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I love BOA for convenience, but I’ve never had BOAs that didn’t need retightened after every run or two and it annoys the shit out of me.

eleveneightnate wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 1:11 pm I love BOA for convenience, but I’ve never had BOAs that didn’t need retightened after every run or two and it annoys the shit out of me.

Are they actually loosening, or are the boots settling? I always snug up a time or two in the first few runs, and that's been true with every lace system

Spenser wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 1:22 pm Are they actually loosening, or are the boots settling? I always snug up a time or two in the first few runs, and that's been true with every lace system

Usually re-tightening throughout the day all day. My last few boots have had H3s and it does seem like my latest Photons with H4s are better about it. I’ve noticed the cables themselves aren't all created equal, either.

The Choosen One’s sacred footprint. Pretty rad that they opened up an entirely new facility for boots, I imagine that means they have every intention of expanding the line going forward.

Edit: based on the comments it looks like they have trad lace, wide, step on, and women’s versions in the works.

eleveneightnate wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 1:11 pm I love BOA for convenience, but I’ve never had BOAs that didn’t need retightened after every run or two and it annoys the shit out of me.

I will probably full-time convert some day just because of available options, but I really don't think BOAs are all that more convenient. I've timed myself, I'm about as fast getting into my Adidas Tacticals (trad lace) as my Adidas Acerras (double boa). I also can also customize the trad laces a bit more and get a bit more tension at the top of the tongue than with BOAs.

I also never touch BOA dials throughout the day except for lunch. Theoretically I could pop open the boas on the chairlift up, but they feel little loose getting off the lift and tightening back up is one more thing to do at the top of the run.

The biggest conveniences with BOA for me are storage (no messy laces), walking to the lift (pop undone, no tripping on laces), and I can get out of the boots slightly faster at the end of the day because I can easily release tension off the lower zone. All of those are nice to haves, but I still prefer laces.

In fairness the new H4 coilers seem nice and in a couple demos I have liked the ropes/cords over the old metal cables.

eleveneightnate wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 1:11 pm I love BOA for convenience, but I’ve never had BOAs that didn’t need retightened after every run or two and it annoys the shit out of me.

I am with you, I always thought it was my skinny ankles/calf’s that I could never keep them tight. Tired with 3 different double boa boots then gave up.

I seem to have a different experience with these kinds of things than a lot of people. I don't feel like laces are more customizable for me, I hate using them after doing it for years, never had trouble getting speedzone tight at all, never had a boa loosen, etc

Speed is one thing, and I don't care about it. It's more about the experience of using the system. Did laces for a bunch of years, did speedzone for a bunch of years (Burton is the only one I found to work well) and have been on boa for three years now, and it's easily my favorite. Granted, I came into them when H4 coiler was already being used. I avoided them in the past because they sounded untrustworthy. They tighten properly for me, they're super simple to snug up as your boots fully settle in the first couple laps, etc

The one thing I could do without - but doesn't bother me - is the fact that they stick out. Can't really see how it's an issue unless you like slim pants.

Related/unrelated - So many people seem to love the infuse, but man those things struck me as a hot mess when I tried them on a couple times. I have a couple local friends who love the boot but are super over the system.

eleveneightnate wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 3:31 pm The Choosen One’s sacred footprint. Pretty rad that they opened up an entirely new facility for boots, I imagine that means they have every intention of expanding the line going forward.

Edit: based on the comments it looks like they have trad lace, wide, step on, and women’s versions in the works.

This made me laugh only because I just happened across a Remind advert with Rice saying fully custom insoles "shut down his muscle function" or something like that. There's probably plenty of reasons in boot development to have a foot imprint though.

I wonder if a technology to basically inject a foam layer between a thin liner and shell would ever show up. Rather than cutting/placing bits and pieces of foam around like some of us do, one could just shoot in all the voids in one go for a fully custom fit. Probably way more complicated and not more beneficial than heat molding a quality aftermarket liner...evening musings...

Spenser wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 6:03 pm
Related/unrelated - So many people seem to love the infuse, but man those things struck me as a hot mess when I tried them on a couple times. I have a couple local friends who love the boot but are super over the system.

Totally agree. They fit me pretty well, but wish it had a little less going on. I understand the purpose, but it's just a little excessive, imo.

Muskrat wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 8:13 pm

eleveneightnate wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 3:31 pm The Choosen One’s sacred footprint. Pretty rad that they opened up an entirely new facility for boots, I imagine that means they have every intention of expanding the line going forward.

Edit: based on the comments it looks like they have trad lace, wide, step on, and women’s versions in the works.

I wonder if a technology to basically inject a foam layer between a thin liner and shell would ever show up. Rather than cutting/placing bits and pieces of foam around like some of us do, one could just shoot in all the voids in one go for a fully custom fit. Probably way more complicated and not more beneficial than heat molding a quality aftermarket liner...evening musings...

they've got em for, mostly used in ski boots, someone used to have a shell that had that feature, too.