Hello and welcome to my Thirty Two Mullair review.
Note: Thirty Two have renamed this boot the 3XD for the 2021 model. However, in the catalog and at some retailers it's still being called the Mullair. So Mullair or 3XD, depending on where you get it.
In this review I will take a look at the Mullair (3XD) as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Mullair a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
NOTE: The 2021 model was the last model of the Mullair/3XD, so this review will no longer be updated. The TM-Three 2021 and 2021 3XD have merged into one boot for 2022- the TM-Three XD.
Overall Rating
Boots: Thirty Two Mullair
Price: $549 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium, bordering on medium-Stiff (6.5/10)
Rating Score: 92.4/100
Compared to other All-Mountain Boots
Out of the 37 all-mountain boots that I rated:
Overview of the Mullairs Specs
Check out the tables for the Mullair's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $549 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Heavy |
Lacing System: | Traditional Lacing |
Who are the Mullair Most Suited to?
The Mullair are best suited to anyone looking for a well built boot, with a flex just a little stiffer than medium, but not overly stiff, but still with good response and anyone who likes or is at least OK with traditional lacing, tend to need boots with good heel hold and wants something that has a lot of adjustability.
Not beginner suitable, but would work well for anyone intermediate and up, looking for a responsive boot that still has a good amount of forgiveness to it.
Quite pricey, so you also want to have a good boot budget for these ones.
The Mullair in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Mullair are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Thirty Two Mullair 2020
Size: 10.5 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: February 10, 2020
Conditions: Sunny first thing, with some clouds later. But good visibility all day.
Quite cold. Not much wind, but what wind there was, was cold.
Hard packed on groomer with the occasional icy patch, but only in the shade and not many spots.
Off groomer a little crunchy in places but fine in other spots.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita 2017
Outersole Length: 31.3cm (mondo 28.5cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.8cm
Backstay Height: 30.5
Weight: 1320 grams*
* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so quite a bit heavier than the average. These are the heaviest boots I've weighed and lightest were 740 grams.
Flex
They felt to me, just a little stiffer than medium, but pretty close to medium.
Fit
Width: They feel about average in terms of width in the toe box. Maybe just a hair wider than medium.
True to Size?: I rode these in 10.5s and they felt just right to me. I usually ride a 10, so I'd say they run half a size small - in other words you might want to consider going a half size up.
High or Low Arch: Medium to high. No pressure on the tops of my feet. I think those with high arches could get along with this boot. Of course, there is no substitute for trying on to make sure though.
Responsiveness
Really good response - I feel like I could get deeper and longer on carves vs my test boots (Vans Aura) and more so than I would expect given the flex and feel.
And they're still good when it comes to maneuverability at slower speeds too.
Heel Hold
Heel lift is very minimal in these boots as they are. But they also come with a heel hold kit that you can use to further they're heel hold if it's not enough for you out of the box. I was happy with how they were out of the box.
And that heel hold is achieved without massive pressure or discomfort around the ankles/heels.
Adjustability
These boots are really adjustable to suit your needs.
The traditional lacing offers great individualization of tightness across the boot - lower and upper and all things in between.
Then there's the aforementioned heel hold kit, to customize your heel hold.
In addition to that they also come with an arch support kit.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Comfort
Really nice and comfortable boots, despite being quite heavy. You get a good snug feeling, but one that feels plush and without any major pressure points. All round I found them really comfortable.
Shock Absorption
They have a nice cushy, quality sole and that shows on snow. They have really decent shock absorption when riding.
Board Feel
Board feel isn't great. It's not bad either, but it's middle of the road.
Traction
The sole appears to be really high quality (which you would expect this price of boot, of course) and has good tread depth. Felt nice and grippy when walking in them and felt like the sole would last too.
Reduced Footprint
They're not hugely reduced, but they're a little more low profile than the average boot.
Entry/Exit
It takes a bit of effort to get the foot in - and then the traditional lacing takes a bit of time/effort compared to other lacing systems, so not the easiest to get in and out of, but once you're in it feels nice and secure, but comfortable.
The inner lacing harness just has a nice solid feel to it as well - and it was easy to really crank it down, and do so without pressure on the foot/ankle.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 4.0 | 20/25 |
HEEL HOLD | 5.0 | 15/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 5.0 | 15/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 92.4/100 |
The Mullair (or 3XD depending on where you get it) feel like really well made, high quality boots - which they ought to be for the price. And the performance and comfort are right up there too.
