The Moto BOA boots by Burton make for a comfortable ride. Photo: Steve Andrews/The Inertia
There are no shortage of good snowboard boots out there today. If you don’t believe me, check out the review we did this year for The Best Snowboard Boots where we take a deep dive into what’s available. Spoiler alert: We were stoked on quite a few models. One category we almost always feature, though, can sometimes be difficult: The best budget snowboard boot. It’s difficult to merge “quality” and “lower-priced” because it costs money to make a good pair of snowboard boots. But after testing dozens of different models, we found a boot that can check many important boxes when it comes down to it; yet clocks in at $260, and can often be found for just over $200, depending on when and where you buy.
I’m talking about the Burto Moto BOA ($259), a soft pair of snowboard boots that can help get more people into the sport without dropping too much of their hard-earned money before progressing. These lightweight, comfortable boots are super easy to wear and are ideal for cruising the resort. It’s a gentleman’s boot, one where having some good turns in the sun defines a day, not stacking clips for the ‘gram or trying to win a banked slalom. I’ve been testing them out this season to help you decide of it’s the right snowboard boot for you. Read on to see what I’ve discovered:
| Pros | Cons |
| Lightweight | Heel is not secure |
| Super comfortable | Only one boa is not the tightest fit |
| No break-in period needed | Tongue/liner does not stay secure |
Burton Moto BOA Snowboard Boots: Notable Features
As soon as you pick up the boots you can feel how light they are. This might be the best defining feature of these boots, and what a feature it is. It’s not every day you can have really light boots that also hold up well. But it sure is nice to not have to think about boots as soon as you put them on.
The next big standout feature is the comfort. Burton’s imprint liners are some of the best in the game, coming from decades of experience with millions of customers. Being that this boot has been around for well over a decade, Burton has had some time to get this boot pretty well dialed. As soon as you tighten these boots down, you can tell it’s going to be a comfortable ride.
Once riding, the big thing that stands out is the boot’s stiffness, or rather lack thereof. It’s by all measures a softer boot, and for many could be the biggest dealbreaker right there. More advanced riders tend to prefer stiffer boots thanks to their ability to respond to pressure and high speeds. So it’s important to mention that if you are someone who prefers a stiffer boot, these are probably not the right boots for you.
But that said, for those just learning or those who simply want to be in cruise mode, these boots will do well. Everything on the boot is pretty well-constructed and, thanks to its softness, also feels at home in the valley for aprés celebrations.
Just one BOA dial makes for easy adjustment, but not the tightest fit. Photo: Lindsay Gough/The Inertia
Drawbacks
As mentioned earlier, the biggest drawback is probably how soft the boot is. This is fine for beginner to intermediate riders and jibbers, but anyone who wants to go big and fast might need something stiffer. That’s not to say you can’t go big and fast, however it just makes it a bit more of a difficult endeavor.
Case in point – I took these boots out of bounds on a classic pow line in Whistler. At the bottom of the line is a fun little 15-20 foot cliff that is always good for a bit of air time. The snow that day was particularly warm and sticky, which definitely didn’t help my case. But after landing the cliff, the softness of the boots had me compressing a bit, and I went for a cartwheel as soon as I landed. Sure, you can also blame operator error and the sticky snow, but with stiffer boots I doubt it would have been a problem.
The second place you feel the softness of this boot is in chunder. When the snow isn’t groomed but it’s also not fresh, you can feel every little jolt in these boots when going fast. It’s very difficult to maintain a straight course at high speed on a soft boot, and these boots helped remind me of that fact.
Another drawback to these boots is the lack of a second BOA device. While that definitely is a big reason these boots cost less, the lack of a second BOA means the same tightness up front as you have on the upper part of the boot. This makes for a less custom fit that might feel like too much in some spots, and too little in others. As a result, I found it hard to lock the heel in and keep it down when riding fast.
Final Thoughts
The Burton Moto BOA snowboard boots are an ideal boot for someone who is price-conscious, and is a more casual rider. Doing huge, technical lines and bigger airs proved that there are better boots out there for more advanced riders. That said, cliffs and technical lines are not everyone’s priorities, so this boot will definitely be a top choice for those whose priorities are a lightweight and comfortable boot.
People wanting to just get better at snowboarding and have a boot that they can rely on will find this boot an ideal choice to start out on and begin progressing. They might outgrow the boot when it comes time to hit big jumps and do fast turns in variable conditions. But until then, they will find the comfort and value for these boots to be well worth the investment.
The boot could still handle big alpine lines, until it came time to drop a decently-sized cliff. Photo: Steve Andrews/The Inertia
Editor’s Note: For more gear reviews and features on The Inertia, click here.
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