Hello and welcome to my Salomon Dialogue Lace BOA SJ review.
In this review I will take a look at the Dialogue Lace BOA as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Dialogue Lace BOA a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Salomon Dialogue Lace BOA
Price: $399 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 89.7/100
Compared to other All-Mountain Boots
Of the 25 current model men's all-mountain snowboard boots that we tested:
❄️ The Dialogue Lace SJ BOA ranked 3rd out of 25
Overview of the Dialogue Lace BOA’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Dialogue Lace BOA's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $399 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Normal |
Lacing System: | Traditional Lace with a BOA that works on an internal liner harness |
Who are the Dialogue Lace BOA Most Suited to?
The Dialogue Lace BOA are best suited to someone looking for a mid-flexing boot for an eclectic riding style - or a boot that can be used across several boards in a quiver. But best suited to match boards in that 4/10 to 7/10 flex range.
Particularly good for anyone looking for heaps of adjustability.
I wouldn't recommend for those with wider feet - but good for narrow to regular width feet.
The Dialogue Lace BOA in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Dialogue Lace BOA are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Salomon Dialogue Lace BOA 2022
Size: 9.5 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: January 21, 2022
Conditions
Overcast. Visibility not too bad. 85-90%.
Temp: 32°F (-0°C). 30°F (-1°C) with wind chill but felt a little colder than that.
24 hour snow: 0" (0cm)
48 hour snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 0" (0cm)
Snow conditions on groomer: Some slightly firmer patches but not icy. Mostly well groomed and soft slush, even from early in the day.
Snow conditions off groomer: Crunchy/icy in parts but not as bad in other parts.
Setup
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker 2021
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita
Outersole Length: 30.6cm (mondo 27.5cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 3.1cm
Backstay Height: 11.5" (29.2cm)
Weight: 2lbs 5oz (1040 grams)*
* Average of a sample of boots I've weighed was 1018g (2lbs 4oz), so marginally heavier than the average, but essentially bang on average weight. Heaviest were 2lbs 15oz (1320g) and lightest were 1lb 10oz (740g).
Fit
Width: Narrow. I didn't have an issue with them with normal width feet, but I could feel they were narrow. So best suited to someone with regular to narrow width feet. I think even slightly wider than average feet might find these too narrow.
True to Size?: I'm typically a 10 and these are best in the 9.5 for me. They were too tight when I tried them on initially but after heat molding and riding, they came to feel like they were a good fit - still on the slightly snugger than comfortable side of things, but a little more riding in them and they would be just right I think. So run 1/2 size large.
High or Low Arch: I felt some pressure on top of my right foot – which is normal for me, especially with new boots. It’s nothing more than I typically feel to start with and got better and better over time – so I don’t think these would be a problem for someone with a high arch.
Responsiveness
Very similar to my control boots (Adidas Tactical ADV) in terms of both quickness of turns at slow speeds and in terms of how hard you can carve in them. If anything ever so slightly better for carves and ever so slightly worse at slow speeds, but they were newer than my control boots.
Heel Hold
A little bit of heel lift, but pretty subtle. Nothing than I noticed unless I really paid close attention.
Adjustability
Best of both worlds here. It has an typical internal lacing harness that works on the liner, but in addition to that, it has a boa (accessed from the outside of the boot of course) that works on a harness around the ankle of the liner - so you can re-tighten that without having to open up the outer boot.
And then for the outer boot, it has traditional lacing, which is great for getting a really customized fit.
Comfort
Started off too tight and wondered if I should have gone for the 10. Particularly tight around the ankles. But that eased the more I rode them - and would only get better. And by the end of the day, they felt super comfortable - and would only get more comfortable.
Shock Absorption
Really good shock absorption. In stomp test in office they weren't quite Tactical ADV (my control boots) but nothing I've tested is. On snow they absorbed shock and chatter really well.
Traction
Some rubber in heel and toe areas. Feels pretty hard and grippy in those areas. The EVA areas have little to no grip, but shouldn’t matter with those rubber sections. Tred is mid depth and pattern is relatively varied.
Felt fine walking across car park, which was subtly icy in patches.
Reduced Footprint
Outer boot is a little longer than average (3.1cm longer than mondo) but nothing super bulky.
Entry/Exit
A little bit of effort to slip foot in, but nothing major at all. Pretty easy. The lacing harness feels not that sturdy to tighten - with a fairly cheap feeling tag that you pull on.
Takes a little while to tighten the outer boot, just because it’s traditional lace – but worth it for that extra adjustability, IMO.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.0 | 8/10 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 5.0 | 15/15 |
COMFORT | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TRACTION | 3.5 | 7/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.7/100 |
The Dialogue Lace BOA is a well made all-round boot for those looking for lots of adjustability in a mid-flexing boot.
Not for those with a wide foot, but good for narrow to regular width feet.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Dialogue Lace BOA, 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 Dialogue Lace BOA compared to other all-mountain boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hi Nate, thank you again for all the reviews and for taking the time to help everyone here! You are making my life so much easier! 🙂
I have one more question about the boots. I have a Salomon Launch BOA SJ, but I found it a bit too soft after wearing it this season. However, it fits super well for my narrow feet. So, I guess that Dialogue is a great option.
