Hello and welcome. Below is Snowboarding Profiles' list picks for the best women's freeride snowboarding boots for 2023-2024.
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
Of the 11 women’s freeride/all-mountain-freeride boots I rated:
O.K. let’s take a look at the top 5!
WOMEN'S FREERIDE BOOT #5
Boot: DC Mora
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US
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CA
IS THIS GEAR RIGHT FOR YOU?
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 89.7/100
Starting off the list at #5, we have the DC Mora.
The Mora is a great option for anyone looking for a stiffer boot, but without going ultra stiff and still having decent slow speed performance.
Best suited to someone who likes to charge hard, is at an advanced level and likes to bomb groomers and/or explore the sidecountry, backcountry, trees etc.
The Mora are also the lowest priced boots on this list and well below the average price for this category.
Score Breakdown for the Mora
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 27/30 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TRACTION | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.7/100 |
WOMEN'S FREERIDE BOOT #4
Boot: Burton Supreme
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US
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CA
IS THIS GEAR RIGHT FOR YOU?
Lacing System: Speed Lacing
Flex: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 89.7/100
Burton’s Supreme is in at #4. The Supreme has great carving performance, but are still decent to ride with at slower speeds – and they manage to achieve that elusive stiff-yet-comfortable combination.
They are a bit more costly than your average boots but if you have the budget and everything about the boot works for you, they are a great choice.
Score Breakdown for the Supreme
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 27/30 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.7/100 |
WOMEN'S FREERIDE BOOT #3
Boot: Vans Viaje Range Edition
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US
IS THIS GEAR RIGHT FOR YOU?
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Mid-Stiff (7/10)
Rating: 89.7/100
Next up at #3, we have the Vans Viaje Range Edition.
While the Viaje seems to not get a 2024 model, there is now a range edition of it. The Viaje Range Edition features a drop cuff, which allows you to widen the top of the boot to make it easier to walk in or when skinning. Great for backcountry missions.
The Viaje Range Edition are pretty stiff and responsive - perfect for aggressive riders who need all the support and drive they can get from their boots.
They also feature tongue stiffeners that allow you to have the boot stiffer or softer depending on whether you have the stiffeners in or out of the tongue.
Score Breakdown for the Viaje Range Edition
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.0 | 24/30 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 3.0 | 3/5 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.5 | 9/10 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.7/100 |
WOMEN'S FREERIDE BOOT #2
Boot: Nidecker Kita W
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US
IS THIS GEAR RIGHT FOR YOU?
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Stiff (8/10)
Rating: 90.8/100
In at #2, we have Nidecker's Kita W.
The Kita W aren't for the faint of heart. These are some seriously stiff women's snowboard boots with bucket loads of carving performance.
In addition to being a great tool to help you lay down big carves, they are overall a high quality pair of boots and a great option for hard chargers.
Score Breakdown for the Kita W
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 5.0 | 30/30 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 3.0 | 3/5 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
TRACTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.8/100 |
WOMEN'S FREERIDE BOOT #1
Boot: Ride Cadence
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US
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CA
IS THIS GEAR RIGHT FOR YOU?
Lacing System: Double Boa
Flex: Stiff (8/10)
Rating: 91.8/100
And finally at #1, we have Ride’s Cadence boots.
These are the stiffest (along with the Kita at #2 above) on the list , so if you want your boots to have that awesome response/stability for high-speed carving and dominating the backcountry, then the Cadence will be a great choice for that.
They're a good all-round boot with good traction, aided by their Michelin winter tire rubber sole, and great heel hold and adjustability through the zonal double Boa lacing system.
Check out the Video for more on the Cadence
Score Breakdown for the Cadence
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 5.0 | 30/30 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 3.0 | 3/5 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TRACTION | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.0 | 6/10 |
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.
If you're looking for something softer and more forgiving - but still at least mid-flexing, check out the following.
Hi, Nate
I am 170 cm and 60 kg and I have been riding the snowboard for 25 years. I have Jones twin sister 149cm now with union trilogy bindings. My shoe size is 39 eu.
I am not happy with this board as I feel I can’t carve and it doesn’t hold well in all conditions, particularly icy conditions, I don’t feel quite stable on it and I can’t develop good speeds. Basically I can’t ride it hard and fast enough. It needs servicing every other day for the better experience. Also not great on fresh snow- off piste. I perhaps had great expectations when I bought it but it doesn’t deliver.
