Ride Anthem Review

Hello and welcome to my Ride Anthem review.

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

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

Overall Rating

Boots: Ride Anthem

Price: $269 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freestyle

Other Uses: Beginner, Casual All-Mountain

Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)

Flex Feel: Medium-Soft (4/10)

Rating Score: 74.1/100

Compared to other Freestyle Boots

Out of the 26 freestyle boots that I rated:

Overview of the Anthem’s Specs

Who are the Anthem Most Suited to?

The Anthem are best for beginner to intermediate riders or someone looking for a slightly softer than medium boot for more playful freestyle riding or someone looking for an affordable but still decent quality option for more casual all-mountain riding. 

The Anthem in More Detail

Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018

Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita 2017

Outersole Length: 30.7cm (mondo 28cm)

Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.7cm

Backstay Height: 27.7cm

Weight: 740 grams*

* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a good bit lighter than the average. Softer flexing boots do tend to weight less though. Though these were the lightest equal of all the boots that I weighed. 

Flex

Felt to me just that little bit softer than medium. Not super soft, but not quite medium.

Fit

Width: Certainly not wide but also not overly narrow. Medium width for regular width feet. 

True to Size?: True to size. They fit me just right in a 10 and I usually ride a 10. 

High or Low Arch: Pretty average. Some pressure on the top of my right foot before heat molding, which is typical for me. After heat molding and riding, that pressure was all but gone, which again is typical. 

Shock Absorption

It's OK but you do feel the vibrations a bit in crud and felt those flat landings on the joints more than I do in my test boots (Vans Aura). Not bad but not amazing either. 

Board Feel

I found the board feel really good in this boot. It's a fairly minimal sole, which I think helps. 

Responsiveness

Doesn't really have a lively feel to the boots. They are pretty good in terms of nimbleness at slower speeds and OK on a carve. But just lacking spring/energy. 

Adjustability

They are single Boa, which makes them nice and easy to get in/out of, but there is very little in terms of adjustability. One Boa coil tightens the entire outer boot. I felt like I could have had these boots looser in the lower section and tighter in the upper section, but that couldn't be achieved. 

Comfort

Decently comfortable all round. Doesn't feel plush or anything and there could be more to the sole, but I didn't find any pressure points or cramping or anything like that, and that's the main thing, IMO. 

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Heel Hold

Pretty good heel hold. More than I was expecting from having that single Boa, but I found only a small amount of heel lift. 

Reduced Footprint

The Anthem are lower profile than the average boot, so that's a nice thing going for it, if you need a low profile boot. 

Traction

Felt OK walking in them, but didn't have anything icy to walk on or anything. The sole feels/looks like it would be average in terms of quality/traction and seems like it would wear down relatively quickly. But certainly wouldn't expect more for this price point. 

Entry/Exit

Nice and easy to get in and out of. That single Boa makes things easy and fast and generally easy to get foot in/out. There's a little latch on the liner harness that is a little finicky to work with, but other than that it's an easy boot to get on and off. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

The Anthem is a decent quality boot and for it's price range I would say it's value-for-money for sure, if you're on a low budget and don't ride too aggressively, are a beginner or looking for a second pair of boots for casual/playful freestyle riding. 

If you can look past the adjustability, they are a better boot for their price than the score suggests.