Splitboarding - The Arguement: Hardboot vs Soft

What's up trolls gentle humans alike,

I'd like to get feedback on hardbooting vs. softbooting. Especially anyone who has tried side by side.

I switched to the Atomic Backland with the Phantom Link Lever mods  and Spark Dyno binding three seasons ago, and it honestly has been great. It seems to provide a lot more support on the uphill and does not feel too much different on the downhill than a super stiff softboot.

That being said, I recently got into a softer in bounds setup with the Weston Backwoods for powder, and boy, do I miss carving big turns like that! it just does not feel the same with the hardboot. The reliability of the hardboot is also of concern, as the link lever comes loose a bit and I can never seem to get the loose washer thing that engages the lever to the heel t bar to stay put. I have roughly 50+ days on the hardboot setup with a few splitmo missions included. 

I have been splitboarding for a decade and the boot and binding technology has really come a long way. So, I started thinking maybe it is time I try and go back to a softboot setup. I have the new spark R&D arc pro binding, and the jones mtb boot. 

I was in the La Sals this week with my hardboot setup, and we were on an icy sidehill. My hardboot setup did fine with some effort, while my buddy was slip and slidding down and barely made it to our transition point. Then i realized, hmmmm maybe hardbooting IS the way? (neither of us had crampons and I think his experience would have been much better with them)

What is your experience on hardboots vs softboots? Who is really out there testing either and what did you think? Lastly, while the updated Jones MTB may have a similar stride length to a hardboot, the overall weight with a softboot setup is for sure heavier than hardbooting.

Feed me.

I hardboot and won't go back. Phantom bindings with TLT5's unmodded. Jones board.

I never ride inbounds though so I never have to deal with getting around on one foot or clicking in/out often. That is the downside of hardboots but that's not what they're meant for anyway.

For touring, hey work great and it feels just the same as soft boots on powder days. I find myself wanting my soft boots on hardpack but it doesn't bother me much. Uphill efficiency is fantastic. Booting is fantastic. And I climb WI3 super easily in my TLT's.

In the end, if you want truly the best experience, learn to ski.....

If you're not ice climbing, I'd prefer a soft-boot. I use the K2 Aspect which is super stiff and provides me plenty of precision and support for icy side-hilling, and a great riding experience on the way down. I personally haven't but I know people who climb AI2-AI3 with those boots on various ice routes on Mt. Hood. 

In the end, I'd rather learn how to ski than use hard-boots on a splitboard. You're already buying AT boots, might as well get AT Skis then and have a far superior tool for mountain travel. I actually may end up going that course soon, skiing is a more functional tool especially for covering rolling terrain and long distances. But for straight-up straight-down volcano riding nothing beats a splitboard. 

Arnav V wrote:

If you're not ice climbing, I'd prefer a soft-boot. I use the K2 Aspect which is super stiff and provides me plenty of precision and support for icy side-hilling, and a great riding experience on the way down. I personally haven't but I know people who climb AI2-AI3 with those boots on various ice routes on Mt. Hood. 

In the end, I'd rather learn how to ski than use hard-boots on a splitboard. You're already buying AT boots, might as well get AT Skis then and have a far superior tool for mountain travel. I actually may end up going that course soon, skiing is a more functional tool especially for covering rolling terrain and long distances. But for straight-up straight-down volcano riding nothing beats a splitboard. 

Boarder gone skier here and agree 100%, my AT boots are fine for ice and rolling, tree laden flats are way better on skis.

Definitely having hard boots in the BC™ is the best option

I have seen that there is the new hardboot from Key Equipment. I haven't heard of any real world experiences with that setup, but cool to see that there is continued innovation with hardboots to try to make the ride feel better. That K2 Aspect seems cool too.  Is there other innovation happening with softboots to fix their problems? Who's working to fix the lack of articulation, sidehilling woes, ice climbing performance, reducing weight, and having to wear complete bindings on your feet during the approach?  Maybe La Sportiva or Scarpa should get a room with a softboot manufacturer and see what they can come up with. No way I would go back to softboots right now, but hoping for continued innovation on both sides of the spectrum. 

