Hello and welcome to my Vans Infuse Snowboard Boots review .
In this review I will take a look at the Infuse as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Infuse a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Vans Infuse
Price: $389 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium to Stiff (6-9/10)*
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff – 7/10 (6/10 to 8/10)*
Rating Score: 90.8/100
*Because the Infuse comes with removable tongue stiffeners, the flex varies depending on whether you have those in or not
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Boots
Out of the 37 men’s all-mountain boots that I rated:
Overview of the Infuse’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Infuse’s specs.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain to All-Mountain-Freeride |
Price: | $389 |
Lacing System | Hybrid Boa/Traditional Lacing with power strap |
Fit | Normal to narrow width feet, normal to low arches |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-Edge: | Medium-Fast |
Weight: | Quite Heavy |
Who are the Infuse Most Suited To?
The Infuse are perfect for anyone who wants a boot that can be used across a wide range of boards and bindings. Because of the tongue stiffener system and power strap, the flex feel of these boots is very versatile.
They are appropriate for an intermediate level and up and are suitable for all styles of riding from the park to the backcountry.
Not for a beginner - too stiff, even with all the tongue stiffeners removed.
Also not for anyone wanting really soft boots for playful park/all-mountain stuff.
Finally, they are best for people with normal or narrow foot width and normal or low arches. Some with high-arches complain that Vans boots can put some pressure on the tops of their feet.
The Infuse in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Infuse are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Vans Infuse 2018
Size: 10 (Mondo 28.0cm)
Outersole Length of Boot: 30.3cm
My Left Foot: 27.3cm
My Right Foot: 27.0cm
Foot Width: D – aka “normal” (4″ wide)
Arches: Flat left foot. Semi-flat right foot.
Date: Multiple dates. I own these boots.
Conditions: All sorts of conditions from hard/icy days to powder days.
Fit: The Infuse fit me very well. Though I did have to get them heat molded. I wore them for a while without heat molding but they didn’t naturally heat mold to a point I was comfortable with. They still felt like new boots after good few days riding them (i.e. uncomfortably snug) but once I had them heat molded they now have the perfect fit for my feet/ankles/calves.
Flex
The Infuse comes with 4 tongue stiffeners. 2 for each boot. Without any of those tongue stiffeners in there, they feel like a 6/10 flex. Vans rate them as being from 5/10 to 9/10, but they don’t feel as soft as a 5/10 to me, without any tongue stiffeners. With all 4 stiffeners in place, they feel like an 8/10. Again, Vans says up to 9/10, but they don’t quite feel that stiff to me with all 4 in place. You can just put 1 in per boot too – which I’m guessing would translate to roughly 7/10 – though I haven’t tried this yet.
Responsiveness
The Infuse respond as you would expect them to. A little more response when you add the tongue stiffeners and a little less when you remove them. A little more playful and surfy when you remove them too. Also you can adjust that feel with the power strap. When you really tighten that done, in addition to adding in the tongue stiffeners you can get a very locked in, supportive feel with great response, especially at high speeds. But you can get a more casual, surfy feel by adjusting them.
They have an articulated cuff. Which is nice in terms of not getting shell distortion but I also prefer the feel of an articulated cuff.
Let’s Break this Text Up With A Video
Board Feel
They have some pretty significant soles with plenty of dampening and some good tread for traction. This limits their board feel. They don’t feel like very flat/thin soled boots when it comes to board feel. But they’re not designed for that kind of feel either in my book. These boots are more for a responsive, damp kind of ride – not a playful, loose freestyle kind of ride.
They’re still good for the park in terms of jumps and certainly for bigger features, but aren’t like a skate like feeling boot.
Heel Hold
I found that you could get a really good lock down of the heel in these boots. And the Boa part of these boots really helps there. It basically acts as a pull down on your heel as well as addition ankle support. I wouldn’t say they’re most heel locking boot I’ve ridden in, but they’re pretty darn close and all I would ever want/need.
Adjustability
These are one of the most adjustable boots I’ve come across.
You get the advantages of traditional lacing with the locking down capabilities of boa. You can adjust upper and lower separately and you can have great control over your ankle support and heel lock down.