Any thoughts about the next board? And length? (Plus bindings and boots)
I thought of flagship but open to and would appreciate any suggestions.
Kind regards
Benita
Hi Benita
Thanks for your message.
I think the Flagship would definitely be an option. You’d certainly get better stability at speed and better powder performance, from our experience with it. In terms of icy edge hold you might get a little better, but we didn’t notice a huge difference there. The Airheart 2.0 would also be worth considering. Not as good for powder vs the Flagship and not likely to get better powder performance, but better for speed/carving. But given you want improved powder performance I’d be leaning Flaghip over the Airheart 2.0. The Stratos is also another option that will be better at speed/powder vs the Mountain Twin, I think you’d like that, but we prefer the Flaghsip, so I’d still be leaning Flagship.
Other options include:
– YES Hel Yes – not getting much more in terms of speed or powder, but better icy edge hold and carving.
– GNU Barrett – also should be an icy edge hold improvement as well as a little better for powder, speed and carving
But for what you’re describing, I would be leaning Flagship.
Size-wise, I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 149. Given your riding style and given you can size up for freeride boards like the Flagship, I’d be leaning 152. But you could certainly still go 149, if you wanted to. Both would be good width-wise.
If you went Stratos, the 152 is getting pretty big as its quite wide. The 152 at a stretch, but 149 probably best, but again, I’d go 152 Flagship before this one, for you.
If Barrett, I would be leaning more 149, because it has more effective edge vs overall length compared to the Flagship – but the 152 would be doable.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Thanks so much, this is very helpful. May I just ask a little more about yes hel yes-which one and what length would you recommend?
And also which boots and bindings would you go with?
Hi Benita
If you went Hel Yes, I would go 152 for sure. It would then help it to be better than the Twin Sister in terms of stability at speed and float in powder. Still not likely to float or bomb quite as well as the Flagship 152, but should give you better icy edge hold and would be better than Twin Sister, IMO, for powder, speed and carving.
For boots and bindings, the best flex match to the Hel Yes, IMO, would be 6/10 to 7/10. Given your riding style and for the longer length, I would be leaning stiffer, so something 7/10 flex would be best, IMO. For boots the first most important thing is how well they fit your feet/ankles/calves, but after that getting the right flex is important. I will add links below for some good boot and binding options and for boot fit. Though I’m sure after 25 years, you’ll be a pro at fitting boots by now.
>>Top 5 Women’s Freeride Boots
>>Top Women’s Freeride Bindings
>>How to Size Snowboard Boots
Many thanks again, Nate. I will go for jones flagship, just need to confirm the size. I’m tempted with 152, I have a vague memory of having burton deja vu Flying V in 152 several years ago and remember it was a difficult to manoeuvre and heavy board with poor edge holding on hard snow. It maybe construction and width of this particular board and the same length in jones flagship may feel very different, what’s your take on this?
And going with jones flagship which bindings would you choose?
( currently I have flows and union trilogy that I used with Jones twin sister)
Hi Benita
I would be leaning 152, but if you were worried about it, you’d be good on the 149 too.
The Flying V profile is notoriously bad in icy conditions and I haven’t heard from anyone saying they liked it in icy conditions and I’ve never liked it in icy conditions, so no surprise with that.
With freeride boards like the Flagship, you can typically ride them a little longer, because more of that length tends to be outside the contact points than on a board like the Deja Vu. Said another way, the effective edge to overall length ratio on a freeride board is typically lower. The Deja Vu 152 has an effective edge of 116cm. On the Flagship 152, the effective edge is 112.4cm, so quite a bit less. The effective edge on your Twin Sister 149 is 115cm – so even on the shorter length, it has more effective edge.
In terms of bindings, your Trilogy’s would be a good match to the Flagship, IMO. Or if you wanted to go a little stiffer, you could look at the likes of the Flux GX, Burton Lexa X or Jones Aurora.
Many thanks again, brilliant advice as usual. I heard somewhere that Jones boards need frequent waxing and edge sharpening (I can confirm that Twin Sister that I am using at present feels great immediately after the service but only for about 1-2 days). Would you recommend buying and using any of the self- service kits?
Hi Benita
I personally wax all my own boards and if you’re waxing frequently it makes a lot of sense (and I find when I wax myself it does a better job than getting it done in the shop or at the resort). I don’t sharpen my own boards, as I find that doesn’t need to be done as often, so I’m not sure if that’s worth doing your self or not. I haven’t used a Jones board over a long enough time period to know how long they are typically good for after a sharpening or waxing.
