TL;DR: When in the market for a pair of Burton snowboard boots, it is important to think about your skill level, terrain preference, sizing, and your personal lacing system preference. Prices range widely, starting at just under $200, and going up to roughly $700. But it’s worth it: Burton has set the standard for state-of-the-art snowboard boot technology and comfort for decades now.

Over the last thirty years, I’ve spent over 10,000 hours with my feet inside of snowboard boots. Along with irreparable damage to my toes and toenails has come a wealth of knowledge on how to choose the perfect pair of snowboard boots—so help me to help you, and read on so that you can get the most out of your snowboard boots and pick the pair that’s right for you!

Who is Burton?

Burton was established in Vermont in 1977 by snowboard pioneer and visionary Jake Burton along with his wife Donna. Burton Snowboards went on to establish itself as a driving force of both the product and culture of snowboarding. The top-selling and most widely-known snowboard manufacturer within the industry, Burton has always put a major emphasis on improving snowboarding gear, elevating the sport’s top athletes, and building the industry as a whole.

Burton is world-renowned for making some of the best snowboard boots on the planet. They offer products for kids, adults, and all genders and ability levels. So no matter your personal preferences, if you’re a human, Burton has something that’s right for you.

What to Consider When Buying Burton Snowboard Boots

There are several key considerations to be mindful of when choosing which boot is going to be the best for you. Sizing, price, and flex, although not the only elements, will be among some of the more critical factors to consider before making your next boot purchase. Like the wind atop Stowe Mountain, let’s breeze over what to consider when buying your next pair of Burton boots.

What is your skill level?

Knowing your personal skill level will help you get the most realistic idea of what snowboard boot will work the best for you. For example, the flex of a boot will likely differ based on whether you are a beginner or a more advanced rider.

What is the appropriate boot size and fit for you?

Sizing will have a huge effect on how well a boot performs for you, and how comfortable it is on your foot. Burton boots are typically true to size, relating closely to the size of your street shoes. However, this isn’t a guaranteed metric. Measuring your foot with a Brannock Device is a good way to determine what size is best for your foot’s arch, width, and volume. Burton even offers “wide” snowboard boots, which is quite rare among competing brands.

What type of terrain do you ride?

Your riding style, along with the terrain you typically ride, are both nearly as important as how well you ride. The terrain you most commonly ride will impact what type of boot you need. If you’re more freestyle-motivated, a softer flexing boot is typically more ideal. If you prefer riding off piste in more diverse and challenging terrain, then a stiffer flex is advantageous.

What kind of lacing system do you prefer?

This is completely personal preference, but different lacing systems can vary quite dramatically. Burton utilizes three different lacing systems on their boots—traditional lacing, BOA lacing, and Speed Zone lacing. Traditional lacing boots lace up like any normal boot. The BOA lacing system relies on the twisting of a small dial to tighten your boots. I personally prefer Burton’s Speed Zone lacing system, which uses two tethers to help lock in your ideal tightness for a very comfortable and customizable fit.

How much should Burton snowboard boots cost?

Burton snowboard boots start at just over $200 for base models, and go all the way up to $700 for a state-of-the-art pair of snowboard boots. Price point boots will typically be best for a beginner, offering a soft flex and more comfortable feel. Mid-range boots begin offering more advanced technology for foot comfort and better control. The high-end boots are for those upper-level riders that demand a high performance boot for more advanced situations. The highest-end boots offer advanced features and greater stiffness without sacrificing lightweight feel.

What Are the Different Types of Burton Snowboard Boots?

Burton offers an extremely diverse range of snowboard boots designed for all sideways-sliding winter enthusiasts. Close attention to these details will help you better understand the numerous offerings, increasing your likelihood of getting the most out of your purchase. Let's examine some of these categories:

Beginner Boots

The keywords here are “soft” and “forgiving”. These are the best-sellers, and the top choice for any ambitious rider that is just starting out. Beginner boots are softer, offering the greatest flexibility, and help you learn how to turn easier while providing support for your ankles and calves to reduce rider fatigue.

Benefits:

• Soft flex
• Forgiving
• Extremely lightweight and comfortable

Keep in Mind:

• May not provide support for the more advanced rider or higher speeds

Examples: Men’s Burton Moto Boa, Women’s Burton Mint Boa

Freestyle Boots

These are for the riders whose favorite runs are the terrain parks, and whose main focus is on tricks, kickers, or rails. They’re perfect for those that want a boot that feels light and nimble on their feet, while providing ample ankle support and preventing heel lift.

Benefits:

• Reduced break-in period
• Typically more lightweight, reducing fatigue on long days lapping the park
• Often emphasize comfort

Keep in Mind:

• The softer flex may not be ideal for high speeds in variable terrain

Examples: Men’s Swath Boa, Woman’s Limelight Boa.

