Hello and welcome to my Ride Trident review.
In this review I will take a look at the Trident as freeride snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Trident a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freeride boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Ride Trident
Price: $499 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)
Flex Feel: Stiff (8/10)
Rating Score: 86.8/100
Compared to other Freeride Boots
Out of the 19 freeride boots that I rated:
Overview of the Trident’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Trident's specs.
Specs
Style: | Freeride or hard charging all-mountain |
Price: | $499 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Normal |
Lacing System: | Triple Boa |
Who are the Trident Most Suited to?
The Trident are great boots for anyone looking for a stiff boot, with just that little bit of forgiveness compared to the stiffest, for freeriding or hard charging all-mountain riding.
Pairs best with boards around that mid-stiff mark - 7/10, 8/10 ideally. But works for 6/10 and 9/10 boards too.
Not for a beginner at all - definitely too stiff for that.
The Trident in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Trident are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Ride Trident 2020
Size: 10 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: February 12, 2020
Conditions: Lightly snowing
Off groomer firm with some soft on top.
Groomers were a nice medium firmness.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita
Outersole Length: 31.2cm (mondo 28cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 3.2cm
Backstay Height: 27.8cm
Weight: 1040 grams*
* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a just a little heavier than the average, but pretty close to average. Heaviest were 1320 grams and lightest were 740 grams. Stiffer boots tend to be heavier, so for their flex, they are quite light.
Flex
These boots are stiff, but just that little bit more forgiving than the stiffest snowboard boots. Vs the Insano, Vans Verse, Burton Driver X and K2 Thraxis that I rode at a simialar time they were just that bit more flexy. I would say 8/10, but maybe bordering on 7.5/10.
Fit
Width: Certainly not wide, but certainly not narrow, just a good medium. Perfect fit for my average width feet.
True to Size?: True to size for me. I rode them in a 10 and I usually ride a 10 and they were the perfect fit
High or Low Arch: Snug on the top of the foot but with no pressure points, so I'd say medium in terms of arch.
Responsiveness
Really nice on a carve - can hold that carve nice and deep and long. Made my board a little better on a carve vs most boots.
At slower speeds not as agile as something like my test boots (Vans Aura) but there's still some agility there for sure - not complete planks.
Heel Hold
There's some very minimal heel lift, but it's barely noticeable. And only noticeable when you're really concentrating on it. When riding it's not noticeable at all.
Adjustability
With 3 separate boas, these boots are highly adjustable and easy to adjust on the fly. The 2 boas that tighten the outer boot are independent so you can have a different tightness on the lower and upper sections of the boot.
And I really like the 3rd boa which controls the harness around the liner of the boot. This makes it super easy to adjust that harness without having to open up the outer boot.
There's also velcro on the top of the liner, which you'd need to open the outer boot to access. I didn't find these needed tightening whilst I rode them.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Comfort
Nice and comfortable. Not a lush, cush feeling but no pressure points and no cramping, which is main thing.
Shock Absorption
Not going to blow your mind in terms of shock absorption but still decent enough.
Board Feel
Not amazing - and that was expected with boots this stiff, but they're not dead feeling either. There is some board feel there.
Traction
The sole looks and feels good quality. Seems like it would last a good while and the tread pattern and depth and firmness would give me confidence hiking in this boot.
Reduced Footprint
For Ride boots the outer sole was longer than typical. Still not super bulky or anything, but the ones I rode/measured had a longer outersole vs mondo than what's typical for Ride.
Entry/Exit
Getting my foot in and out was really easy - and then it's just a case of tightening the velcro and then cranking the 3 boas.
There are a few elements going on, so it's not as quick as something like a single boa - but it's not slow either and it's really easy.
The liner boa takes a bit to crank - doesn't feel like you can crank it that easily, but put a bit of effort in and it locks your heel nicely in place.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 4.5 | 31.5/35 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 5.0 | 10/10 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 7/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 3.0 | 6/10 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.8/100 |
The Tridents are super nice boots. High quality, highly adjustable - pretty much everything about them is awesome. The only reason they weren't in my top 5 freeride boards, is just that pretty much every boot in that category is super high quality, so it doesn't take away from the Trident - just in a very tough category.
