Snowboarding season is approaching, and Australians are preparing to cut up the slopes and hit the snowfields. Both novice and seasoned snowboarders travel to the mountain ranges in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Major resorts like Thredbo and Falls Creek are great places to ride your snowboard. If you’re planning for a trip yourself, make sure you have the proper gear, especially a reliable pair of snowboarding shoes.
Snowboard boots are a vital part of your whole snowboarding outfit. Novice riders often use regular winter boots in the first few times of snowboarding. Some people use hiking boots instead. Since they haven’t committed to the sport yet, they make use of what they have. However, these ordinary shoes are not the ideal fit for the sport.
Proper Boots Equals Safety
There is a risk of ankle, leg, or foot injury when you do not use the proper gear when snowboarding. Regular boots do not provide the required support at the ankles. You will have less control during your turns, which may hurt your heel, toe, and ankle. Furthermore, your boot may slip out of the binding and result in imbalance and other injuries.
A snowboard binding is the direct connection of your snowboard to your feet, and subsequently, your whole body. It transfers your muscle movements to the snowboard. A binding has several parts such as a high back, ankle strap, toe strap, heel cup, and footbed. All these parts are designed to integrate with the proper boots, specifically for snowboarding.
Regular boots are either too loose or small and likely slips out of the bindings. Even if you find regular boots that are large enough to fit the bindings, their construction is different. It is usually softer and floppier. Thus, it does not support your feet and ankles as it should.
Experienced riders know it’s imperative to use a pair of snowboard boots. They provide the stability and support necessary for the sport.
Comfort Equals The Best Riding Experience
Apart from preventing injury, using the right kind of boots gives you a great riding experience. Regular boots may cause a lot of strain on your ankles and feet. This discomfort leads only to a mediocre snowboarding experience. However, when unnecessary ankle muscle work is prevented, you can have a more enjoyable experience.
Snowboard boots are stiff and sturdy for support. These traits also allow more control of your snowboard, especially when carving right turns or riding terrain parks. For beginners, speed and direction control is most important, and snowboard boots provide these. These boots can help you practice snowboard tricks or improve your ride style for the more experienced rider.
When snowboarding, your boots tend to be buried in snow all the time. That’s why they are designed to keep your feet warm and dry.
Get Proper Boots and the Whole Outfit Too
The best (and only) option for a good snowboarding experience is proper snowboard boots. Its stiff construction provides ankle support, feet comfort, and secure binding. This design gives you more control and, after that, more safety in riding.
Wearing proper footwear is one part of keeping yourself protected during snowboarding. Make sure to also get gloves, helmet, neck gaiter, and goggles. Wear snowboard socks, long underwear, fleece top, ski pants, and a snowboard jacket. Of course, don’t forget a durable, good quality snowboard.
