Stiff softboot recommendations?

[Guest claudio]

Hi guys -

I'm new to Bomberonline, and to carving in general. I've been freeriding for 15 years and over time, I've been increasingly carving. I think I will eventually migrate to a hardboot/carving setup over time, but want to transition there via a hybrid/softie setup.

I just bought a Prior ATV 167 with Catek Freeride Pros, to replace my prior Salomon 450 166. I weigh ~ 185/190 lbs, Mondo 28.5 size boots, and I would like to keep the stance angles as low as I can without toe drag.

My question is the following: I currently have Salomon Malamute boots and people here seem to think they're reasonably stiff. They are an older model (2000 or 2001), so no thermal liner. I've heard lots of good things about Thirtytwo boots and am thinking of upgrading my boots, too.

Will getting Thirtytwos make a big difference in the setup I will have? Or will the Malamutes be fine for now? Also, I know everyone likes the Thirtytwo Forecasts (stiffest), but the Vaders look sick to me. Has anyone tried Thirtytwo vaders in a softie carving setup? Any perspectives on the Vaders would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Claudio

[Sinecure]

Wow! Awesome sounding set up there. I think that Lonerider and KJL (look for their user names and email them) have experience with similar set ups. You are going to kick some serious a$$ when you get on hard boots after this transition. Then again, if you have the fancy straps on your Cateks, you might not need hard boots.

Update your profile with location info so others here know where you are and can ride with you.

[Mike T]

I've ridden 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 Malamutes, both are plenty stiff for carving especially in Catek Freerides. I still have the 01/02's.

I find that the actek bindings work better than other stiff softie bindings (e.g., Salomon SP6) at higher angles. You may still need to get up to around 35-45 degrees if you want to eliminate toe drag completeley. But the Cateks will support that better than most other soft bindings.

[kjl]

Yeah, that does sound like a pretty rockin softboot setup. I have malamutes and catek freerides as well - they work great for laying down some softie carves.

Make sure you rotate the highbacks around if you have pretty high angles so you get heelside support, and think about cranking the back binding with heel lift + forward lean for even more extra heelside goodness.

Sorry - I have no useful information about the boots you are interested in, but the ones you have are nice and stiff already.

[lonerider]

Hi guys -

I just bought a Prior ATV 167 with Catek Freeride Pros, to replace my prior Salomon 450 166. I weigh ~ 185/190 lbs, Mondo 28.5 size boots, and I would like to keep the stance angles as low as I can without toe drag.

My question is the following: I currently have Salomon Malamute boots and people here seem to think they're reasonably stiff. They are an older model (2000 or 2001), so no thermal liner. I've heard lots of good things about Thirtytwo boots and am thinking of upgrading my boots, too.

Will getting Thirtytwos make a big difference in the setup I will have? Or will the Malamutes be fine for now? Also, I know everyone likes the Thirtytwo Forecasts (stiffest), but the Vaders look sick to me. Has anyone tried Thirtytwo vaders in a softie carving setup? Any perspectives on the Vaders would be very helpful.

Claudio

Hey, I spent my first couple seasons with my trusty Salomon 450 154... where was I? Oh yes. Stick with the Malamutes. I have a pair of the ThirtyTwo Forecasts and they are nice, but they aren't particularly stiff compared to most of the boots in the Salomon line (I've ridden the Salomon Dialogue, Synapse,and F22). The ThirtyTwo lineup is rather on the soft end in general. I've found the Intuition heat moldable liner nice, but it isn't as important in softboots and most brands now have liners that are heat moldable help avoid pressure points. So I'm reasonably happy with them as they are lower profile (i.e. helps avoid drag), light, and got rid of most of my heel lift/arch pain issues... but I think the Malamutes with their built in ankle strap would have probably been as good or a better choice (I do miss the quick-lacing system). I think you'll enjoy the Cateks as well. Good luck!

[Guest claudio]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. This is really helpful.

I think I'll probably stick with the malamutes for now and see how they end up working for me, before deciding whether to get new boots. Just out curiosity, can custom liners be added to older soft boots?

Thanks

Claudio

[Guest jschal01]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. This is really helpful.

I think I'll probably stick with the malamutes for now and see how they end up working for me, before deciding whether to get new boots. Just out curiosity, can custom liners be added to older soft boots?

Thanks

Claudio

Yes as to the liners. But, why new liners? Are the existing ones padded out, or are you doing it to stiffen the existing boot? If it's a warmth issue, a full foam liner such as an Intuition will be warmer, but chemcial toe warmers can be a cheaper solution. If it's a fit issue, you can solve most fit issues working with the existing liners. If it's to stiffen the boot, since you're already thinking about an alpine setup, you could get the boots & plates used for not much more than the new custom liners.

[Budge]

I found that the stock liners in the Malamutes had pressure points from the tongue that caused me quite a bit of discomfort. I took the Intuiition liners out of my hardboots and used them in the Malamutes and the worked really well. They are stiffer than the stock liners and much more comfortable. I did not remold them and there is less space in the Malamutes so that I got a bit of pressure on the toes but remolding the liners will deal with that I expect. I would recommend the Intuition liners if the stock liners are giving you problems.

David

[Guest alakata]

32 prions are a stiff soft boot and cheap too! around 100 dollars ive ridden them on my soft setup for 3 years now... try them

[Wendell]

I'm in Malamutes for about three years and carve freeride boards with no problem (even the Fish). Love the Malamutes.