I liked the Dual BOA system because it allowed me to have a very snug fit on the Launch, although overtightening it caused some pain on the top of my feet (high arch). So, the Lace BOA seems like a great option because it is more adjustable.
My only concern is getting a good fit with the laces. BOAs seem to offer an easier way to have a tight fit; what about the laces?
Thank you!
For other readers, my feet are exactly 290mm, 102mm wide (narrow feet), and the 28.5 fits perfectly, so I agree with them running 0.5 large! 🙂
Hi Thomas
Yeah, if you like the fit of the Launch but they feel a bit soft, the Dialogue should work really well for you, IMO. I find I can get laces tight enough. It’s a bigger physical effort, than with BOAs, but you can get there – I’ve found snowboard boot laces to be really tough (I’ve never broken a pair and I don’t go easy on them), so you can give them a good pull and they can take it. I find getting in a good position to get good leverage on them helps – typically standing up and pulling them up towards you tight is the way I do it. Then you can lock them into the next session and pull tight again. Not as easy (particularly on a colder day) or as fast, but you get the advantage of extra adjustability.
Thanks, it makes sense. I was able to tie as tight as I could, it felt good enough, but I feel that there’s some extra space on my ankles that I can’t make it tighter even putting all my strength on the laces. 🙂
I wonder if it will make a difference or it’s normal. Also, if that’s because the boots are new and the material on the upper part of the boot will soften a little allowing me to tight it better. What do you think?
Hi Thomas
Yeah it should soften a little and be easier to tighten after a bit of time/use. Whether it softens enough to get it as tight as you want it is hard to say. Have you tried tightening the BOA more? – that really helps to lock the heel/ankle in. If you’re still having issues with ankle space and don’t want to change the boots, you could look into something like J Bars as well.
Thanks for your reply, Nate. And I have just noticed that when I said “ankle”, I meant “shin”, in front of the leg. There’s a bit of extra space there.
That’s why I think when it softens a little it will adjust better.
Hi Thomas.
Ah that makes more sense now. Yeah, it should get better with time. I do find sometimes some boots just have more gap there for me, so it may not fully close that gap, but hopefully it can get you a snugger fit around the shins.
Hi Nate,
Im looking for a new boots, instead my beginner burton moto.
Im currently using capita doa with union strata combination.
I like to carve and jumps. My foot is 26 cm long and 10,4 cm wide.
Im stuck between salomon dialogue zonelock and burton ruler speedzone boots.
Which one would you recommend, and what size?
thanks in advance
Hi Deniz, thanks for your message.
For your setup and riding style I would go Dialogue over Ruler, assuming the fit was good with both, just because the Dialogue is, IMO a little better of a flex match to your gear and your riding style. However, I would consider fit first and foremost and then flex. So, if you can try on, then that would be ideal, but if not, I would say that the Burton is more likely to fit your feet well, as you have wide feet relative to their length, according to my research, and Burton boots tend to be wider than Salomon boots. From what I can tell with various foot width charts, I would actually try to find a specific Wide model, if you can. If those are your only options, then my prediction is that the Ruler is likely to be a better fit for your feet and they should still match your setup and style fine, IMO and the fit is more important.
Size-wise, it can be hard to predict as there is a wide variety in foot shape, so trying on is the best method, if you can. But if you can’t, I would predict you’d be a US8.5 for the Ruler – but you may find that feels too narrow and the US9 could end up being the compromise between the right width and the right length. Again, without trying on, it’s hard to say for sure. For the Dialogue, if you had regular width feet, I’d say it would be close between the US8 and US8.5, but I imagine you’d need to go 8.5 or maybe even larger to have them comfortable width-wise.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Hey! thanks for response.
I didnt have tryin option, so i ordered us 8 mondopoint 26 salomon dialogue.
Worn it for 2 days, but my foot got very bad ache.
I dont feel like its width problem. But im not sure about its the right lenght. I mesure my feet lenght once again, and its exactly 25,8 cm. According to this mesurement, i should be okay with 26 mondopoint salomon. When i stand up straight my toes a has little bit pressure. And when i stand to riding position, my toes are still touches the front edge of the boot. Do you thinj it is right size for me or should i size up?
Hi Deniz
I can’t say for sure, but it sounds to me like you need to size up to the US8.5. While mondopoint is supposed to predict length based on the length of your foot, I find it’s often not the case. I have a 27.3cm left foot and 27cm right foot, so based on mondo, I should be a US9.5 or 27.5 mondopoint for snowboard boots. But for most brands I don’t fit a 9.5. I’m typically a 10. Some brands I can do 9.5, but I’m usually 10. Some people find mondopoint just right for them, but I’d say at least half of those I talk to have found that 1/2 a size up from their mondopoint tends to be the better fit. I haven’t heard of anyone who have fit well in boots with a mondopoint that was smaller than their foot length.
No guarantees that going up to the 26.5 would solve all your issues, but based on how you describe them, it sounds like sizing up would be a better fit for you.
