Breaking in boots is crucial in ensuring the perfect fit and comfort when slopping down that mountain or terrain. These boots usually stretch and pack out for more room for your feet during snowboarding. It makes the activity safer, fun, more responsive to the snowboard, and fulfilling. Now that you know it is a vital step before snowboarding, how can you do it? Read on to find out!
How to Break In Your New Snowboard Boots
1. Heat the Mold-able Liners
In the current market, most of the liners are custom-made and moldable to fit your exact feet. These custom options have more insulation when compared to regular liners and can be molded to maintain good blood circulation in your feet. While the shell of the boot will break down as time goes by, the liner may need some initial assistance with some heat. This works if the liners are moldable.
2. Walk in the Boots around the House
This has to be the easiest way to break in your boots. All you need to do is wear them in the house with thin socks and walk around for several hours. You can even do your chores or run errands while wearing the boots. The walking activity helps the bots adjust and take in your feet’s shape. It will be useful if you plan an expedition in a few days.
3. Have the Boots Machine Molded
If you notice that the boots take a long time to mold naturally, you can always have them machine-molded at the store. Most outfitter stores offer the service free of charge after your purchase. It is quick and allows you to snowboard with your boots right after.
The process will include distributing heat on the boot, from the liners to the boot areas. After this, the experts will request that you wear the boots for 10 to 15 minutes to assess their effectiveness. If you feel some pressure during the process, you can use toe caps on your feet to ensure that the areas pack out some more.
4. Take on a Short Snowboard Ride
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced snowboarder, you must be careful not to break in the boots on a long ride. The best thing is that most boots can break in quickly within the first or second day of the winter activity. Others are stiffer and may take up to four days to feel complexly found and comfortable.
Boots with high-quality stiff liners take longer as compared to those with a soft flex or lower quality. Either way, take them on a short ride with all the proper gear and listen to how your feet feel in them.
5. Use the Right Socks
Being such a highly engaging activity, friction is inevitable. Remember that friction is a huge aspect that affects your comfort and may even make your feet susceptible to blisters and injuries. As such, riders must minimize the amount of material in the boots. Go for the thinnest ski or snowboarding socks on the market. This ensures you minimize the moisture and create less friction for the feet.
Most people get it wrong by wearing heavy or multiple pairs of socks to keep their feet warm. Against the norm, having one thin pair of socks prevents you from having raw feet and poor blood circulation. The boots are already designed to be warm.
6. Get Add-On Tongue
An add-on tongue looks like a shoe’s footbed. It rests on it just like a tongue does in the mouth. The add-on option is designed to fit the shin and the existing boot’s tongue. It firmly locks your heels in the boot’s heel pockets, thus minimizing instep and cuff volume. You can get it from snowboarding footwear supply shops like Snow + Rock.
Additionally, the add-on tongue keeps the feet from floating in the shoe. With this, you minimize the trauma risk your feet could suffer when making turns. After wearing the boots a few times, your feet get used to the boot, and you may not need the extra tongue.
7. Incorporate a Booster Strap
Consider getting a booster strap for enhanced security on your new snowboard boots. This is a type of elastic power strap that keeps the inner liner as close to the shin as possible. Its positioning enhances the power transmission when you move your toe and heel during the snowboarding activity. Everything goes to enhancing your comfort levels and stability with the new pair.
Conclusion
As you can see, breaking in your new snowboarding boots is a worthwhile process to make them more comfortable and flexible. It also gives your feet a feel of the boots before heading out on the expedition, thus knowing what to expect. With the right breaking in, the shoes take the shape of your feet and improve the responsiveness on the snowboard. The good thing is that all the above breaking-in techniques are easy and accessible to most people. Try them out, and let us know how your new snowboarding boots feel!