Then there’s the power strap which gives you the ability to control how tight you have the boot at the very top and around the calves. You can leave this undone or you can get it really quite tight – tighter than I’m able to with the laces alone.
And on top of all of that you have the tongue stiffeners which allow you to adjust the flex (see flex section above for more details).
The only thing that I take off half a point for is the fact there isn’t much difference between essentially leaving the lower section laces as loose as possible and having them tight. But other than that, these bad boys are super adjustable for that custom fit.
Comfort
These boots are very comfortable. I found they took a bit to wear in compared to some other boots. But that’s often the case with stiffer boots. These boots are very sturdy and feel really high quality. I would recommend getting these heat molded rather than trying to naturally heat mold them by riding – just because I feel it takes a while that way with these boots.
But once they were heat molded they are super comfortable.
The only thing really that takes a little away from that comfort, apart from taking a while to wear in, is that they are quite heavy. Again this is something that’s often the case with stiffer boots. But still, if they were lighter, they’d be even more comfortable.
The liner is really plush and super comfortable, as is the footbed. Sometimes with cheaper boots you really need to add a custom footbed. With these that footbed is really nice as it is.
Shock absorption
The Infuse have a really good amount of cushioning in the sole. On top of that the footbed, as mentioned above, is really nice and adds to those dampening features. Overall, they absorb shock and chatter very well.
Traction
The Infuse have a quality sole that provides good traction. Like pretty much every part of this boot, there are no weak areas and the construction just feels (and performs) high quality.
Reduced Footprint
With an outersole length just 2.3cm longer than the Mondo of the boot, the Infuse (and all Vans boots) have one of the most reduced outersoles that I’ve measured. Only Adidas boots are shorter, in my experience.
They don’t have a huge amount of bevel compared to some other boots, but there’s certainly some toe bevel and overall are a very reduced outersole.
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 | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.8/100 |
From the moment I picked these boots up they just looked and felt high quality.
And that quality isn't lost when riding in them either. They are nice and adjustable, versatile and have good support and response, whilst at the same time being comfortable and damp.
There are basically no weaknesses to these boots across the board. Assuming they fit and they are the type of boot that you're looking for, the Infuse are a great choice, IMO.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Infuse, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Infuse compares to other men’s all-mountain boots or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Nate,
Did you have any problems with comfort in these when you first got them? I just got a pair and this is weird but there is something kind of poking me on the outside of my left ankle kind of right by the bone. the right boot is perfectly fine and comfortable. do you think its just the boot and maybe trying another pair of infuses might help? or should I just get them heat molded and hopefully it works itself out. I can also still return them and try another brand.
Thanks!
Hi Brian
I didn’t experience that poking into the left ankle at all. And it’s strange that it’s just your left boot and not your right. Possible there’s something up with that left boot. I did find the Infuse to be one of those boots that took more breaking in than most. But got really comfortable after heat molding and riding for a few days. But definitely didn’t get that ankle poking thing.
ah yea I think my left ankle bone sticks out a little farther than my right one and the boot is still holding kind of tight around it. I got them heat molded once so far and it helped some. do you think it will pack out enough for it to be okay? I still havent even had them out on snow yet. My right one fits great so far. hopefully with a few days on the snow the left one will break in
Hi Brian
They should pack out as you ride them and mold more to your foot too. Hard to say for sure, but if heat molding helped a little, I suspect they will come right for you, particularly given they are fitting well on your right foot so far. A second round of heat molding won’t do as much as the first, but you can heat mold more than once (just don’t go crazy and do it like 10 times or anything, but a couple of times is fine). It might help a little – but certainly riding with the boots will help to mold them more too.
One thing you could try, if you heat molded again, is to put some extra padding on your left ankle (under your sock). I haven’t tried this before so definitely no guarantees it will help and just a thought I had now. But to give more room to the toes, I often heat mold with a toe cap (and others too), if the toe area of the boot is feeling particularly cramped. So the theory with adding something around the ankle when heat molding is that it will give your ankle a little more room. Not sure how much, if any difference this would make or what you would use to do it, but just a thought.
Hope this helps
My normal size in a vans shoe is an 11 am I good to stick with that? or do you recommend a different size?
