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PR: Burton's '98 Line of Boots |
SIA Snow Show and On Snow Demo (Undercover!) (1-19-24-97) Airwalk and Burton Step Out of Step-In Market For Another Year (10-15-96) |
Snowboarding evolved from the Snurfer, a binding-less wooden banana that got a lot of people, Jake Burton included, thinking that something better might be just around the corner. You might think that the first big step forward was bindings, but even before that, boots were essential. You couldn't even get up the hill without them, much less ride down. Twenty years have gone by, and so have 20 generations of Burton snowboarding footwear. Fit is critical in any footwear. In snowboarding it's damn important, because your snowboard is basically trying to pull your boots off your feet and shove them back, on all day long. The scientific term for the former phenomenon is heel lift, the latter is toe bang. By optimizing the lacing system, and refining the bladder to a snowboard fit, Burton boots address both issues. But Burton had that problem solved years ago. This season it's the details that have been addressed to improve fit. First, sizing is gender-specific. If you're feet are exceptionally wide or narrow, you can cross-dress, but in general, women need a narrower heel, higher arch, and more room around the back of the calf. They get it in 5 out of 6 of Burton's '98 soft boot offering: Drifter, Ruler, Freestyle, Moto, and Fader. The Moto Boot also comes in kids'-specific sizing. Second, the boot lasting (or interior shaping) is dedicated to snowboarding, and developed by Burton, not some non-riding outside boot source. Burton has determined that additional room in the toes results in warmth with no loss in performance. Close fit around the heel controls heel lift. An anatomical footbed increases warmth, absorbs impact, and supports the arch. The Drifter Boot is the latest in Burton's advancing "big freestyle riding" category, with excellent support and response to land the big ones, without having to resort to foot-freezing tightness. Third, a shell that readily conforms to the shape of your foot is critical to fit. It used to be that the lower half of snowboarding boots was rubber, like a duck boot. Unfortunately, this created a semi-rigid shell that did not tighten with the lacing, leaving your foot free to roam about inside. With waterproof leather and composite materials right down to the sole, carefully-positioned, easy-pull lace loops, no-stretch laces, and gender-specific shell sizing, the outside of the boot conforms to the inside of the boot, which conforms to your foot which conforms with your needs for snowboarding happiness. The Freestyle Boot has waterproof nylon panels that softly conform to your foot even before you begin lacing. Lastly, the tongue. Burton pre-curves their boot tongues, ready to conform to your foot when the boot is laced. The Ruler Boot features a Hytrel tongue that has molded foam designed to improve toeside response--rather than squish, it turns your board. Dedicated function is the other major component to performance. Many companies take the same or similar soles and throw different-looking boots on top. Burton dedicates each component to the specific needs of each boot. Sole pattern, shape and density. Tongue shape and stiffness/response. Cuff padding, stiffness/response. Heel cup rigidity. Shell construction. Lacing. The same rules apply to hard boots, but the results are accomplished a little differently. The Furnace Boot is the stiffest, most responsive hard shell boot Burton makes, but even it gets a little less stiff in smaller sizes, in proportion to the input forces of a smaller rider. Even the dampening springs are proportioned to size. The adjustable buckles, forward lean, lateral/medial flex, dampening, and power plate all allow the rider to customize fit and function.
PR: Burton's
'98 Line of Snowboards |
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