Good stiffness and response with just a little bit of forgiveness in there, which I liked. And I'm always a fan of having that internal boa so you can adjust the inner harness on the fly, without opening the outer boot.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Trident, 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 Trident compared to other freeride, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hi Nate, thanx for the great reviews!
I’m on Burton Ion’s, but have slight comfort issues, so I would like to try the Trident. How do they compare stiffness wise? I can butter and freestyle with the Ions, but would want anything stiffer. The LBS only had the Insano, which felt comfortable, but too stiff.
Thank you!
Hey Mike
Thanks for your message.
I would say the Trident are a touch stiffer than the Ions. Very close though – very similar flex overall. Trident’s certainly softer than the Insanos, but still quite stiff, in my experience. If you wanted to go a touch softer than the Ion – but only subtly, then something like the Ride Deadbolt Zonal would be worth checking out.
Hope this helps
Nate,
Tried my new Insano boots this past weekend and man they are stiff as hell! Too stiff actually! The tongue design is really painful on top of my ankle to the point where I couldn’t tighten the boas which left me with a lot of heel lift. Any suggestions for a ride boot that doesn’t have that plastic tongue design but still has good heel hold and are responsive? Any suggestions on what I can do with the Insanos that have a couple hours of riding on them; best place to sell like-new boots? Thanks so much!
Hi Mike
Thanks for your message.
Yeah the Insano are stiff alright! The Trident aren’t quite as stiff, but they still have that hard plastic tongue. You could look at the Deadbolt, Lasso or Lasso Pro. I haven’t ridden the Lasso Pro, but the Deadbolt and Lasso are still pretty responsive, but are more like a 7/10 flex. And from memory, I don’t think they have that plastic tongue (but no guarantees). If you wanted to go Traditional Lace, then the Fuse are also an option. Haven’t ridden them yet, but I have a pair in my office waiting to be tested. Ride rate them with the same flex feel as the Deadbolt, so I’m guessing their similar in terms of flex.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for your reviews. It’s been a huge help with the gear selection process.
I’m in the market for a stiff boot, but wondering how much stiffness I can work with. I’m an all-mountain rider with preference for freeride at advanced lvl and occasional park laps and buttering at intermediate level. Riding on Jones Aviator/Flux XF. I’d been focusing on the freestyle side this season when my boots just kinda disintegrated on me and I’m now looking to go with a stiff boot.
I’ve tried on the Tridents and Vans Infuse, as well as K2 Holgates. Based on the short boot fitting, my impression was that Tridents were oriented towards performance/durability, while Vans had nice quality of life features and customizability.
The Tridents felt very solid due to that wrap liner and how securely it supported my shin and ankle with zero hotspots from the harness. They reminded me of alpine SB boots. However, they were also quite stiff, and I’m wondering if that will significantly affect my freestyle game. Since there’s a 3rd BOA for the ankle, I was thinking about slightly loosening the outer boot for freestyle runs. Is that something you could recommend? Also, what were your impressions of that “slime tongue”?
The Vans were nice because of option to change flex using the tongue supports. I would have no problem falling asleep in them as well. Very soft. Which makes me hesitate because perhaps their stiffness/liner might not hold up as well as the Tridents? I’m also considering the Vans Verse as a result, which seems to be 1 level up in stiffness.
Its really a 50/50 between the Ride and Vans. And I’m hoping to go up in stiffness without sacrificing too much in freestyle and agility.
Hi David
Thanks for your message.
I think the Trident certainly work for your setup (Aviator/Flux XF), but like you say, the biggest question mark is if they’re too stiff for butters/freestyle. For me they would be too stiff for buttering/freestyle, but some like their boots stiff for freestyle. You could certainly loosen the outer boot a little for freestyle, but it’s not the ideal solution, IMO. For me with a looser outer boot, I feel I get more of a jerky feel. You get more forgiveness but it’s, on a subtle level, more like nothing nothing nothing, engage. Rather than getting the forgiveness from the flex of the boot which is smoother – you still engage straight away, but then it smoothly gives a little, in a more uniform way. Hope that makes sense!
The Infuse, from my feel riding them, felt like an 8/10 flex with the tongue stiffeners in and more like a 6/10 flex with them out. With them in, quite similar to the Trident in terms of flex, IMO. The Verse are a little stiffer than the Trident, by my feel, with the Tongue Stiffeners in. I only rode them with the tongue stiffeners both in, so not sure for sure what they’re like without them, but with they’re 9/10 flex. So without probably more like a 7/10 at a guess.
