Nidecker Rift Review

Hello and welcome to my Nidecker Rift review.

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

Overall Rating

Boots: Nidecker Rift

Price: $369 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mtn-Freestyle

Flex Rating: Mid-Soft

Flex Feel: Medium (5.5/10)

Rating Score: 93.2/100

Compared to other Freestyle Boots

Overview of the Rift’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Rift’s specs and available sizes.

SPECS

SIZING

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 3/10 to 6/10 flex range, particularly well suited to those in the 4/10 to 5/10 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: 10.0 (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. 

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. It's a full rubber sole on the bottom, so should be durable too. 

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.

The Rift are really nicely made boots that, for me, were super comfortable right out of the box. In fact I'd go as far as to say they were the most comfortable day 1 boots I've tested. 

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 4/10 to 5/10 range. 

They provided great shock and chatter absorption and, for me, provided great heel hold.