Hi Saunder
Thanks for your message.
I am a size 10 in Vans shoes and a size 10 in Vans snowboard boots. That’s not necessarily going to be true across the board as everyone’s feet are different. But for me personally I fit in the shoe the same size as I fit in the snowboard boot. This is typically the case for me for most brands, but not for all brands. It is the case for with Vans.
Hope this helps
Just got these due to the great review. I am usually a US 11,5/Mondo 28,5 but had to get a US 13 in these due to my wide feet. I also tried on other vans boots and I was a 13 in all of them. The power strap is a great feature I think, as I always struggle with boots sitting loose around my calve after a run, so I hope this helps.
Will get them heat moulded and then I hope I get to take them out this week or weekend for the first time. Hope to give some more solid feedback on them after this.
Hi Ewald
Thanks for your input. I really like the power strap – hopefully it works well for you too. Looking forward to hearing how you get on once you’ve had a chance to get them out on snow.
I just love theese boots. After upgrading from my first board to the Capita Outerspace Living with Salomon Districts last season i felt right away that the weak point was my old Vans Hi Standard boots.
I tried on a lot of different models but none seemed to fit except for several models from Vans. And the Infuse was just the perfect fit. Snug as a rug and locked in when needed and a bit more loose and relaxed while still offering excellent heel hold when needed.
I know its really individual and the opinion about flex on the Infuse varies quite a bit. To me the difference with/without the stiffeners is like night and day. Even though my riding experience is quite limited im slowly developing a love of speed. And with all stiffeners in and everything tight as can be it feels like i’m in total control zooming down the slopes. it’s probably for the best that now its actually the board limiting my speed 🙂
If i have to find something wrong with the boots it is the traditional lacing just like you mentioned. I dont agree that it doesnt make any real difference how tight you tie them, in fact i feel the difference is substancial . It can however be a pain to get it right, i often have to give it a couple of tries, move around a bit and tie them again before i get them just right. If i’m lucky i get it just right the first time but usually ……
Also, while essential for that really good and locked down heel hold the removable and adjustable velcro heel cage can be a pain to position. And i find that sometimes you have to reposition them a bit from day to day.
Pro tip is to make your own adjustable velcro pads and play around with. We are all built different and i imagine the supplied big x-shaped heel cage might not fit everyone. I’ve actually made my own pads with foam, glue, velcro and some stitches. Its actually really easy and i made a hole bunch of them in different sizes and shapes and also with foam with varying thickness. To much spare time, i know 🙂 Both the comfort and heel hold changes quite a bit depending on how many pads you use and how you position them.
Bottom line is …. a great boot as long as it fits your specific foot shape.
And as usual, i just love the site Nate. Tons of really helpfull information and written with a lot less gibberish than most other sites like it. A really good source for knowledge for both experienced and novice tiders that doesnt yet master the lingo.
Hi Magnus
Thanks so much for your input. Always awesome to hear from others about their particular experience and insights. Sounds like some good creative solutions you use there too. Happy riding and hope you have an awesome season!
Is there a reason you did not go with a 9.5 US since your mondo size is closer to 27.5 than 28.0?
Hi Jared
Thanks for your message.
Even though on paper my mondo size is closer to 27.5, in reality I’ve never been able to fit in a 9.5, in any brand’s boots. And this has been a similar experience for a lot of people I’ve talked to. Some feet even smaller than mine can’t get into a 9.5. Sometimes I have to ride a 10.5, depending on the brand.
And trust me, this boot is not too big for me. It’s a very snug fit, that took a bit of time to actually feel like it wasn’t too small. After breaking it in (and boots with better liners tend to take longer to break in – but then last longer). So yeah, in my experience, Mondo isn’t always accurate – in fact more often than not I’ve found people telling me that the Mondo that’s suited for their foot is too small for them in reality.
Hope this answers your question
Nate,
Thanks for the reply. I have been battling some foot issues for a few seasons and have been through a fair share of boots. I go off my mondo size which usually requires lots of heat molding and a few days of discomfort. Some of my problems still persist which makes me think going up a half size isn’t the end of the world.
Hi Jared
Yeah I would try going up half a size and see how that feels. Might be more comfortable and a better fit.