Ride Cadence Snowboard Boots Review

Hello and welcome to my Ride Cadence review.

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

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

Overall Rating

Boots: Ride Cadence

Price: $459 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mountain-Freeride 

Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)

Flex Feel: Stiff (8/10)

Rating Score: 88.9/100

Compared to other Women's All-Mountain-Freeride Boots

Overview of the Cadence’s Specs

Who are the Cadences Most Suited to?

The Cadence are best suited to riders who like to ride fast and carve hard. 

They're at their best at higher speeds and don't perform as well at slower speeds as softer boots. 

Best matched with boards in that 7/10 and up flex range. But should work find on a 6/10 flex board too. 

Not for beginner - too stiff for that, and even most intermediate riders might find these boots a bit too stiff. A bigger or more athletic intermediate should be fine though. 

THE Cadence IN MORE DETAIL

Bindings angles: +12/-12

Stance Width: 19.5" (49.5cm)

Board Demoed With: Ride Saturday

Bindings Demoed With: Ride DVA

Rider Height: 5"7" (170cm)

Rider Weight: 125lbs (56kg)

Rider Boot Size: Women's US8.0 Ride Hera

Outersole Length:  27.5cm (mondo 25cm)

Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.5cm

Backstay Height: 11.0" (28cm)

Forward Lean: 5.7°

Weight: 2lbs 0.5oz ( 920grams)*

* Average of a sample of  women's boots I've weighed was 1lbs 15oz (880g). Heaviest I've weighed were 2lbs 10oz (1200g) and lightest were 1lb 10oz (740g). 

Fit

True to Size?: During first try on big toes were touching the end, but the rest didn't. Overall, snug but no pressure points. For the tops of my toes, was also quite snug, but no pressure points or discomfort. A little wiggle room for toes but not heaps. 

Riding in them, I noticed more pressure on my big toe than previously, though it was a lot more pronounced when walking in them, more so than actually riding in them. Nothing too painful or anything but a little there, but that would ease even more with more time in them. Tops of toes remained really comfortable. So I'd say they fit really well overall in the 8, so I'd say true to size. 

Width: Right from first try on, these boots felt comfortable width-wise for my forefoot and sides of my toes. No pressure points laterally or medially and the same held try when riding in them. I would say these boots have a wider than average toe box. 

High or Low Arch: Normal amount of room - snug but no pressure points. 

Around Ankles: The Cadence have these areas around the heel where they kind of grip around the Achilles. They are slightly uncomfortable when walking in them but not too bad. And feel fine when riding. Also, my control boots have these and I don't even notice them anymore, so they would likely get more and more comfortable, the more you wear them. 

Fit with Bindings: 

They fit exactly the same in bindings as my control boots (which wasn't a big surprise, being the same brand). 

Responsiveness

Quite a bit harder (vs my control boots) to make small maneuvers at slower speeds, which is typical of stiffer boots. 

On the flip side, they were significantly better for higher speed carves (again typical of stiffer boots). Lots of support at high speeds - really enjoyed when going fast on steep groomers. 

Heel Hold

Very good heel hold. Very minimal heel lift and didn't notice any lift at all when riding. 

Adjustability

For the outer boot the two boas are completely independent. The front boa controls upper (front) portion across bottom of shin and the side BOA system tightens lower (top of foot) portion.

The liner is tightened with a typical lacing harness and there's an additional strap that goes around the top of the liner. 

Comfort

Other than the slight pressure point on my big toes, they were very comfortable overall.

Shock Absorption

Both in stomp test and on snow, they felt like they absorbed shock equally as well as my control boots, which is less shock absorption than most that I've tested. 

Entry/Exit

At first try on, it was quite difficult to get my foot in. Had to twist to get it in. However, after heat molding it was quite a bit easier. 

The liner is tightened with a typical lacing harness, though there is an additional step with the Velcro strap at the top. However, a lot of boots have these - and the increased support and adjustability this provides is well worth the time, IMO. 

Then for the outer boot, is the double boa system which is smooth, quick and easy to use. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

The Cadence are the kind of boots that allow you to carve deep and charge hard and suit riders who like to do that predominantly, as they don't perform as well for slower speeds. 

They are overall comfortable and for me they provided excellent heel hold. The only real weakness is the shock absorption, but they were otherwise really high quality, high performance boots for advanced to expert riders looking to push their limits.