Hello and welcome to my list of the best beginner snowboard Boots for men.
Below are what I consider to be the top 7 for the 2018/19 season.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com each board is rated and receives a score out of 100. This is definitely not an exact science care has been taken to give points to various areas depending on their importance for beginner riders.
Comparison Stats
Just quickly, to give you a reference for the scores below;
Out of 31 of beginner boots that I rated:
NOTE: This is a past seasons top 7. For the latest season's Top 7 Beginner Snowboard Boots list, check out the link below:
>>Top 7 Beginner Snowboard Boots (Latest Season)
O.k. let’s get into the top 7!
BEGINNER BOOT #7
Boot: Adidas The Super Star
Price: $299
Lacing System: Traditional Lace with power strap
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Fit: Mid-wide to wide feet
Rating: 90.7/100
Starting off the list at #7 are the Adidas Superstar boots.
Whilst not for the budget conscious beginner, they are one of those boots that are great for riding freestyle/park, if that's something you see yourself getting into.
Adidas have the lowest profile boots going around at the moment, so if you've got bigger feet, then they can help you to get on a narrower board. They're also great boots for those with wide feet.
They can also take you well past the beginner stage and with that power strap, you can crank that down as you get more advanced for a little bit more hold and response for when you start riding faster and harder.
If that sounds like you and you have a good budget to work with, then these are a great option.
Learn more about the Super Star’s in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Superstar
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 16/20 |
Heel Hold | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Shock Absorption | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Adjustability | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Price | 2.0 | 4/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 5.0 | 5/5 |
Entry/Exit | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.7/100 |
BEGINNER BOOT #6
Boot: Thirty Two 86FT
Price: $179
Lacing System: Speed Lacing
Flex: Medium-Soft (3/10)
Fit: Normal width to mid-wide feet
Rating: 91.3/100
In at #6, we have the second lowest priced boots on this list , the Thirty Two 86FT.
The 86FTs are really comfortable and have (like most on this list) a nice forgiving medium-soft flex.
This flex is ideal for beginners because it offers a good amount of forgiveness and helps with control at lower speeds – but isn’t too soft – so you can progress to a more advanced level without having to buy new boots straight away.
Score Breakdown for the 86FT
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 16/20 |
Heel Hold | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Shock Absorption | 2.5 | 5/10 |
Adjustability | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Price | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 3.0 | 3/5 |
Entry/Exit | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.3/100 |
BEGINNER BOOT #5
Boot: K2 Raider
Price: $209
Lacing System: Single Boa
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Fit: Normal width feet
Rating: 91.3/100
The K2 Raider are a no nonsense single Boa boot that's comfortable, has good shock absorption and are easy and quick to get in and out of.
They lack adjustability, just the downside of being single Boa, but do provide really good heel hold for those that find it hard to keep their heel down in their boots.
Overall a nice boot for a beginner and something would work great as a park boot too, if you end up getting into that style of riding.
More on the K2 Raider in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Raiders
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 16/20 |
Heel Hold | 4.0 | 12/15 |
Shock Absorption | 3.5 | 7/10 |
Adjustability | 2.0 | 4/10 |
Price | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 2.0 | 2/5 |
Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.3/100 |
BEGINNER BOOT #4
Boot: Thirty Two Zephyr
Price: $219
Lacing System: Traditional Lace
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Fit: Normal width to Mid-wide feet
Rating: 91.9/100
Where the ThirtyTwo 86 FT (see #6) is a lot more freestyle/park focused, the Zephyr is more of an all-rounder. And it's a little more performance oriented, so if you want something that's beginner friendly but that will still give enough performance if you progress quickly, then these are a great option.
More on the Zephyr in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Zephyr
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.5 | 18/20 |
Heel Hold | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Shock Absorption | 3.0 | 6/10 |
Adjustability | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Price | 3.5 | 7/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 3.0 | 3/5 |
Entry/Exit | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.9/100 |
BEGINNER BOOT #3
Boot: Thirty Two Shifty Boa
Price: $169
Lacing System: Single Boa
Flex: Soft (2/10)
Fit: Normal width to Mid-wide feet
Rating: 92.4/100
If you're looking for one of the softest, easy going boots on the market, then the Shifty Boas are a great option. And that softness makes these boots super forgiving.
Biggest downside with a Single Boa is that you don't have the ability to independently adjust the upper and lower sections of the boot - but if they fit well without that adjustability, then it's no problem.
Then you've otherwise got a very comfortable, low cost (the cheapest in this list) boot that's nice and easy to get in and out of.
More on the Shifty Boas in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Shifty Boa
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 16/20 |
Heel Hold | 4.0 | 12/15 |
Shock Absorption | 3.0 | 6/10 |
Adjustability | 2.0 | 4/10 |
Price | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 3.0 | 3/5 |
Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 92.4/100 |
BEGINNER BOOT #2
Boot: Burton Moto
Price: $199
Lacing System: Speed Lacing
Flex: Medium-Soft (3/10)
Fit: Normal width to Mid-wide feet
Rating: 92.4/100
The Moto’s are very popular beginner boots and it’s easy to see why. They have the right flex, the right price-tag and are super easy to get in and out of (once you learn the speed lacing system).
They also have really good reduced footprint (which essentially means that the outside of the boot is smaller than what the inside of the boot is – so a boot that will fit a size 10 foot on the inside would have a size 9.5 footprint on the outside), so if you’ve got larger feet and are looking to get on a narrower width board than you otherwise could, these are also a great choice for that reason.
These also come in a Boa version, which also make good beginner boots - check out the score for both versions below.
More on the Moto’s in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Moto Speed Zone
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 16/20 |
Heel Hold | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Shock Absorption | 3.0 | 6/10 |
Adjustability | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Price | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 4.0 | 4/5 |
Entry/Exit | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 92.4/100 |
Score Breakdown for the Moto Boa
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 16/20 |
Heel Hold | 4.0 | 12/15 |
Shock Absorption | 3.0 | 6/10 |
Adjustability | 2.0 | 4/10 |
Price | 3.0 | 6/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 4.0 | 4/5 |
Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.1/100 |
BEGINNER BOOT #1
Boot: Vans Hi Standard OG
Price: $189
Lacing System: Traditional Lacing
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Fit: Normal width feet (note also that those with high arches may not fit well)
Rating: 93.6/100
And coming in at #1 we have the Vans Hi Standard OG.
For 2019, Vans have made a Hi-Standard OG and a Hi-Standard Pro (and done the same with the Aura). The Pro version is a little stiff to make this list, but the OG is just the right mix of a softer flexing binding, still with plenty of comfort.
And if your looking to get something at a great price, then the Hi Standard are a great option and are $23 lower than the average beginner boot price (of those that I rated) and the 3rd lowest on this list.
Vans boots are also one of the most low profile in the industry nowadays - second only to Adidas of the boots that I've measured.
Check out more about the Hi-Standard OG in the Video Below
Score Breakdown for the Hi-Standard OG
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Flex | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 16/20 |
Heel Hold | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Shock Absorption | 3.5 | 7/10 |
Adjustability | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Price | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Reduced Footprint | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
Entry/Exit | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 93.6/100 |
Thanks for Reading
Thanks for reading and I hope this list has helped give you some options for beginner snowboard boots.
NOTE: This is a past seasons top 7. For the latest season's Top 7 Beginner Snowboard Boots list, check out the link below:
Buying Past Season Models
Often models don't change that much from year to year so if you can find a past season model, it will likely be close enough to the latest model but you can get it cheaper, if available and in your size. For past year's models check out the links below to see if they still have any left.
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