I didn’t notice the Slime Tongue really. Not in terms of the dampening and rebound that they market them for. And not sure about the durability claim, as I don’t ride the boots long enough to get any real idea of durability.
Hope this gives you more to go off
Yes, that totally makes sense now that I think about it that way. It would be better to use the boot’s natural flex to gradually increase transfer of force into the board rather than arrive there abruptly with less natural posture and energy.
I like that Tridents are optimized for riding, but since I’m trying to expand to freestyle, there’s probably much more benefit in a softer boot. Most likely gonna get the Vans.
Thanks for the advice!
You’re very welcome David – and I’m glad you got what I was trying to say and managed to articulate it much better than I did!
Hi Nate, thanks for the great review.
I just wanna say that before buying the Ride Trident I have tried on about 20 pairs of high-end boots from most brands. Nitro, Burton, Nidecker, K2, and so on.
None of them came even close to the Ride Trident regarding comfort. These boots were by a landslide the most comfortable and easy-adjustable stiff boots.
I’m mostly a freerider, my boards and bindings are flex 8, and needed something stiff, and I felt that most of the boots I’ve tested actually hurt my feet. Not the case with this one.
Of course, it is a matter of personal feel, taste and preference, but that lining combined with the triple BOA system and the construction of the boot really makes it feel incredible.
I’m sure a lot of people take into consideration your reviews, so I hope that if there’s anyone as picky as me or wants to make sure he rides without much pain, please try a pair of Tridents on, just to make sure you ain’t missing on anything.
Thanks !
Hi Eddie
Thanks for your message.
Always great to get insight from others. Feet are such weird things and every foot feels different in different boots, but the Trident does have a lot going for it that will allow it to feel good for a wider range of feet for sure. Also goes to show how valuable trying on in-person is, whenever possible.
Dear Nate, thanks for your always great and helpful reviews. Ito the Ride Trident I disagree on some aspects mentioned in your review. I own the Ride Trident from 2017 and 2020 in size 10, as well as the K2 Thraxis 2018 (your #1 pick for freeride boots) in size 9.5. (I have size 10 feet, however K2 Thraxis in 9.5 fits perfectly). Ito the “reduced footprint”, my size 10 Tridents are merely 3mm larger than my K2 Thraxis in 9.5, what I think is fair enough.
Furthermore, the toe and heel section of the Tridents are more strongly angled upwards compared to the K2 Thraxis, which could also have a positive effect ito toe- and heeldrag.
Two give my 2 cents on the Trident, they were a game changer for me, after painful years with many other boots out there. Triple Boa made all the difference for me – the heel hold is close to perfect. The K2 Thraxis is fine as well (bit stiffer than the Tridents, offers a bit less heel hold), but the inner plastic Boa heel hold often causes pressure points and foot strain after a couple of hours riding. As a consequence, I started using the wrap-around velcro Intuition liner from my Tridents with my Thraxis Boots to avoid pressure points.
A (minor) downside of the Tridents is that water/moist is coming in, particulary on powder and slushy days. I can live with that, but you have to pull out the liner in the evening to dry it well.
Hi Philipp
Thanks for your input. Always stoked to get insight from others who have also tested/owned the gear.
Yeah, definitely the bevel on the boots certainly helps with boot drag. With the length, all else being equal the 10 should be 5mm longer than the 9.5, so if it’s 3mm longer, then it’s 2mm shorter in profile. So judging by that it’s a little more low profile in that aspect. The 10s in the 2020 Thraxis vs the 2020 Trident had the same outer sole measurement from my measurements. There could be some discrepancy from model to model and between sizes too – and maybe not millimeter perfect in terms of my measurements (though I do measure very carefully and precisely as possible).
In terms of fit/pressure that often comes down to individual feet and the different fit of different brands – I find that with some and not with others. Didn’t notice any pressure issues with the Thraxis after riding them a while myself (I did notice some pressure on my inner ankles when first wearing them, but after heat molding it lessened and after riding it got better and better over time, rather than worse), but definitely different feet work differently in different boots.
But I agree that the Trident are sick boots! Definitely no slate on them. I preferred a handful of models more, but that’s always personal taste. If someone told me that I had to ride the Tridents for the rest of my life, I certainly wouldn’t be upset!