$189 Intermediate to Expert Freestyle The Ride Locket is one of only a few Velcro strap speed lace type boots. There is the Vans Kira but it's a little different. We aren't sure about velcro when it comes to long term reliability but it does provide good upper and lower autonomy and it's kind of fun looking. If you want to strap on at least this will have a toe that will handle a binding on it without caving in like Vans can do. It's very skate like and might work for some if you are OK with velcro. There were some good adjustments in 2012 to the Strapper that make the lining more comfortable and form fitting but it's still pretty much the same boot. Also there is a much thinner speed lace on the lower half. All in all we like this boot. It's soft, comfortable and has excellent adjustment. If you are looking for a soft freestyle boot that is different from the other boots out there the Ride Locket might work for you.
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. It is all personal preference but 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.
The Good Ride Take on Ride Snowboards They are from the same parent company as K2 and have many similarities in terms of board design and company policy. Ride’s customer service is better than K2’s and actually has a # to call on their site instead of just an on-line form. Ride, like K2 seems almost secretive when it comes to having third party entities like us or end users like you review their gear. So many companies like Burton, Rome, YES, Arbor ect. are really proud of their gear and try to do everything they can to get you to ride them. Ride seems to do the bare minimum and despite its large size has very few demo products. Their policy seems to be if you want to try it you have to buy it. Ride chooses mainly to work with variations of flat/rocker snowboards but has recently started to work with hybrid camber. Their hybrid camber is different than YES and Rossignol and leans more on the flat camber side of things but we still like to see them go in this direction. We have found that we like some of their shapes but other boards we weren’t fans of. Like K2 Ride’s rocker shapes always seem to be pretty flat between the feet and it makes for one of the better rocker set up out there. Ride makes pretty good bindings and many people swear by them. They have more parts than most bindings but all in all they do a very good job despite the fact that a lot of the binding is metal. We are big fans of the canted foot bed but can’t say we are a fan of their Contraband strap system. They make good boots that last for a long time but boots are so personal all we can speak to is their build and longevity.
Designed to master freestyle maneuvers, the new 2012 Ride Locket women's snowboard boot is compact, light and flexie, with a unique sneaker style. Sporting the Strapper Zonal™ Lacing that features a speed lace down low for a quick secure closure and Velcro up top for maximum adjustability and mobility. Ideal for tweaks and rails, lock into these hot new kicks and show off your goods.
BOOT FLEX-O-METER:
CONSTRUCTION:
LSD INTUITION™ Mobile Foam IN2GRATED™ CONSTRUCTION LSD C.A.T. (Calf Adjustment Technology) Internal J Bars External J Bars 3D Formed Dual Density EVA Secure Fit Harness™, Strapper Zonal™ Jade Sole
SETUP OPTIONS
FEATURED TECH
LSD
All LSD board shapes feature a narrower waist width, a ladies specific flex pattern, sidecut and finely tuned rocker profile.
INTUITION™ MOBILE FOAM
Layers of dual-density foam creates performance with freedom of movement.
IN2GRATED™ CONSTRUCTION
In2grated™ Construction creates the lightest weight, shortest-length performance boots on the market, hands down. The removable liner is factory molded inside the shell to create the most efficient “net fit,” leading to less pack out for better overall comfort.
LSD C.A.T. (CALF ADJUSTMENT TECHNOLOGY)
Designed specifically for ladies to increase comfort and ensure a perfect fit. This Velcro adjustment on the boot cuff allows for a one-of-a-kind custom fit in the calf zone.
STRAPPER ZONAL™
A freestyle take on zonal lacing, built for total mobility and adjustability. Speed lace down below for locking in a solid base fit and killer Velcro straps up top that let you leave it loose for tweaks or add support when you want it.
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.
