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The Good Ride Take

The Burton Grail Boot Review by The Good Ride

Bindings Tried- Burton Prophecy, Burton Diode, Burton Malavita, Rome Mob, Union Atlas

Boards Tried- Never Summer Proto, Rome Postermania, Rossignol Onemagtek, Rossignol Taipan, Jones All Mountain Twin

 

So the Grail is one of those boots that we want to call the poor mans lace version of the SLX.  It can fit a wide variety of riders and will last a long time thanks to the articulating cuff.  One of our favorite parts of the Grail is the Auto Cant that they built into the boot.  The inner part of the boot rolls in to alleviate a little stress on your

Flex- The Grail is one of those mid flexing boots that looks and feels soft but when you get on the hill the response feels medium to even the stiff size of medium. The flex also lasts a pretty long time before breaking down thanks to the articulating cuff and the rebound rods in the liner.

 

Comfort- Burton makes some of the most comfortable boots in the industry but every boot takes a little while to break in.  After a few days these should

 

Heel Hold- The heel hold is excellent and most feet should feel the grip.  If you have narrow feet there is velcro for adding J-Bars to make the heel hold even better.

 

Upper/Lower Adjustability- Probably one of our only complaints about these boots is the adjustability.  We'd like to see the laces have the ability to lock in a little better.   The upper lace rungs have the old wide and smooth rungs instead of narrow locking rungs.  You have to do some special tying to make these work. 

 

Response- Very good to almost border line excellent repsonse.  You can tighen these up pretty tight and with good bindings they will make for a very responsive ride.  The Grail is going to do well with almost any type of board but it's best fit is med/soft to med/stiff boards.

 

Traction- There is good well rounded traction for just about any conditions you have to walk on.

 

Sole Cushioning- The cushioning is pretty good and helps absorb a good amount of shock.  It's also very damp and not bad at any speed.

 

Board/Binding Integration- The Grail works well with just about any board or binding you want to use. 

 

Despite our issue with adjustability the Grail is a great boot and with the cant technology this is unique to the industry.  This is a great choice for anyone who wants a good all rounder boot.

 

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 Burton

Burton is huge. They have developed or acquired most of the technology that we use today. Burton is one of the only companies that can provide you with everything you need to snowboard from boards to beanies.  Burton even owns arguably the best surfboard company Channel Islands because Jake likes to surf.  They are like the Yankees of snowboarding because they can always outspend their competition to win.

The positives- Burton provides more products for each gear/clothing/accessory category than any other company.  Burton has possibly the best customer service in the snowboarding industry.  Burton continuously spends more money than almost any company to develop new tech or just make what they have better.   Burton sponsors more pro’s and get’s more high level user feed back than any other company.  They have some of the best boots, bindings and boards in the industry.  They also have great clothing.
The Negatives- Because Burton spends so much money on sponsorship and tech they have to pass this cost along to the products they sell.   They relentlessly continue to jack up the prices every year.  You are almost always going to get a good product from Burton’s higher end line but some mid to low level products don’t stack up to the competition in the same price range.   Just remember it’s not always good because it hast the Burton label on it.

 

Company Info

Burton Grail 2012

Burton 

GRAIL

Sole healing powers.

Shredding’s divine force has arrived in a genuine leather lace-up boot that combines cushioning and comfort in amazing ways. Like a heavenly embrace, AutoCANT Cardinal Cushioning, a dual-density footbed, and the InfiniFIT™ liner sole unite ergonomic support and response while allowing your foot to roll naturally, reducing stress on joints and ligaments. Shrinkage™ reduces the weight and footprint, while DRYRIDE waterproof/breathability is like a breath of fresh air for your feet.

Ridden by: Marko Grilc

Features

+          Shrinkage Footprint Reduction Technology

+          LACING: Traditional

+          LINER: Imprint™ 4 Liner with DRYRIDE Moisture Wicking Tech, InfiniFIT Liner Sole, and Rad Pad for Lace Comfort

+          CUSHIONING: Holy Shit Outsole with AutoCANT Cardinal Cushioning

+          FLEX AND RESPONSE: Medium Flex Thin Profile 3D® Molded Tongue and Flex Spine Backstay

+          COMFORT: NEW Snow-Proof Internal Gusset and Level 3 Molded EVA Footbed with ESS Support Shank, Dual-Density Cushioning, and Aegis™ Antimicrobial Coating

Colorways:

Black / Black

Sand

Sizes:

7

7.5

8

8.5

9

9.5

10

10.5

11

11.5

12

13

Support: 6

Burton Grail 2011

Burton

GRAIL

Your sole is saved!

Thou shalt not settle for anything less than the most premium in lace-up performance. Back at it like a bad habit, this year’s Grail™ is lighter weight and slightly more supportive for those who ride faster and fly further. Faithful from summit slashes to trailside stashes, the Grail’s Holy Shit outsole, InifiniFIT™ liner sole, NEW Rad Pad, and air-cushioned articulating cuff offer a halo of comfort, while DRYRIDE breathes life into your liners.

Features

+          Shrinkage™ Footprint Reduction Technology

+          LACING: Traditional

+          LINER: Imprint™ 4 Liner with NEW DRYRIDE Moisture Wicking Tech, InfiniFIT Liner Sole, and NEW Rad Pad For Lace Comfort

+          CUSHIONING: Holy Shit Outsole with Cardinal Cushioning

+          FLEX AND RESPONSE: NEW Air Upper Articulating Cuff, Medium Flex Thin Profile 3D® Molded Tongue, Flex Spine™ Backstay, and NEW Super Grip Toe

+          COMFORT: Level 3 Molded EVA Footbed with ESS Support Shank, Dual-Density Cushioning, and Aegis™ Antimicrobial Coating

Colorways:

Black / White / Red

Green / Lime

Sizes: 7-13

Support: 6

 

Burton Grail 2010

The NEW Grail™ is as miraculous as creation itself. A slimmer profile eliminates toe drag and weight, while the fully flared liner lets you bone grabs in ways that would make doves cry. Worried about that “Holy Shit” landing ending your existence? Your sole is saved with the most advanced cushioning system ever developed. No wonder disciples like Terje call upon this boot for guidance and clarity.

Pictures

Burton Grail 2012

Burton Grail 2011

Burton Grail 2010

Other Reviews

Compare Laces & Sizing

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.