Skier here, but 80% of my partners are boarders and all of them are in soft boots still and we’re mostly doing +\-6000 feet days and and I don’t really see a efficiency difference between our gear( I have basic G3 ion bindings). Some of my partner’s in soft boots are usually just as fast or smoking me on the up. As always working on fitness and technique is more important then gear.
I could see having hard boot set up in your quiver if you were doing lots of technical ice climbing objectives. But if your objectives are mostly faces and straightforward couloirs I don’t really see it being necessary. 

To those saying "if you are going to use hard boots, just ski"-

Skiing in ultralight boots is much less fun than snowboarding in ultralight boots.

Ice climbing and mountaineering in proper stiff/heavy ski boots isn't very fun, therefor a splitboard with hardboots is actually a very valid tool when conditions and objectives line up right.

Having both setups is nice. Soft boots for lapping powder, trees and pillow runs, and hard boots for long missions and mountaineering objectives. I'm not as stoked on the backland vs. the old TLT boots. Link levers and the whole boot in general is not very confidence inspiring on no fall terrain. The new Key Equipment boot looks nice. My best splitboard days have been with TLT 5 boots.

christoph benells wrote:

Ice climbing and mountaineering in proper stiff/heavy ski boots isn't very fun, 

Hard disagree, sorry! Sure plenty of ppl get out there in Scarpa F1 LTs and similar super light boots, but most popular touring boots (Dynafit Hojis, Scarpa Maestrale, etc etc) are plenty stiff and not that heavy. And more importantly tons of fun.

I have some ~ 375 days on my phantom slippers and bindings, never looking back to soft boots. For me, stiff soft boots were never very comfortable to begin with and much less tune-able than the phantoms are. Sure, the link levers have a lil play, but clear them of ice and snow before locking into ride mode and its fine. The boots last way longer and with the ability to buy individual parts you don't need new boots when one component goes awry. Sure, financially the upfront investment is a lot, but if you're splitting 100+ days a year over a few seasons it's less expensive than buying new boots often, replacing binding components and way fewer component failures.

The weight point with isn't even a comparison in my eyes, having the bindings in your pack is where the big difference comes from, soft boots are always going to be significantly heavier going uphill with the bindings on your feet. Sure there are folks who can climb legit ice in softboots, but is it as fun or comfortable? I'd argue not even close. I strongly suggest playing around with all of the settings and options with hardboots, particularly if you have link levers... Asymmetrical forward lean, trying different stiffness springs, tuning with whatever liner is best for you etc.

Seconding what Deven said, if you want to be faster start training methodically and consistently, although i'd also argue skinning in hardboots is much nicer in general.

Skier here but one of my splitboarding buddies switched from Atomic/Phantom to a different hard boot with a more progressive flex.  Built more like a snowboard boot.  Heavier.  Still uses Phantom bindings.  PM if you want me to get the model info for you.

I've been splitboarding ~12 years and on hardboots for ~10 of those.  I haven't gone back to soft boots because there were too many deal breakers for me, maybe it's better now but I don't find my hardboots slowing me down.  I'm on my 3rd pair of Atomic Backlands and they are softer than my current Burton Ions that I ride in the ski area.  I was tired of dealing with minor shenanigans with my Link levers so I didn't swap them over to my current boots but I might do that before we get into spring volcano season.  I find a working-weight back pack changes my riding style a lot more than the boots.

With regards to the suggestion to "just ski instead" the Backlands are just as much of a compromise for skiing as they are for snowboarding because of how soft they are and the nature of the flex that they do have.  The magic of a boot like the Backland is the range of motion in the ankle, not the ski performance.  I have a pair of the carbon versions (that's my 4th pair of Backlands for anyone that's counting) that I pair of with some 94 under-foot skis that suck to ski on but it's all so light on the way up.  If I'm touring on skis in winter conditions then I'll take Hawx XTDs and heavier skis which means that my splitboard is more comfortable going uphill and as long as I'm in pow it's no worse on traverses.  The main reason to use something like the Backland is the huge range of motion when walking.  It is way more comfortable on my knees, gives me longer strides, it's easier to glide in flats, and walking on dry trails is night and day difference from snowboard boots.  My Backlands are more comfortable to walk in than my Nepals.