If you can live with the price and the weight, these are really nice, high quality boots, that should be able to stay with you for many a season (depending on how often you ride each season of course).
Note: Thirty Two seem to have renamed this boot the 3XD for the 2021 model. However, in the catalog and at some retailers it's still being called the Mullair. So Mullair or 3XD, depending on where you get it. I suspect it will be uniformly 3XD for the 2022 model.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Mullair, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
If you want to see how the Mullair compared to other all-mountain boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hi Nate,
I wear a size men’s US 8 on Nitro Team TLS and Burton Ion. Would it be best wear a size 8.5 on the Thirtytwo Mullair 2020 model?
Hi Edward
Thanks for your message.
Hard to say for sure when it comes to boots and sizing, but if you’re US8 in Burton, then I would suspect you would be US8.5 on the Mullair. No guarantees, but that would be my best guess. I don’t test Nitro boots currently, so I’m not sure how they fit compared to other brands.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the input, I’ll try the 8.5 first as recommended. It seems like the consensus is that Thirtytwo runs a half size smaller than most brands.
Hopefully Nitro can send out some of their boots to you to review. I haven’t found another brand that competes with their liners in terms of comfort!
You’re very welcome Edward. I hope they send me some too!
Thank you Nate.
Keep the good work .
Take care.
You’re very welcome Jorge. Thanks for visiting the site. Take care
Hi Nate , great work , thanks for all information.
I’m looking for a new boots , want to replace my Adidas Adv 8,5.
I’m between Vans infuse , Mullair and the last Burton Ion , but the first two are my preference.
My adidas 8,5 fit me well , but I have some heel lift , and after a day playing on the side hits my heel start to hurts.
I tried mullair and the size 9 fit me well , on burton i’m size 8,5 , but i have no ideia if I should go 9 or 8,5 on Vans . My walking shoes are 9 and I prefer a more snug fit for my boots.
My type of riding is more carving on groomers , finding some side hits , ollie over rollers , but also looking for powder and some freeriding. No jibbing and only kickers on the park . I would say that I’m more an aggressive all mountain / freeriding , so I prefer my boots more on the stiffer side.
If you can help me I appreciate, and if you have another suggestion It would be great.
Best,
Hi Jorge
Thanks for your message.
I think you’re on the right track there with the Infuse, Mullair and Ion, in terms of going for something a little stiffer than the ADV and 3 really good boots, overall.
In terms of sizing, I’m typically a 10 for Vans and Burton, a 9.5 for Adidas and a 10.5 (but sometimes a 10) for ThirtyTwo. So on the fact that you’re 8.5 for your Adidas, I would say 9 for Vans, but then given that you say 8.5 for Burton, then I would say 8.5 for Vans! Have you ever tried Adidas in an 8. I think if the Adidas fit you well in an 8, and the Mullair in a 9, then I would say 8.5 for sure in the Vans. But with 8.5 Adidas, it’s harder to be sure. I think I would still be leaning towards 8.5, just because you fit 8.5 in Burton and 9 in 32, but not 100% confident there. And of course different people’s feet fit different boots differently, so that always throws a spanner in the works too!
Hope this somewhat helps with your decision
And between Infuse ,Mullair and ION which you think will be more towards all mountain / freeriding ( stiffer ) . and more durable ? Do you have any other suggestion ?
Hi Jorge.
They are all fairly similar in terms of flex. By my feel, they would be:
– Ion 7/10, bordering on 7.5/10
– Mullair – 7/10
– Infuse it depends on the tongue stiffeners. With all of them in, it can feel a bit stiffer than 7, maybe even as stiff as 8/10. With all of them out – softer than 7. More like 6, maybe 6.5. Or you can choose to have just one of the tongue stiffeners in (there are 2 per boot).
I can’t really compare durability as I don’t ride them for long enough to comment on that, but they did all feel really well built. I do own the infuse – and I think I’ve done around 12 days on them and they are as solid as the day I bought them – but you’d expect that after just 12 days (I have different test boots, which I ride most of the time, so the Infuse have only been ridden when I’m just up the mountain for mucking about – which isn’t often enough these days, most of the time I’m demoing gear!). So, yeah can’t really say which would be more durable.
If you were wanting to go stiffer than that, you could also check out the following:
>>My Top 5 Freeride Boots