You finally booked your ultimate winter adventure – a few days on the slopes with your closest friends and trusty snowboard. As you pack your gear, it crosses your mind that you haven’t worn your snowboarding boots in a few years. Hoping that they will still fit, and too excited to care, you throw them in your bag and hit the road. But alas this is not a Cinderella story; stiff, blistered, and sore feet from ill-fitting boots are a surefire way to ruin your weekend getaway.
Here are the 5 most comfortable women’s snowboard boots, that will fit like the glass slipper you hoped they would be. Spoiler: Our top pick is the Burton Mint Boa Boot. An added bonus? Most of these styles can be delivered quickly through Amazon with 1-2 day shipping.
If you’re new to snowboarding, make sure you check out our detailed breakdown of snowboarding costs.
Table of Contents
In A Hurry? Here’s Our Top Picks…
Click Image for More Photos | Product | Details | Price |
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Burton Mint Boa Women's Snowboard Boot | Best All Around Boot | ||
Avalanche Eclipse Women’s Snowboard Boots | Best Budget-Friendly Boot | ||
Salomon Women's Ivy Snowboard Boot | Best Speed Lace Boot | ||
Thirtytwo Women's STW Boa | Best Soft Flex Boot | ||
DC Search BOA Women’s Snowboard Boots | Best Medium Flex Boot |
How Do You Buy Snowboarding Boots, Anyway?
There are countless styles and brands when it comes to women’s snowboarding boots, and it can be confusing to know what features are important, and how boots should fit both your feet and snowboard. Comfort and functionality are essential, as your boots are the piece of equipment that you spend most of your time wearing. Help yourself out by following these tips to find the most comfortable women’s snowboard boots that works for your skill and style.
Boot Fit
When buying everyday shoes, people typically like to have a bit of “wiggle room” between their big toe and the front of the shoe. However, when it comes to snowboard boots, they should fit snugly, and feel secure from the top of your foot to your ankle. When trying on your new boots, your toes should just touch the end of the boot liner.
If you were to squat in a snowboarding stance, you should feel your toes lift up just a tad. As your use your boots, the liners on the inside will mold to the shape of your foot and loosen up. If you buy boots with extra room from the get-go, it will only create more work for your feet and legs to stabilize when riding.
Boot/Board Compatibility
It would be quite a buzz kill to buy a seemingly perfect pair of boots, only to find that they don’t fit properly in your board. When your board is the correct size for your boots, it allows you to have increased control and leverage when edging. If the board is too wide or too narrow, there is decreased control and precision while out on the slopes. Check out this chart to see what size boot will fit the width of your board.
Boot Size (U.S. Women’s) | Up to 6.0 | 6.0-8.5 | 8.0-10.5 | 10+ |
Board Waist Width (mm) | 225-235 | 236-245 | 246-250 | 251-254 |
Snowboard Width | Narrow | Regular | Regular | Regular |
Boot Flex
When buying boots, it is important to find a flex that matches your snowboarding conditions and riding style. Most boots are categorized as soft, medium, or stiff flex.
- Soft flex: These snowboard boots have comfortable and durable materials that allow your feet to remain comfortable for a full day of shredding
- Medium flex: A moderate level of flex will provide a combination of balance and flexibility for increased mountain performance and comfort.
- Stiff flex: These boots will have maximum support for catching an edge while maintaining control at higher speeds on tougher slopes.
Lacing Systems
When it comes to lacing your boots, there are 3 variations of laces that you will need to choose from: traditional, quick pull, or Boa. It’s mostly a matter of personal preference regarding which one you pick, so let’s break down the pros/cons of each type.
- Traditional Laces: Similar to the laces of a sneaker, these laces allow the user to customize the tightness of the boots to their own personal preferences.
- Pros:
- The overall tightness of the boot is customizable
- Replacing the laces is simple and easy
- Cons:
- These laces are hard to adjust when wearing gloves
- It is inevitable that they will loosen as your snowboard throughout the day
- Pros:
- Speed Laces: The ultimate goal of these laces are a speedy entry and exit. The configuration is similar to a corset, and allows for tightening across different parts of the foot.
- Pros:
- Quick, convenient, and customizable
- Easy to adjust while wearing gloves
- Cons:
- Challenging to fix if they break on the mountain
- The tightness of the laces are determined by the rider’s strength
- Pros:
- Boa Laces: The Boa laces are intended to be an easy alternative to traditional laces. You simply adjust the dial on the front to tighten or loosen the boot and you are on your way.
- Pros:
- Simple, timely, and convenient
- Easy to adjust while wearing gloves
- Tightness can be fine tuned for a personalized fit.
- Cons:
- The dial adjusts the tightness throughout the entire boot, making it difficult to customize the tightness of each region
- Challenging to fix if they break on the mountain
- Often times a more expensive feature
- Pros:
Top 5 Most Comfortable Women’s Snowboard Boots
1. Burton Mint Boa Women’s Snowboard Boot – Best All Around Boot
These comfortable, soft flex boots have a snow-proof internal gusset that ensures the boots stay dry on the inside after a day of riding. The liners are said to be lightweight, with a DynoLite outsole that helps protect your feet from the inevitable snowboarding impact. The Boa laces make these boots quick and easy to tighten, allowing for the maximum amount of shred time.
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2. Avalanche Eclipse Women’s Snowboard Boots – Best Budget-Friendly Boot
These soft-flex boots are great for beginners who are looking for a budget-friendly boot. They are water-resistant with reinforced toe-boxes for a firm hold. They have a traditional lacing system and a durable rubber sole for hiking and walking on icy conditions.
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3. Salomon Women’s Ivy Snowboard Boot – Best Speed Lace Boot
These medium flex boots have Salomon’s women’s specific Halo 2 liners that are moldable, super warm, and extra soft. They are also sleek, well-cushioned but lightweight, and have a speed lacing system that allows for a customizable fit.
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4. Thirtytwo Women’s STW Boa – Best Soft Flex Boot
These soft flex boots are great for an entry level rider getting comfortable on her board, or for a more seasoned rider who wants to have some fun on the half pipe. The Boa closure allows for an easy, quick, and secure fit, and the internal lacing system ensures that your heels won’t slide around. These boots are also fitted with 32’s Comfort Liner, which molds to your foot and keeps your toes extra warm.
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5. DC Search BOA Women’s Snowboard Boots – Best Medium Flex Boot
These medium flex boots are fast and simple to slide on with their Boa lacing system. They are constructed to be warm and lightweight, but supportive enough to edge all day. For an avid snowboarder looking for a combination of balance and flexibility in their boot, these are for you.
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Before You Hit the Slopes – Avoid These Common Buying Errors
One of these 5 pairs of boots are likely to be the glass slipper you were looking for. It could be our top pick, the Burton Mint Boa, or one of the other four great options. Based on skill and style, you should be able to make your decision based on boot fit, board compatibility, boot flex, and the lacing system. If it seems challenging to make a decision, just remember to avoid these common buying errors:
- Buying boots that are too small or too big. The perfect boot should be snug.
- Buying the cutest boots, but not the most functional boots. Be sure to take your skill level and style of riding into account.
- Not acknowledging that out of all your equipment, you will spend the most amount of your time in your boots. Be sure to find the ones that work best for you!