$279 Intermediate to Expert All Mountain Thirty Two makes a lot of boots and most of them do a good job at what they are trying to accomplish. This is the fancy speed lace mid flexing boot. 32's Speed lacing system is slightly different than others. It has this latch on the top that holds the laces in place but when it's open could catch on something if you are walking and break. So if you get these you need to always keep them in the locked position. 32 also makes some of the wider snowboard boots out there so if you have wide feet they are worth considering. If you have more narrow feet then you might want to consider another company. The Sonic is basically the Speed Lace version of the 32 Focus BOA. They have a similar flex design and riding style. The only difference between them is the difference between the upper and lower adjustability. The Sonic is better if you like seperate tightness for upper and lower. Both are about the same speed when it comes to adjusting and both have the same response.
The Good Ride Take on Articulating Cuffs- If you don't know what an articulating cuff is the upper and lower panels of the boot are separate. The top cuff is only attached at the back and then wraps around the front. When you flex forward it doesn't stretch out the boot and over time it stays closer to its original shape and stiffness. It also creates a more natural and comfortable forward flex when riding. It can be made to be stiff or very soft and is generally more comfortable than a standard boot. We love this tech!
The Good Ride Take on 3D Molded Tongues vs. Traditional Tongues A 3D molded tongue is smooth and continuous and is seen on a lot of boots. It never folds down or bites into the top part of your foot or ankle. There are traditional tongues that have different names that have a folding point that is usually at the top of the ankle. We have seen that many people with bumps and issues on the top of their feet seem to have less pressure points with 3D molded tongues. It really all comes down to personal preference but we hope this breakdown helps.
The Good Ride Take On Thirty Two Thirty Two makes really good boots and clothing. We are especially big fans of their boots. They have a wide range of riding styles and fit incredibly well. However Thirty Two has one huge flaw in their customer service that makes us weary of purchasing unproven gear. If you go to the 32 site you will not see a single phone number on their contact page. You cannot get a human voice unless you call their parent company (sole) and get transferred to 32. You can email them but the response is not timely and their ability to fix issues is limited. We thought that maybe 32 just doesn’t like us but when we talked to many other retail stores about 32 we heard the same thing. So here is the skinny. If you like 32 and want to buy their products they are average in terms of quality. They just have a buy it only customer service policy. If you have an issue it will take a lot of time and pressure to get them to fix a boot.
New and exclusive this year with our faster-than-eve Fast Track Lacing System, the Sonic comes complete with durability and style for days. Built for the snowboarder who wants everything - style, comfort and performance.
Features
Fast Track Lacing System
STI Evolution Foam™ midsole
Outsole with System G2™ cushioning
Articulating Cuff for improved fit, heel hold and smooth flex
3-D Molded Tongue wraps your foot for easy lacing and improved fit
BOA vs. Speed Lace vs. Traditional Lace A Snowboard Boot Lacing System Comparison by The Good Ride.
The Good Ride Take on BOA Boots- A BOA Boot has a steel cable attached to some sort of plastic Coiler mechanism that tightens the boot instead of laces. There are 2 main types of BOA boots. 1. Single BOA- This uses just one BOA Coiler to adjust the entire boot. 2. Double BOA - This uses 2 BOA Coilers for upper and lower adjusting. Some have 1 for the outside and 1 for the inside but most are for upper and lower. BOA boots are the easiest to get on, get off and adjust out of any boot. Single BOA boots have the least upper/lower adjustability of any boot because the bottom and top is tightened by one coil. If you have a Double BOA (2 Dials for upper and lower) they are closer to other lacing systems but still not as good. Both the upper and lower dials adjust the ankle in the same place. This means you don't have complete separation like you do with Speed Lace and most Traditional Lace Boots. The biggest issue with BOA boots is if they break it requires a shop or the manufacturer to fix them. It’s usually not the cable that breaks but the dials. Out of all the boots you can crank a BOA tighter than any other boot which can be a good or bad thing. There have been some complaints that BOA boots can have some pressure points from the cable system when tightened too tight. The bottom line is BOA tech is a cool technological advancement that will work well with many riders and is super easy to adjust. In the end it comes down to personal preference and BOA could be right for you.
The Good Ride Take on Traditional Lace- Traditional Lace is what most people know. It’s reliable and easy to repair. Lace boots take a lot more effort than BOA or Speed Lace. Also many riders complain about blisters in attempts to get them tight. Some Lacing systems have handles at the top that connect to the laces and we love this. Another thing we like is when the upper lace hooks hold the lace in place so each section can tighten independently. When you have this along with a handle connected to the end of the laces it’s more adjustable than BOA and Speed lace. We really like this but it’s almost not a traditional lace boot. It’s more a hybrid but whatever you call it we like it! However it’s not great in terms of the time it takes to get things dialed out or make minor adjustments on the hill.
The Good Ride Take on Speed Lace- Speed lace is a perfect compromise between BOA and Traditional lace. It’s almost as fast as BOA and more adjustable. Some Traditional Lace is just as adjustable but speed lace is easier to do so. We really like how the upper and lower laces are 100% separate. This is a huge advantage over BOA Boots and some traditional laces that don’t lock at each hook. Speed Lace is super easy to tighten up and dial out. It’s also pretty easy to make small adjustments throughout the course of the day. If the laces break out on the hill it will be a lot more difficult to fix than traditional laces but it can be done without help from a shop or sending it back. If you are a 100 day a year rider then plan on changing out your laces half way through the season. We have been lucky so far and never had one break on the hill because any time they start to get frayed they break. We mainly ride speed lace boots but we aren't that high on ourselves to say that's the way it should be. Everyone is different.
All lacing systems have strengths and weaknesses. It’s up to you to figure out what will work the best.