[Guest claudio]

Yes as to the liners. But, why new liners? Are the existing ones padded out, or are you doing it to stiffen the existing boot? If it's a warmth issue, a full foam liner such as an Intuition will be warmer, but chemcial toe warmers can be a cheaper solution. If it's a fit issue, you can solve most fit issues working with the existing liners. If it's to stiffen the boot, since you're already thinking about an alpine setup, you could get the boots & plates used for not much more than the new custom liners.

Sorry, I don't think I was being clear. I meant thermal/moldable liners. My malamutes are pretty snug, but I'm not sure how 'snug' they will be once I start riding on a stiffer setup and whether I'll end up with heel lift. So, I am wondering if I could potentially replace my existing liners with moldable ones and whether that might be a good idea.

Thanks

C

[lonerider]

Sorry, I don't think I was being clear. I meant thermal/moldable liners. My malamutes are pretty snug, but I'm not sure how 'snug' they will be once I start riding on a stiffer setup and whether I'll end up with heel lift. So, I am wondering if I could potentially replace my existing liners with moldable ones and whether that might be a good idea.

C

If they are snug now with no heel lift while freeriding on your current setup, you should be find with the ATV and Cateks - any heel lift you might sudden get would be due to your technique breaking down and you trying to getting too much on your toes instead of driving with your shins/knees.

[ak_rider]

i cant really compare thritytwo's to salmons but i can give you my opinion on thirtytwo boots. i just got a pair of vela's(women's version of the 305) and i work with a guy who just picked up a pair of 305's. we both agree these softboots are surprisingly similar to hardboots. my first skate through the liftline made me think i was in my hardboots, and the instant response i had when carving was amazing. stiff and very supportive. probably not the stiffest softboots out there, but if your salmons ever fall apart i would definately recommend looking at thirtytwo

[Scotty Pumpkins]

no one mentioned it, so i figured id chime in. Ive been riding burton drivers for years already. nice and stiff, no complaints. i dont know if they still make them anymore, you may be able to get left overs for cheap if you look.

scott

[bobdea]

great boot with adjustable stiffness(removable tongue insert) that is easier to deal with than other brands but a little less effective than some other methods like the deeluxe softies and a couple others BUT this is what I have been told and is not first hand experience

I like the drivers I have a bunch of time on them but they are not good for a wide foot also the burton Ion is one hell of a boot that is slightly softer but over all aa better boot than the driver IMHO

anyone ride the deeluxe boots with the removable plastic sticks?

[Guest jschal01]

Have the DeeLuxe TT Freaks with plastic inserts. Great boot. The inserts do allow some control over flex pattern, going from super-supportive if you use the stiffer inserts to prety flexible. They are a higher-volume boot than many, though, in terms of fit with bindings. They fit my Nideckers well, Burtons not so well. I prefer the Burton bindings so use other boots most of the time except when wanting a super-stiff softboot setup. Also, the stock thermo liner breaks down pretty quickly in my experience, I'd say it's good for maybe 15-40 days depending on use. (Wide variance but use is a wide variance.)

Drivers not fitting wide feet??? Boot fit can be a really individual thing, I've got pretty wide feet but they fit me very well in the forefoot, are too big in the heel pocket...I get much better heel-hold out of the Shaun Whites.

[Budge]

Heel hold down was not a problem. The Intuition liners are very snug and hold the heel down nicely. You end up losing the lacing on the inner boot and the velcro strap over thetop of your foot which ahd me concerned but the Intuition liners were much more comfortable and still very secure. The liner also stiffens the boot up somewhat which you may or may not want. AIf your boots are comfortable now, I wouldn't bother. If they are not, I wouldn't hesitate to swap for the Intuitions.

[Rob Stevens]

Thirty-Two Team 2's

Burton Driver with the VIBRAM SOLE (new this year). You'll never know how much a stiff sole can contribute to a good carve vs. a stiff ankle.

[Guest claudio]

Just wanted to follow up to let people know that the Prior ATV rocks! This board is a BEAST!

On any kind of groomed or icy conditions it holds its edge and absolutely rails! The overall ride is quite similar to a regular freeride board, but with much more edge hold. It is also UNBELIEVABLY fast. Ice? What ice?

In 2-3 feet of chopped-up fresh powder, I found it a bit difficult to handle - that appears to be the only downside relative to a regular freeride board. But on untracked pow it floats nicely.

The ride is certainly not as forgiving as my old Salomon 450, but it is a blast if you're a fairly aggressive rider. I highly recommend the Prior ATV to anyone looking for a high performance softie carving set-up.

[Markman]

I started years ago and held off on soft booting until I found gear that was stiff enough to carve with.

The setup that I have that works amazingly well is the F2 Hurricane boot with F2 high back Intec bindings (you have to purchase the boot and binding together) and a Nitro Dark Horse board. I have used this set up in everything from big bumps to deep Kicking Horse pow to Tremblant ice and it seems to perform in everything. The liner on the Hurricane is full thermo with a tongue, so it's similar to a Garmont G-Fit liner. The Intec setup is clever in that the connection point is under the arch, not the heel as with hardboots.

There are two hitches: (1) it's a spendy set up - but I plan to keep it for a while; (2) the F2 softboot Intec setup is only available in Europe -- I got mine from www.blue-tomato.at with a 3-day delivery to Canada using DHL Express.

M