
Hello and welcome to my Nidecker Rift review.
In this review I will take a look at the Rift as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Rift a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Nidecker Rift
Price: $339 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating Score: 91.3/100
Compared to other All-Mountain Boots
Out of the 31 all-mountain boots that I rated:
Overview of the Rift’s Specs
Who are the Rift Most Suited to?
The Rift are best suited to anyone looking for boots that can give them a good mid point between being playful enough for slower speed, quick turns and enough support for higher speed carves.
Particularly well suited if you're looking for a boot that's comfortable right out of the box (though there is an element of subjectivity to comfort of course).
Matches best to boards in that 4/10 to 7/10 flex range, particularly well suited to those in the 5/10 to 6/10 flex range.
Still a little too stiff to be ideal for a true beginner, unless you're a bigger rider or a particularly physically strong person. But doable for higher end beginners.
THE Rift IN MORE DETAIL
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Rift are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Nidecker Rift 2023
Size: 10 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: January 16, 2023
Conditions
Snowing. Visibility wasn't unlimited but it wasn't whiteout or anything. I'd say 75%.
Bit of wind at times - up to 15mph (25kph), but then settled to more like 6mph (10kph).
Temp: 30°F (-1°C).
24 hour snow: 9" (24cm)
48 hour snow: 13" (33cm)
7 day snow: 14" (35cm)
On groomer: Was nice to start with well groomed soft packed groomers with a good layer of ungroomed fresh on top. Got pretty tracked and messy later in the day.
Off groomer: Really nice. Good pow. Not the lightest, driest powder ever, but not super heavy/wet either.
Setup

Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: YES Greats
Bindings Demoed With: Union Falcor
Outersole Length: 30.6cm (mondo 28cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.6cm
Backstay Height: 11.9" (30.2cm)
Weight: 2lbs 5oz (1040 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: Plenty of room width-wise for me for both toes and widest part of foot. I would say medium bordering on mid-wide.
True to Size?: They fit just right in the 10 and I'm typically a 10, so I would say true-to-size.
Toes ever so slightly not touching the end but really close. And overall a snug fit – but snug without any real tightness or pressure points. Really impressed with the fit of these boots out of the box. Top of toes felt really good too. Just enough space to wiggle toes a bit, but still all round snug.
High or Low Arch: Snug on top of foot but no pressure points, which is uncommon for my right foot. One of the most comfortable boots I've tried out of the box in terms of top of foot comfort from the get go. And that remained comfortable after getting them out on snow.
Around Ankles: This was the only area I felt slight pressure points. But only very slight and they went away pretty quickly. By the time I'd finished testing them, this was gone.
Responsiveness
Felt really similar to my control boots (Adidas Tactical ADV) for both quick turns at slow speeds and in terms of support and power for higher speed carves.
Strikes a really good balance between being good at both high speed carves and slower turning.
Heel Hold
I found the heel hold really good in the Rift. Very little heel lift.
Adjustability
The side boa operates the bottom 3 cables and the front boa operates the other 4 cables. No overlap, completely independent.
The liner is tightened with a typical lacing harness.
Comfort
Super comfortable right out of box. One of the most comfortable boots from Day 1 that I've tested.
Shock Absorption
Really good shock absorption and chatter absorption. Right up there. Not quite as good as my Tactical ADV (but nothing is that I've tested so far) but in that tier just below.
Traction/Sole Quality
The sole seemed like really good quality to me and gripped well when I walked in them. There is a good pattern variety and medium tread depth.
Reduced Footprint
They're not ultra low profile or anything, but they're certainly not bulky. A little bit of footprint reduction vs the average. Average of the boots I've measured is 2.93cm over mondo, with the Rift being 2.6cm over mondo.
Entry/Exit
These boots were super easy to get my foot into, which can sometimes be concerning that they're too big. However, once my feet were in, they felt very snug.
The liner is a standard lacing harness and has 2 velcro pieces at the top of the liner to help keep the top closed and snug. Typical and easy to work with.
And then just a standard double BOA on the outer boot, which is again easy and clean to work with.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
CARVING | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.0 | 8/10 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 5.0 | 15/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.3/100 |
The Rift are really nicely made boots that, for me, were comfortable right out of the box.
They bring a good balance between slow speed, playful riding but with enough support to be decent enough for higher speed carves, particularly when paired with a board in that 5/10 to 6/10 range.
They provided great shock and chatter absorption and, for me, provided great heel hold.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Rift, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.

If you want to see how the Rift compared to other all-mountain boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hey Nate,
hope everything’s all right with you!
I have a quick question non related to the boots.
do you know which jacket you are using in the picture you took for this review?
the green one with black details on the sleeve?
im looking for something similar
thanks
have a nice day ahead
Hi José
The jacket is the Quiksilver Forever Gore-Tex (linked to my review of it). Great jacket and keeps me nice and dry. My one is the 2019 model, I believe, so I don’t think you’d find the same colorway. I don’t think they have a 2024 model for it. But they did have a 2023 model and some of those could still be floating around.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate, which size did you have in the tactical ADV boots?
I had a 44, so 28cm and i am curious if i should go for nidecker drift ibmn size 43 (=28cm) or 44 (=29cm).
Cheers
Björn
Hi Björn
I ride the Tactical ADV in US9.5s. I find for Adidas boots, I fit best a 1/2 size down. In Adidas sizing the 9.5 is a EU43.3 – the 44 is a US10. For the Rift, I would say it’s between the US10 (mondo 28cm, EU43) or the US10.5 (mondo 28.5cm, EU44).
It’s a close call but given you were a EU44/28 mondo in the Tactical ADV, I think the EU44 (mondo 28.5, US10.5) would be the best size for you for the Rift. But it’s possible you would fit in the EU43 (US10, 28cm mondo).
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision