Hello and welcome to my list of what I think are the best freeride women’s snowboarding boots for 2017-18.
As is tradition here at Snowboarding Profiles the boots will each be given a score out of 100.
These boots are best suited for those that are advanced freeride or aggressive all mountain riders that like to charge hard and need all the response and performance they can get.
How These Boots Compare to Others
There aren’t a huge number of women’s boots that I would consider to be freeride boots – not as many as for men’s anyway. So a lot of the boots I looked at made the top 5!
Of the 9 women’s freeride/all-mountain-freeride boots I rated:
- The average score was 83.7/100
- The highest score was 91.8/100
- The lowest score was 71.4/100
- The average price was $349 (USD recommended price)
O.k. let’s take a look at the top 5!
#5: Ride Cadence
Boot: Ride Cadence Focus Boa
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 84.2/100
When it comes to women’s boots the Cadence Boa’s are about as stiff as they come. Usually women’s boots aren’t stiffer than around a 7/10).
So if you want your boots to have that awesome response for carving up the slopes, shooting through the trees and dominating the backcountry then the Cadence will be a great choice for that.
Perhaps their biggest weakness is a lack of comfort. Often the extra stiffness reduces the amount of comfort you get – though some boots on the market have managed to get stiffness, response and comfort in the same boot.
Score Breakdown for the Cadence
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Response: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| Heel Hold: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
| Comfort: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Traction: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 84.2/100 |
#4: DC Mora
Boot: DC Mora Boa
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 86.7/100
Like the Cadence above, DC’s Mora boots feature a double boa system.
They have a nice medium-stiff flex for freeriding or charging hard in the resort – 7/10.
The Mora’s also have awesome heel hold and great traction for those hiking missions – or for an icy car park.
They are the lowest priced boots on this list and come in well below the average price for this category of snowboard boots.
Score Breakdown for the Moras
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Response: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Heel Hold: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
| Comfort: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Traction: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Shock Absorption: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 86.7/100 |
#3: Thirty Two Jones MTB
Boot: ThirtyTwo Jones MTB
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Traditional Lacing
Flex: Stiff (8/10)
Rating: 87.8/100
These boots are specifically designed for backcountry missions. They feature soles that are crampon compatible, have a zip up sleeve (storm shield) to keep snow out and a “walk mode” which opens up the back of the boot to give you more movement, when you’re split boarding.
So if you’re someone who does a lot of backcountry missions, particularly with a split board, the Jones MTB are a great option for you.
If you like the fit and feel of 32 boots, but don’t need the extra features of this boot (and don’t want to pay the extra price) the Women’s TM Two is also a great, lower cost option for freeriding/hard charging all-mountain riding.
Score Breakdown for the 32 Jones MTBs
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Response: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Heel Hold: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Comfort: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Traction: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Shock Absorption: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 87.8/100 |
#2: K2 Contour
Boot: K2 Contour
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 91.3/100
K2’s Contour boots are a great choice if you’re advanced rider looking to charge the groomers and/or hit the backcountry.
The only improvement they could make, is to have a third boa for more adjustability. One boa controls the harness around the liner and the other one both the top and bottom sections of the outer-boot. Separate top and bottom adjustments for the outer-boot would be great to see.
But the Contour’s are really comfortable and supply great heel hold for extra response, are highly shock absorbent (but at the same time also manage to provide plenty of traction for any hiking adventures) and all of that comes in a really reasonable price, a good bit below the average price for boots in this category.
Score Breakdown for the Contours
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Response: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Heel Hold: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Traction: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Adjustability: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 91.3/100 |
#1: Burton Supreme
Boot: Burton Supreme
Price: View More Info and Current Price Here
Lacing System: Speed Lacing
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 91.8/100
Burton’s Supreme’s are, in my opinion, the ultimate in women’s freeride snowboard boots.
They have the perfect flex, great heel hold and awesome response – and they manage to achieve that elusive responsive-yet-comfortable combination.
They also manage to achieve the elusive combination of great shock absorption and great traction (often you have to sacrifice one for the other).
They are a bit more costly than your average boots but if you want the ultimate in women’s freeriding boots the Supreme’s are a great choice.
Score Breakdown for the Supremes
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Response: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Heel Hold: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Comfort: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
| Traction: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 91.8/100 |
Thanks for Reading
I hope this list has helped you to find the best women’s freeride boots for you or at least has given you some great options to check out.
Check out the links above for each boot for more info plus current prices and availability.
Related: My Top 5 Women’s All-Mountain Snowboard Boots
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