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.
ThirtyTwo 86 Fast Track 2012
The streets are on fire with this skate-inspired design.
Features
- Flex level: 4/10
- FastTrack Lacing System
- 3D Molded Tongue
- Internal Lacing System
- Item Code: 8105000121/401
ThirtyTwo Women's 86 Fast Track 2012
Like your favorite pair of Chucks for the hill.
Features
- Flex level: 4/10
- FastTrack Lacing System
- 3D Molded Tongue
- Internal Lacing System
- Item Code: 8205000087/400
ThirtyTwo 86 Fast Track 2011
Joe Sexton Signature Product
In 1986, Joe Sexton dressed like a stormtrooper for Halloween. Well, okay, that’s not true, because he wasn’t born yet. But he knows now that he does’nt want his boots to make him look like a stormtrooper when he’s snowboarding. The 86 FastTrack brings the skate origins of ThirtyTwo with a low-profile sole, without sacrificing crucial impact protection. Add our FastTrack Lacing, and you’ve got a custom fit each time you lace up.
Features
- Flex level: 4/10
- Fasttrack Lacing - Patent Pending
Our completely redeveloped FastTrack Lacing System is the fastest way to get in and out of your boots in mere seconds. For 2010, we redesigned the pull-handles that help guide tension of the laces. One pull controls the two lower zones, the other pull controls the two top zones. This new 4-zone lacing makes getting your boot tight a snap. We've also added a new contoured pocket to store the handles on the interior of the boot tongue. Finish it off with newly designed one-piece locking hardware and you're on the snow quicker than ever.
* Every pair of fasttrack boots includes one extra set of laces.
- 3-D Molded Tongue
Our 3-D Molded Tongues wrap your foot for easier lacing, improved fit and heel hold. This design also gives us the ability to control the stiffness of each model for customized flex and improved response.
- Internal Lacing System
- Item Code: 8105000103/448
Mens Sizes
| USA | Europe | UK | Japan |
| 5 |
37 |
4 |
23 |
| 6 |
38 |
5 |
24 |
| 7 |
39 |
6 |
25 |
| 7.5 |
40 |
6.5 |
25.5 |
| 8 |
41 |
7 |
26 |
| 8.5 |
41.5 |
7.5 |
26.5 |
| 9 |
42 |
8 |
27 |
| 9.5 |
42.5 |
8.5 |
27.5 |
| 10 |
43 |
9 |
28 |
| 10.5 |
44 |
9.5 |
28.5 |
| 11 |
45 |
10 |
29 |
| 11.5 |
45.5 |
10.5 |
29.5 |
| 12 |
46 |
11 |
30 |
| 13 |
47 |
12 |
31 |
| 14 |
48 |
13 |
32 |
ThirtyTwo Women's 86 Fast Track 2011
Purple / White
86 Fasttrack
Our women designers were hyped to work on this boot. The configuration includes the FastTrack Lacing System, a smaller footprint and low-profile silhouette. The boys were kicked out of the room and left to their resources, while the ladies created some of the most chic colorways and trims in the line. If you want to snowboard in sheepskin boots, the Women’s 86 FastTrack might not be your style.
Share:
- Flex level: 4/10
- Fasttrack Lacing - Patent Pending
Our completely redeveloped FastTrack Lacing System is the fastest way to get in and out of your boots in mere seconds. For 2010, we redesigned the pull-handles that help guide tension of the laces. One pull controls the two lower zones, the other pull controls the two top zones. This new 4-zone lacing makes getting your boot tight a snap. We've also added a new contoured pocket to store the handles on the interior of the boot tongue. Finish it off with newly designed one-piece locking hardware and you're on the snow quicker than ever.
* Every pair of fasttrack boots includes one extra set of laces.
- 3-D Molded Tongue
Our 3-D Molded Tongues wrap your foot for easier lacing, improved fit and heel hold. This design also gives us the ability to control the stiffness of each model for customized flex and improved response.
- Internal Lacing System
- Item Code: 8205000075/510
Thirty Two 86 Fast Track 2010
Black/Gum
Just like 1986 again, skating everyday after school and loving it. True skate roots equal true skate style in a snowboard boot with the fastest lacing system in the world.
Features
- Fast Track Lacing System: pull, lock and shred
- 3-D Molded Tongue wraps your foot for easy lacing and improved fit
- Internal lacing with Custom Lace Lock
- Level 1 Fit System Liner with Anatomical Heel Retention System
- for comfort and warmth
- Tongue tension system for leverage, easy lacing and improved heel hold
- Outsole
Mens Sizes
| USA | Europe | UK | Japan |
| 5 |
37 |
4 |
23 |
| 6 |
38 |
5 |
24 |
| 7 |
39 |
6 |
25 |
| 7.5 |
40 |
6.5 |
25.5 |
| 8 |
41 |
7 |
26 |
| 8.5 |
41.5 |
7.5 |
26.5 |
| 9 |
42 |
8 |
27 |
| 9.5 |
42.5 |
8.5 |
27.5 |
| 10 |
43 |
9 |
28 |
| 10.5 |
44 |
9.5 |
28.5 |
| 11 |
45 |
10 |
29 |
| 11.5 |
45.5 |
10.5 |
29.5 |
| 12 |
46 |
11 |
30 |
| 13 |
47 |
12 |
31 |
ThirtyTwo Women's 86 Fast Track 2010
The Women’s 86 Fast Track features everything you’ve come to love in the Women’s 86, but with our faster-than-ever Fast Track Lacing System. Just like it’s 86 again, skating every day after school and loving it. True skate roots equal true skate style in a snowboard boot with the fastest lacing system in the world.
- Fast Track Lacing System: pull, lock and shred
- 3-D Molded Tongue wraps your foot for easy lacing and improved fit
- Internal lacing with Custom Lace Lock
- Level 1 Fit System Liner with Anatomical Heel Retention System
- Low profile fake vulc outsole
- Outsole
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.
