Salomon Group, more commonly just known as Salomon, has been making outdoor sports gear for decades. They are one of the top ski manufacturers in the world and were known for introducing the twin tipped ski, the skiing equivalent of the twin tip snowboard, which opened up whole new possibilities for skiers. While snowboard companies have been popping up left and right ever since the sport became a commercial success, not many ski companies have gotten a foothold in the market. Whether that is because they haven’t tried or because they simply failed to capture the spirit of snowboarding depends on the company. Salomon, however, embraced the world of snowboarding and has an entire line of snowboarding gear available. But how does it stack up to the stuff made by snowboarding companies?
Any snowboarder worth his salt will tell you that the single most important piece of gear to a snowboarder is the boot. Why not the board or the bindings? For starters, riding a cheap board won’t affect most people’s performance all that much. Cheap bindings, even though they may make it a little harder to carve as precisely as you want, will still do the job. But a lousy pair of boots means heel lift, cramps and strains. A poorly made boot is the fastest way to turn a new boarder completely off of snowboarding. If you’re ever going to splurge on a piece of snowboarding gear, it should be the boot.
\With that said, how do Salomon snowboard boots compare? First of all, Salomon has dived head first into the snowboarding world. You don’t get the feeling that they’re a ski company trying to cash in on some other sport. They really seem to have put the work into building these boots, regardless of the style you get. They sport a full line of gear for men and women and offer all the variety even the pickiest snowboarder could want. While the boots aren’t perfect, they are certainly a match for any other snowboard company out there.
If you look at the bottom end of the line, the F20 Salomon snowboard boot, you still get a nice product. The first thing to notice is how light and low profile the boot is. Mainly designed as a soft park boot, you won’t feel like you’re throwing around twenty pound weights on your feet when you hit the kickers. They hold up pretty well, too. The same can be said all the way up the line to the Pledge boot. Designed for all around riding, the boot is styled simply but packs all the technology you could get from any other company. If there was a complaint about Salomon snowboarding boots, it’s the lacing system. Laces have become outdated and every company is looking for an alternative. BOA lacing systems seem to have hit the nail on the head, but some systems like Face Lace from Burton and Salomon’s Powerpro laces just can’t quite keep up.
Salmon is really out to prove something with their snowboarding gear. They are trying to break out of the stereotype many snowboarders have about ski companies that get into snowboarding. They want to show snowboarders that a ski company knows how to diversify. And if the Salomon snowboard boots are any indication, Salomon is doing a great job.