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: 84.5/100
Compared to other Freestyle Boots
Out of the 26 freestyle boots that I rated:
Overview of the Hi Standard OG’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Hi Standard OG’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle or Beginner or Casual/Playful All-Mountain |
Price: | $199 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-edge: | Medium-Slow |
Weight: | Normal |
Lacing System: | Traditional Lacing |
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
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Hi Standard OG are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Vans Hi Standard OG 2020
Size: 10 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: December 17, 2019
Conditions: Switching between rain and snow - couldn't make up it's mind! But was wet snow even when it was snowy.
Wasn't the slowest/stickiest I've seen it, but wasn't fast conditions either.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
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.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 14/20 |
BOARD FEEL | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
CARVING | 2.5 | 5/10 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
HEEL HOLD | 3.5 | 7/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TRACTION | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84.5/100 |
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!
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Hi-Standard OG, 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 Hi-Standard OG compared to other freestyle boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hey Nate, appreciate all you do! Just had a quick question about the hi standard pro since there isn’t an in depth review on them. How would you say the toe box compares to the hi standard og? A little bit wider? Or about the same? Thanks in advance!
Hi AJ
Feels pretty close to me, but I’d say a touch wider. But really not a lot of difference.
Hi Nate,
I’m 14 years old with a size 11 US and wide feet. My skill level is an early intermediate and I’m looking for an affordable boot that could carry me up to advanced. Do you have any boots to recommend?
Hi Thanos
Thanks for your message.
For starters, with wide feet, I wouldn’t go Hi-Standard OG. They’re not wide in the toe box.
Depending on your height/weight specs and the board you ride, I would be looking at anything from 4/10 flex to 7/10 flex, so to narrow that down further, if you could let me know your current board and your height/weight specs, then I can narrow it down further (taking into account you need something wide and something affordable).
I ride the jones hover craft 2.0 and I am 145 pounds.
Hi Thanos
Given the board you ride, I wouldn’t go softer than 5/10 flex, but also wouldn’t go too much stiffer than 7/10 flex given your weight. Some good options below. Will depend on how wide your feet are, but these should work and be wide enough:
– Burton Ruler/Ruler BOA Wide
– Burton Photon/Photon BOA Wide
– Salomon Dialogue/Dialogue BOA Wide
– K2 Maysis Wide
– ThirtyTwo TM-TWO/TM_TWO Double BOA Wide
I’ve just included wide options in that 5/10 to 7/10 flex range. Depending on how wide your feet are, there may be some boots that have a mid-wide toe box that might be OK. But if you want to be sure they’re wide enough, I would check that lot out. If you want to get some idea of which boots might err wider, also see our article here.
Thanks a lot Nate
You’re very welcome Thanos. Thanks for stopping by.
What do you recommend for a 15 year old boy with wide feet and wide calves?
Hi Caryn
Thanks for your message.
Can you let me know a little more. i.e.
– height and weight specs
– style of riding (likes to ride fast? powder? park? etc)
– ability level (beginner?, intermediate?, advanced?)
love the boots so far except for the issue they don’t seem to keep my feet very warm.
Hi Aidan
Thanks for your message.
Could just be the boots. I didn’t find my feet were cold in them, but I didn’t have that cold a day, when I rode them.
But in case it could be something else, make sure to wear only 1 pair of socks, if you don’t already. 2 pairs of socks tends to lead to colder feet (even though that sounds counter-intuitive) due to lack of circulation. Also some people tend to get colder in the feet just naturally.
But it could be none of those things and just be the boots aren’t that warm, but those are some things to consider.
Hi Nate I am considering the aura pro and the hi standard pro to replace my k2 boots. Do you think vans boots have a lower profile?
Hi Bs180
Yeah Vans vs K2, definitely a lower profile. Vans tend to be some of the lower profile boots that I test.