for high speed carves (not surprisingly, being stiffer boots).

Heel Hold

I found there was a bit of heel lift there, but not much. Barely noticeable when riding. 

Adjustability

Completely independent boas (side for bottom two cables and front boa for the remaining 4 cables) - so upper and lower section adjustability was good. 

Liner was controlled by a typical lacing harness. 

Comfort

Any ankle pressure was already dissipating after 1 lap and was almost unnoticeable by the time I'd finished riding in them. A little bit of shin bite - probably mostly because of the stiffness - but nothing major there. All round really comfortable. 

Shock Absorption

Really good in terms of shock absorption. Both in terms of stomp test and on-snow.

Not quite as good as hi-country and hell bound or my Tactical ADVs (but nothing is). But Hi-County & Hell Bound are also right up there in terms of shock absorption, so it takes nothing away from these boots ability to absorb shock and chatter. 

Traction/Sole Quality

Vibram outsole. Seems good quality and has some good cush in the heel. Good pattern variety. Mid level tred depth.

Reduced Footprint

They're nothing super bulky or anything length-wise, but also not overly low profile. Longer than average. 

Entry/Exit

Nice and easy to get foot in even from first try on. 

The liner has a traditional lacing harness with a Velcro thing at top. Just one Velcro thing, but the liner kind of wraps around itself before the Velcro holds it there. Feels nice and secure and easy to setup. 

The outer boot is easy and fast with the double boa system. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

The Kita are a stiff boot that perform really well when riding fast and laying deep carves. They're not too bad for riding slow in either, but are at their best at higher speeds. 

All around, they felt like a well made boot to me.