All-Mountain or Freeride Boots

Designed for riders with a wider palette of snowboarding tastes and that ride the entire mountain, from groomers, to off piste, to powder. An all-mountain boot should provide decent comfort with a higher performance and more responsive feel. These will allow you to adapt to a greater range of conditions or riding styles.

Benefits:

• Suitable for a wider and wilder range of terrain and conditions
• Offer the most support and greatest response
• May be suitable for riders in the upper intermediate to expert range

Keep in Mind:

• Usually not as comfortable or easy to use as a softer, more beginner-friendly boot

Examples: Men’s Burton Ruler, Men’s Photon Boa , Men’s Burton Ion, Women’s Burton Ritual LTD Step On

Features to Look for When Buying Burton Snowboard Boots

Burton makes products that are on the forefront of snowboarding technology, through advancements in both performance and comfort. I’ll cover some of the key features that keep them on the cutting edge:

• EST Sole: Drawing from snowboarding’s skate and surf heritage to give you a more direct connection to your board, EST Sole lowers the spot where your heel sits in the boot to allow your foot to sit flatter on the board, without sacrificing cushioning.
• Step On: Step on is Burton’s own revolutionary technology that allows you to simply “Step On” to your snowboard and go. No need to bend down to strap in as with traditional snowboard bindings. These bindings are specific to this style of boots, and Step On boots will not work with traditional strap-in bindings.
• DRYRIDE Heat Cycle: DRYRIDE captures, radiates, and reflects body heat back in toward your body to help keep your feet dry and wick moisture.
• 3M Thinsulate Insulation: Featured in many of Burton’s heat-moldable liners to provide lots of warmth without any of the bulk, 3M Thinsulate Insulation keeps you warmer in cold temperatures.
• Vibram Sole: This is a full rubber outsole for complete underfoot coverage, offering the best traction available.
• Recycled Materials: Burton utilizes recycling to increase quality in their snowboard boots, while aiming to decrease resource consumption.
• Dual-Zone BOA: Dual-Zone BOA offers two distinct BOA zones, both upper and lower, to allow for a more custom fit, since the top and bottom of boot are adjusted independently from the upper and lower zone of the boot.
• Sleeping Bag Reflective Foil: This is a super low profile, ultra lightweight “shield” that lays under your foot to help reflect the cold radiating from the snow, keeping your feet extra warm in cold conditions.

These features are used on different boot models in a variety of combinations to unlock the best boots to suit a vast demographic. No matter what, it’s important to remember that a good fit is the most critical factor in your decision.

How to Choose the Right Burton Snowboard Boots

Let’s go over a few hypothetical scenarios with imaginary riders, and make some gear recommendations based on their different needs, preferences or experience levels. The people are fictional—however, the recommended gear is very much real.

Ron: All-star athlete, and complete newbie to snowboarding

Ron has never stepped foot on a snowboard, yet is quite the experienced waterman, growing up surfing, swimming and diving off England’s rugged coastline. He’s a plucky Brit, keen on finding out how his preexisting skills and experience will cross over to snow.

Features to look for:

• A soft to mid flexing boot that will help him learn to snowboard, but keep up with his rapid progression.
• EST Sole for more of a direct foot-to-board connection, which helps snowboarding feel more similar to surfing or skateboarding.

My recommendation: Men’s Burton Ruler

Hermione: An intermediate snowboarder looking to soon become a master of the craft

After a recent graduation from Uni, this lassie is chuffed to step out of the library and onto her board this winter. She wants a boot and binding combo that will allow her to just step right onto her bindings and be connected to the board—like magic.

Features to look for:

• A mid flexing boot that she can step right into.
• Step On boots that can match her level of witchcraft.

My recommendation: Women’s Ritual Step On Boot

Harry: His wizardry on the slopes is unmatched, and he needs a top-notch pair of boots for his snowy spellbinding adventures.

Harry’s fast paced, quidditch-inspired riding style has him levitating along the slopes with the same courage and precision he displays on a broomstick. Nothing is too scary for Harry, and he’s no stranger to heavy spots, burlier features, or larger drops.

Features to look for:

• Speed Zone Lace or BOA system for a very custom fit, providing the utmost excellence in board feel
• A stiffer, more supportive boot to handle higher speeds and harder impacts

My recommendation: Men’s Burton Photon Boa

Find the Best Burton Snowboard Boots for You

There are many different combinations of flex, lacing systems, boot-to-binding interfaces, and styles for consumers to choose from these days. With the nearly limitless set of options, it is important to take time to get the boot that will best match your personal set of needs. Luckily, you can chat with me or a fellow Curated Winter Sports for free, personalized advice on finding the best pair of boots for you. I’m happy to help find the boot that will best fit your needs—and your feet.