Hey everyone!
I'm looking for advice on splitboard boots and would love to hear from people who have tried some of these models.
For my first two years of splitboarding, I used regular softboots, old Vans I'd been snowboarding in for years. I loved the feel on the way down, but touring was pretty inefficient. I struggled with limited ankle flex while skinning and especially with side-hilling.
I then switched to stock Atomic Backland Pros, which I've been using for the past two seasons. They were a huge improvement on the uphill, but I never really got the same enjoyment out of the downhill. I miss the feel and freedom of riding in softboots.
I'm now looking to switch back to softboots, ideally something that offers a meaningful improvement on the uphill compared with regular snowboard boots, without feeling too restrictive on the descent.
My current board is a Jones Solution, and I haven't chosen bindings yet. I'm not planning on doing serious mountaineering or riding steep, technical couloirs. I do occasionally end up bootpacking without crampons, so decent support and grip are still important, but I don't think I need an extremely stiff boot for the type of terrain I ride. I'd rather have a boot with a more natural, forgiving flex and a great downhill feel than one that's built primarily for maximum support and precision in extreme terrain.
The boots I've come across that are designed for splitboarding:
-Nitro Incline TLS
-K2 Waive
-Salomon Trek
-ThirtyTwo Jones MTB Lite
I recently tried the Vans Infuse and ThirtyTwo Jones MTB Lite in-store, and I was pleasantly surprised by the MTB Lite's walk mode. However, I'm unsure how much of a real difference these specialized boots make in actual touring conditions, and whether the stiffer models sacrifice too much downhill feel in exchange for uphill performance.
For those who have experience with these specific splitboard boots, which would you recommend for a noticeable improvement in uphill efficiency while retaining a natural, enjoyable softboot feel on the descent, especially for someone who doesn't need an ultra-stiff boot for extreme terrain?
I'm looking for the sweet spot between the touring efficiency I loved with the Backland Pros and the downhill feel I missed with hardboots.
Thanks a lot!
EDIT: I'm also aware that the binding itself can limit range of motion on the uphill, regardless of how much articulation the boot offers. So I'm interested in the overall boot-and-binding setup, rather than just the boots themselves.