Hi, I just purchased Vans Viaje (US 8) and the heel doesn’t fit into my old Burton Escapade M (14/15 season). I am looking to buy Union Legacy. The sizing chart still recommends size M. Would you say I should go with size M? Also, are these two a good match? I would say my skill level is 6-7. My current board is Gnu Barrett from last season 149. I prefer to ride off-piste if there is now. I don’t do any freestyle.
Hi Elena
Thanks for your message.
Yeah Vans boots do tend to be wider at the heel. Recently tested the Vans Hi County & Hell Bound and just fit them in my Burton bindings.
I would be leaning Trilogy over the Legacy for your setup and how you describe your riding, unless you really want that better board feel from the mini-disc in the Legacy. But if you’re not doing anything freestyle, then I’d lean Trilogy, as it gives you just a little more on a carve and without freestyle, your style of riding should suit the Trilogy better, IMO. But the Legacy wouldn’t be wrong. And yeah, with 8s Medium is your best bet. No guarantees the heel will fit, but hopefully!
Hope this helps
Hi there,
I recently realized that I desperately need new boots. I cannot ride one more day on my 5 year old Salomon Ivy’s. My feet are KILLING me. I thought it was just my messed up feet, until I realized it’s not normal to have to re-tighten boa laces 5 times down each run, (not actually the main issue), so I started reading about foot pain and snowboard boots. Thankfully, I came across your website, which is super helpful! However, I have a burning question that I’m hoping you can clear up for me.
I switched from skiing to boarding a few years ago, and as my skills have progressed, it has become obvious that my beginner equipment was holding me back. So, I’ve replaced my board and bindings, and that helped a lot, but my feet are still killing me. I’ve come to the conclusion that the pain is due to two problems: 1) high arches that cause my single-boa boots to cut off circulation to my feet if I tighten them enough to have any control, and 2) lots of heel slip in my current boots, which causes tons of pressure on the balls of my feet in order to hold a toe edge.
So, I think I need a boot with separate lacing for foot and ankle and one with less heel slip, as well as probably a special insert for arch support. I also think I need a stiffer boot that will provide better control, hopefully without cutting off circulation to my feet! All the shops in my city are very low on inventory, with very few options currently available in my size. So, after extensive online research, I decided to order a pair of Burton Supremes. They were the last pair I could find in my size in the world, so I figured best to order them, try them, and return if necessary. Trying them on at home, they feel pretty awesome! Minimal heel slip, and absolutely no pressure on the balls of my feet on the toe edge. My instinct is to keep them and take them to a custom fitter for heat molding and inserts. BUT, here’s my hesitation….
All the reviews I read about the Burton Supreme say that they are great / the best money can buy, but expensive, and “for experts only.” I’m an intermediate snowboarder. (I hope the right boots will help me progress more toward expert!) Do people say this because of the price? Or am I going to hate these once I’m on the mountain for some reason I can’t feel at home? I don’t care about the price tag, I just desperately want to be able to enjoy snowboarding without excruciating pain! And I want better edge control so I can go faster and steeper.
Before I take these expensive boots to get customized, can you tell me if I’ll be making a stupid mistake?
Thank you!
Meegan
Hi Meegan
Thanks for your message.
I would say that part of why people say expert only is because of price. There’s often a bias to thinking that. But another part is that they are quite stiff flexing, which is typically reserved for more advanced riders (as stiffer means less forgiving of errors and typically makes things harder to maneuver when riding at slower speeds). But I wouldn’t say they are necessarily out of the question for an intermediate rider. I would say you’d want to be at least a solid intermediate rider (as opposed to someone who is just feeling like they are becoming intermediate – there’s quite a difference – for more see Snowboard Skill Levels. Often people think of themselves as intermediate when they’re more in that beginner level 4 stage. It sounds like you’re well past that from what you’re describing.
If you’re closer to level 6 then I think the Supreme will be just fine, particularly if you’re more into riding fast and steep than you are into freestyle stuff. If you are more into freestyle or want to get into freestyle, then the Supreme are probably too stiff, but if you’re at or close to a level 6 in things other than freestyle riding, then I think you’ll be fine with them. I would say expert if you were wanting to ride them for freestyle, but level 6 intermediate for other types of riding, so long as your not like a super casual rider (or a super light rider – the lighter your weight the more stiff they will feel).
