Vans Hi Standard OG Review

Hello and welcome to my Vans Hi Standard OG review.

In this review I will take a look at the Hi Standard OG as freestyle snowboard boots.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Hi Standard OG a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle boots.

Overall Rating

Boots: Vans High-Standard OG

Price: $199 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freestyle

Other Uses: Beginner, Casual/Playful All-Mountain

Flex Rating: Medium-Soft (4/10)

Flex Feel: Medium-Soft (3.5/10)

Rating Score: 83.0/100

Compared to other Freestyle Boots

Overview of the Hi Standard OG’s Specs

Who are the Hi Standard OG Most Suited to?

The Hi Standard OG are great boots for beginner riders, low intermediates or those that want a boot for more playful freestyle riding or just casually crusing the groomers. 

Not for speed demons or big deep carves. Not an aggressive locked in kind of boot, but a more fun playful one. 

The Hi Standard OG in More Detail

Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018

Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita 2017

Outersole Length: 30.7cm (mondo 28cm)

Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.7cm

Backstay Height: 28.1cm

Weight: 1060 grams*

* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a little heavier than the average but pretty close to average.

Fit

Width: The Hi-Standard were quite tight around my toes and balls of my feet. Got better after heat molding but still on the tighter side, so I would say medium, bordering on narrow width. 

True to Size?: Like with other Vans boots, the 10 fits best for me, and I'm usually a 10, so I would say true to size

High or Low Arch: This boot has a low arch. I don't have particularly high arches (quite flat on my left foot and more average arch on my right), but I could feel these on the top of my feet, particularly my right foot. Better after heat molding and I own Vans boots and know that this breaks in and fits me well after a small amount of time, but probably not for those with particularly high arches

Shock Absorption

They're not super shock absorbing, but they're not bad either. Just a little less vs my test boots (Vans Aura). Despite what it looks like on the outside, the sole is quite thin. 

Board Feel

With that thin, flexy and flat sole, you get great board feel. It's like wearing skateboard boots! 

Responsiveness

They're quite soft flexing, so didn't expect much in terms of response, and didn't get that much either. Great for when you're riding slow or playing around, but once you get some speed up or try to lay into a deep carve, they're not that accommodating. 

Adjustability

Their traditional lace, which automatically makes them highly adjustable. However, I did find the plastic pulley for the liner harness to be hard to work with and the quality of it isn't very good. 

Comfort

Nice and comfortable, particularly after heat-molding. Comfort is pretty subjective when it comes to snowboard boots though - every foot is different. I would say if you have high arches, this may not work as well for you, comfort-wise. 

Heel Hold

I found I got a bit of heel lift in these boots. Nothing major, but more than I would on average. Not a huge deal for this type of boot, where I wouldn't be looking to get every bit of response out of them, for the type of riding I would get them for. 

Reduced Footprint

Typical of Vans, they have a decent amount of reduced foot print. The pair I rode measured 2.7cm longer on the outersole vs the Mondoprint that the boot is made for. That's better than average of all the boots I've measured. 

Traction

There's not much in terms of tread on the sole - and I wouldn't imagine what tread was there wouldn't last that long. The sole is more made for board feel than traction. Which is fine, in a boot like this as it's not something that I would be riding if I was doing hiking missions. 

Entry/Exit

Like with most traditional lace boots, it's a bit of an effort to get in/out of them vs other systems like Speed Lace and Boa. And the liner pulley isn't the best either. One of the biggest things I don't like about traditional lace is when there's a wet car park and you're trying to get them on/off without getting your laces wet. 

I do like them for their adjustability - and they just look cooler (IMO). I have a love/hate relationship with traditional lace!

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

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

The Hi Standard OG are a great pair of boots if you're looking for something that can be playful on the mountain or in the park or if you're a beginner that needs a comfortable boot that's nice and forgiving to ride with. 

Not for hard charging or hiking or anything like that. There's not a balance between good riding slow and good riding fast with these boots - they perform well at slow speeds and for playing around in, but not really suited to hard carves and bombing, IMO. 

They do look cool though, IMO. But of course that didn't come into the ratings!