Hi Nate, I’m wondering why you gave the double BOA a higher reduced footprint score? I thought they are from the same mold or do different lacing systems affect the size of the boots?
Hi Danny
Good question and observation. I measured this one at 1mm longer than the Dual Boa. However, that 1mm might be a slight measuring error – it just happens that it was on the cutoff between scoring 3 and 3.5, so it turned out that way. But yes, I would say they would be the same size footprint, so pretty safe to assume they are the same, or at least super close, in that respect.
I was looking for a new boot after my 2010 Thirty Two’s fell apart.
I have a wide foot with a huge arch. I tried a dual boa Salomon boot – these were the widest the shop had – it was a size 10 (43.5 eu). After a small war with the boot to get in, they felt really comfy. Second I tried the reviewed dialogue lace boa, sliding in was a breeze, they were even too big. I tried a 9.5 (42.5 euro) these were absolutely perfect.
Sneaker size is most of the time 9 – 9.5.
So even with a wide foot, high arch … I would give these a try.
(Nidecker Rift was a medium struggle to get on, but they felt less comfy, I fairly quick got pressure on the arch or … the boot was too loose)
Hey Bart
Thanks for your message. Appreciate the insights. Very useful, especially with those with similar shaped feet.
Interesting you found them a good fit width-wise for wider feet. I found them on the narrower side. Not surprised they worked with your arch. Also not surprised that the 10 felt too big. With sneaker size of 9-9.5, I would suspect you would be somewhere in the 8.5 to 9.5 range for snowboard boots with that sneaker size – depending on brand and foot shape etc – with wider feet and higher arches, then likely to be on the higher end of that range, particularly if not going for a wide-specific boot. With narrower feet and/or lower arch, it might be that you’d fit better in a 9 for these (in which case they may feel a little too narrow). I’m most often a 10, but for a few brands I’m a 9.5 and for some I’m closer to a 10.5 (though I’d probably more accurately describe it as a range of 9.5-10.25). I found for these boots that I was best in a 9.5 – which were tight to start with but would have packed out just right. Most Other Salomon’s have felt the same for me – though some have felt good in a 10.
But it could also be that they’re particular fit/sizing is just right in that 9.5 size. E.g. I find with K2 that if they had a 9.75, it would be just right for me. Testing them in 10s works really well for me, as I don’t get as long to break them in as I would with boots I’m buying but they feel like (and for those I’ve bought they have) they would pack out too much over time – but 9.5s are that bit much too tight that they would take too long to feel good to be worth going through the pain. Since there aren’t quarter sizes, some brands just fit better as they all fit slightly different typically (and even some models within brands). Could be the case that the Rift was going to be good right in between the sizes you tried. Or maybe not, it’s hard to tell with boots for sure with so many different foot shapes.
But most importantly, great that you’ve found boots that work well for your feet! It can sometimes be a challenge, especially if we have feet that are a little outside the averages.
Alright, after much handwringing and review reading and patient replies from you, I finally picked these up at The House with your link. Bam! Thanks again, you’re the man.
Hey AMac
Glad to hear you found some and sounds like at a good deal. Hope they treat you well and the size works out to be right. Thanks for using the link, much appreciated.
Hey Nate I’m back again! This time I need new boots to go with a few different boards and bindings you’ve helped recommend. I’ll be ordering online, which isn’t anyone’s ideal situation for boots, I know. But that’s where the deals are right now so I have some tricky sizing questions too. I’m super picky about lace and zone tightness but I hate heel lift and want easy inner release/tightening, so I’ve settled on these hybrid inner boa / outer lace options like the Dialogue. I’ve borrowed my buddy’s new K2 Darkos with the same hybrid setup and liked them but with some issues.
I’m going to be pairing the boots with 3 boards: a Harpoon and Finest, both ridden with Arbor Hemlocks, plus a much stiffer old Ride Prophet for fast carving days ridden with Union Force bindings. So I’m thinking something in the 5-7 flex range, with internal boa, to cover them all – preferably on sale since I’m seeing some $200ish pricing right now for what I’m talking about. Something that will be soft enough for slow-med speed noodling with my kids and in moguls but also won’t buckle on a high speed carve. I’ve had good luck with Salomon boots from the distant past (like 20 years ago) and I’m looking primarily at the Dialogue Lace Boa SJ and also the Ride Anchor though I’ve never worn a Ride boot. I did like the Darko fit and feel but even with a 9.5 boot I was getting toe drag on 2 of my boards so I want something a little more compact if possible.
1) do you think the Dialogue would fit the flex needs across my quiver or do you have another suggestion? If yes on the Dialogue, 2) given what you’ve posted about Salomon running large, if a 9.5 NEW pair of Darkos was okay with thick socks, would I be better off getting the Dialogues in a 9? And 3) what do you think about the Ride Anchor or do you have any other suggestions? I have considered the Vans Infuse but can’t find a deal on them in my price range, plus I’ve read lots of comments about them falling apart quickly. Too bad, given their module stiffness options.
Sorry, my questions are usually much briefer than this! As always, your content is amazing and your knowledge is much appreciated. Thanks so much.