It’s also important to match to your gear. If you can let me know the board and boots you’re riding, that’s something else to consider, to make sure they’re a good flex match for your setup.
But assuming they are a good match for your setup and your at or close to that level 6 intermediate and given you’re coming from skiing, where I’m guessing you had stiffer boots, I think you’ll likely be fine.
Hope this helps
Hi,
I’m just wondering your opinion about the Viaje vs the Ferra Pro (also Vans)? I have a super narrow heel and I can pretty much never find a boot that will hold it in place. I also have rough knees at this point and collapsed arches.. so I’m looking for good shock absorption and decent arch support. I’d like a medium to medium-stiff flex. Looking for some input. If you even get this message I really appreciate your response! 🙂
Hi Hannah
Thanks for your message.
Ferra Pro are softer flexing than the Viaje but still a really good quality boot. They’re more like a 6/10 versus the 8/10 on the Viaje. So if you want more of that medium flex, the Ferra Pro gives you that option. Also Ferra Pro is traditional lace, but with a boa that works to crank around the ankle to help with heel hold. In my experience with Vans boots, they tend to be good for flat feet. My left foot is pretty flat. Alternatively for more customized arch support you could get custom footbeds made. Not sure where/how as I haven’t done it myself, but worth looking into if you need good arch support. Heel hold usually good in Vans boots particularly with the ankle harness boa. But there’s no substitution for trying on in person, if at all possible.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
I’ve ride 32 Lashed for several years. Love them but now considering a little more advanced boots.
Really hesitate between the Ride Cadence and K2 Contour! Adjustability 2/5 for the Contour???
Similar for the 19-20 and 20-21 models?
I was also considering the Burton Ritual… What you think?
Thank you!
Hi Cynthia
Thanks for your message.
Yeah the issue with the Contour’s adjustability is that it has just one Boa for the whole outer shell of the boot. So you can’t independently tighten the upper and lower sections of the outer boot. The second boa works on the ankle harness around the liner. Which is a really nice feature, as it means you can re-tighten that harness on the fly, without having to open the outer boot, if you find your heel starting to lift after a while riding. I really like boots with that feature, but in this case the outer boot adjustability is poor. If you’re OK with not having separate tightening for the upper and lower sections of the outer boot, then it’s a great choice.
2020 and 2021 Contour models are similar. The 2021 model has a new sole, but in terms of everything else, they are very similar.
The Burton Ritual are nice boots, but are quite a bit softer flexing than the boots here. I’d say even softer flexing than the Lashed. They are a nicer boots than the Lashed (IMO), but I wouldn’t say they’re more advanced. They are great if you were looking for something medium flex and particularly good for riding freestyle. But if you’re looking for a stiffer, more freeride oriented boot, then something from this list is the way to go.
Hope this helps
Why don’t you have women testing out women’s products?
Hi Alanna
Thanks for your message. And a very good point/question.
I have had some gear tested by women and plan to do more so in the future. I got too busy to organize it last winter, but this season looking to up that side of things for sure.
This was such an awesome and helpful site! Thank you for publishing this. I was having the hardest time narrowing down stiff women’s boots. This website was exactly what I was looking for to compare styles and flex ratings across brands.
Hi Kristy
Thanks for your comments and for visiting the site. Hope you have a great season!
Hello the above review was helpful as I just purchased the Ride Cadence. I’m curious why it was only give me 3.5 for comfort. ? Should I be concerned. .
Hi Ashly
I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Comfort is highly subjective. That rating is taking to account my experience with the closest male version – in addition to reviews from others who have ridden in them. But boot comfort is one of those things that is highly influenced by how well they fit your feet (there are other factors too but that’s the main one) and feet are weird – everyone’s feet fit differently. So, if they fit you well, that’s the main thing that’s going to determine how comfortable they are for you.
Hello Nate, I’m a beginner in snowboarding yet I really like the comfortableness of K2 contour 2019. Can I ride on it as a beginner? Will it be too much for a beginner? Thanks.
Hi Olivia
Thanks for your message.
Yeah, unfortunately, the Contour is too stiff to be a good beginner option, IMO.
Have you tried other K2 boots? It might be that you like the fit of their boots in general – and going with a softer flexing K2 option might be the way to go. K2 Haven is a great beginner option. Also check out:
>>My Top Women’s Beginner Boots
Hope this helps