Salomon Snowboards F22 Snowboard Boot - Men's - 2011

Usually wear 11 or 11.5 and glad I sized up to 11.5. Wore these for the 1st ride this winter and cannot be more stoked. I usually plan on my feet cramping up after 1 or 2 runs on the 1st ride of the winter but I couldn't have been more stoked when my feet felt like they were riding on clouds after the 4th and 5th runs. Now we just need more snow!

Alright, so to start off, I have to say that these boots run a bit narrow, so if you have a wide foot, you probably want to look elsewhere. Other than that, they are true to size. Also, the inner lacing boa is shorter than in years past, so you won't be able to wrap it around your leg and hook it back on to the front of the boot anymore. I've kind of yet to find a good place to put the inner lace clip. Also, aesthetically speaking, the boot in the picture is probably an 8 or a 9, as well. I've heard people suggesting that the F22 has a smaller footprint, but let it be known: the bigger size boots definitely do not have a significantly reduced footprint size. You'll still need your XL bindings.

However, Salomon keeps making the lacing system of their boots with this chasm between the laces and the tongue of the boot. This can eventually make for wet feet, since snow can get into that area of the boot, melt a little, and end up taking up permanent residence. You can see what I'm talking about in the sample picture for the boot at the top of the page: on the sides of the outer lacing system over the arch of the foot, there are two little dead spaces on either side of the tongue that can fill up with snow. I had a pair of the Salomon Pledges from a few years ago, and they had a similar design flaw, which led to wet feet after about 4 hours. Had some 32's before that, same story.

Melting snow leads to wet feet = wet boots = stank boots = stank feet = you not getting laid. This is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Other than this, these are great boots. Very stiff, but my spider senses tell me about 2-3 weeks of riding in them will break them in, no problem. And remember, they are a narrow footbed design.

Spent the last 3 seasons riding in Salomon F24's.. and those boots are totally cashed. Loved those boots so much I decided to pick up the successor to the F24. These boots are definitely stiff, but it allows me to not lace them as tight. The liners are super comfortable and the lacing system doesn't cause any random pressure points. I'm also a huge fan of the footprint shrink technology they use. I wear a 10 in this boot and it allows me to run a medium binding without having the straps maxed out. As someone who prefers to go really fast, while still being able to play around in the trees, I'm already in love with these boots. I hope I get as much use out of these as I did my F24's (which was about 120 days of riding).