As practical as skiing is (and I use my skis as a tool often when they fit the conditions or the group) splitboarding is still way more fun.  

Excellent feedback from everyone and thanks for being straight up.

We have had a killer season out here in Western CO and the snow keeps coming! Hope you are all getting it as well. 

I will update once a decision is made. Thus far, the hardboot still seems the way to go for long high-alpine days.

I’m a hard booter and I love it.  Have been for 3 years or so now. I ride backlands with phantom bindings. I will say the inconvenience of snowboarding (traversing, transitioning, flat topography) made me start skiing this season. Although I do still love riding on a powder day. In my opinion, hard booting is far superior to soft booting in alpine terrain outside of a ski resort. More often than not you are spending much more time hiking than riding, and for that reason hard boots perform more efficiently  

long time splitboarder here...and im just going to state the obvious. if you're splitting into the BC for an alpine objective that involves true technical climbing (i.e. not boot packing up a 50 deg couloir), just carry in your mountaineering boots and swap at the base. i do this and i'd rather have the best of both worlds (comfort of soft boot for the approach, true mountaineering boot for climbing) than sacrifice both in the name of a one quiver boot. the last time i did this was a few weeks ago. 4 mile skin to the base, swapped boots, cimb climb climb, descend, swap boots, ride out, drink beer...

and btw, everyone who says AT skis are a better tool are spot on. if i wasn't so set in my ways, i'd swap to skis for sure...

I just love to see this affection for the hardboot! Long time hardboot and I have ridden two pairs of  TLT6s and now I’m on my second pair of phantoms. I think I liked the slightly stiffer TLTs to the phantoms especially when split skiing, however the low angle terrain is more fun with that link lever. A buddy and I joked for years that dynafit had no idea they had created the perfect snowboard boot with the TLT series! (It’s probably why they discontinued the 6).

Has anyone tried that new key equipment boot?? That looks very intriguing.  

I think the Key Equipment boot with the stiff tongue has a better flex profile than the Phantom boot. The Slipper is a little lighter and has a somewhat smoother walk mode. The Disruptive will fit lower volume feet better. It’s also worth noting that Key Equipment’s sizing is a little different since the shell sizes change on the half size.

I have been splitboarding for years now (started out with snowshoes many moons ago) and starting on my 4th year with hardboots. I started out on Atomics with the link levers and now using Phantom HDs.  I think hardboots are amazing but with that said they are not as playful as a soft boot setup.  I typical tour with both skiers and boarders and once I switched from soft boots to hard boots I felt like superman on the way up, haha.. I do think if you are jumping and doing butters soft boots are the way to go.  It would be awesome if some companies created a true "walk mode" in soft boots.  I personally can't really imagine going back to skinning without walk mode.  I live in the Wasatch and we do a lot of longer days so for me it is no brainer saving the weight and energy with the hard boots.  I do love the fact that the sport is growing and companies are putting r&d into tech and designing new boots, binding, etc.   I run the Phantom boots, heel risers and tech toes (atomic) with Spark DH bindings.  I am curious to try the new burton step on split bindings for side country as I ride step ons with my 7 year son.  

I originally got an Atomic backland with a link lever and Spark hard boot setup strictly for BC and instantly loved it. After a few tours and riding my splitboard in resort a couple of times I started to realise just how superior the downhill was on a ski hard boot compared to soft boots. Last week I bought the Spark canted solid board pucks and mounted them on my 152 park board (stance 21* and 0*) to really test if the hard boots worked as well as they did on my splitboard. After 1 run I don’t think I am switching back to soft boots ever again. The edge control and stability that hard boots provide is next level. I was able to butter and play just like I would in my soft boots. Also, they don’t become soft and squishy after three weeks like every “stiff” soft boot I have ever owned did. Granted, I do race World Cup in alpine snowboarding but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I love park, powder, jibbing and carving on “non-alpine” boards and that I grew up competing in SBX, Big Air and Big Mountain. 

Personally, I think AT style boots are the next evolution of snowboarding.

I've been splitboarding in Backlands since they first came out and this season I've also been skiing in the new Backland XTD.  I might try setting the Backland XTD up for splitboarding, I think it would give a ride quality closer to what I have heard about the Key Disruptive but with the walking ROM of the Backland.