Salomon Snowboard Boots - Should You Trust A Ski Company To Make Your Snowboard Boots?

Posted by: PoolGrind | Sep 13, 09

Salomon, formally Salomon Group, is an outdoor sports corp that has been producing equipment for decades. They are one of the chief ski manufacturers in the world and were recognized for introducing the twin tipped ski, the skiing equal of the twin tip snowboard, which opened up whole new realms for skiers. While snowboard companies have been emerging left and right ever since the sport became a profitable venture, not many ski companies have made traction in the market. Some companies just haven't tried to enter the market while others just haven't found the success they sought. Salomon, however, embraced the concept of snowboarding and have an entire line of snowboarding equipment on hand. But does their equipment really meet the quality standards when compared to top snowboard makers?

Ask any snowboarder what the most crucial piece of gear is and they'll probably reply it's the snowboard boots. Why is it more important than the board and bindings? Mainly because riding a second rate board won't have a huge impact on your performance. And cheap bindings might be flimsy or lack control, but they won't destroy your day on the hill. But a pair of bad boots on the other hand, leads to major heal lift, wet feet and lots of misery. In fact, a lousy boot is the quickest way to turn a great snowboarding outing into a nightmare. If there is one piece of equipment you have to to spend your cash on, it's the boot.

With that said, how do Salomon snowboard boots compare? Salomon has definitely jumped head first into the snowboarding world. You don't get the impression that they're a ski company attempting to cash in on some other sport. The boots have the work put into them, no matter which one you get. The men's and women's lines both offer the full assortment of boots for any style of rider. They may not be the top of the line, but they certainly can hold their own against the likes of Burton, Vans and DC.

One of their most popular is the F20 Salomon snowboard boot, which is basically their most inexpensive boot. The initial thing to make note of is how lightweight and low profile the boot is. This soft, park boot is really light; which makes a big difference when you start getting a little weary and are lapping the pipe. The craftsmanship seems to be pretty good with their boots as well. It's basically an all-around decent boot and the technology they put into it is pretty impressive. The only genuine objection about their boots is the lacing system. Laces have become outdated and every company is looking for an alternative. BOA lacing systems seem to have whacked the nail on the head, but some systems like Fast Lace from Burton and Salomon's Powerpro laces just can't entirely keep up.

Still, Salomon is not taking their attitude to snowboarding flippantly. They are proving that ski companies can in fact develop top grade snowboard gear that get's even the most demanding riders' praise. Salomon's snowboard boots demonstrate that a ski company actually can turn out great snowboard stuff.

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Salomon Snowboard Boots