How long do snowboard boots last and when should you retire them?
A common question the Burton Guides receive before every season is: “How long do snowboard boots last?” The short answer: snowboard boot life varies by brand, by rider, and by use. Some folks may be able to ride the same pair of boots for five years while others may have to replace their snowboard boots after a single season.
The longer answer: snowboard boot life depends on multiple factors including how frequently you ride, where you ride, what materials your boots are made from, and how you take care of them. In this guide, the experts at Burton discuss everything you need to know about the lifespan of snowboard boots and how to dispose of them responsibly, when the time comes.
- How long do snowboard boots last?
- How to Clean Snowboard Boots & General Care
- When to Retire or Donate Old Snowboard Boots
How long do snowboard boots last?
The life expectancy of a pair of soft snowboard boots is approximately 100 riding days. Of course, you may get more days or fewer days of snowboarding in before noticing a decrease in performance, but 100 days is a good benchmark. Variables affecting the lifespan of snowboard boots include your riding style, what type of weather you ride in, how you take care of your boots, and whether you are doing any hiking or splitboarding.
To better understand the lifespan of snowboard boots, Burton boot designers recommend roughly keeping track of how many days you ride each season. This will let you know if the hundred-day generalization is accurate for you.
Ultimately, our goal at Burton is to produce high quality, durable snowboarding gear that lasts multiple seasons. Still, even the best snowboard boots won’t last forever and will generally need to be replaced more frequently than snowboards or snowboard bindings.
Can you extend the life of snowboard boots?
If your snowboard boot liners become packed-out (loose and lacking cushion or falling apart) but your boot shells are in good shape, you can replace the liners. New high quality snowboard boot liners will cost roughly one-half the price of a new pair of boots, and by replacing them, you can extend the life of your original boot shells.
Pro tip: Read Does Burton sell snowboard boot liners separately? for more information on replacement boot liners.
How to Clean Snowboard Boots & General Care
Knowing that snowboard boots are your direct link to your snowboard, it is imperative to care for them properly to ensure the best performance and longest life. In terms of cleaning and care, the single most important thing you can do is to fully dry your snowboard boot liners and shells after every riding session. In the majority of instances, this will eliminate the need to clean your snowboard boots in the first place. But we get it, sometimes the shells or liners get splashed with mud, or because you couldn't dry them out for one reason or another, they developed a funky smell. In this case, there are a few things you can do to clean things up.
Cleaning & Caring for Snowboard Boots
Drying Snowboard Boots: Follow this simple three-step process to dry your boots, ensuring that no moisture remains inside the shells or liners.
- Always bring snowboard boots inside after riding (don’t leave them in a cold car or truck bed).
- Fully dry out snowboard boot shells and snowboard boot liners after every riding session. To do this efficiently, remove the snowboard boot liners from the shells and place both in a warm (but not hot) location. If you use aftermarket footbeds inside your boot liners, remove those too, to speed up the drying process.
- Once fully dry, store snowboard boots out of direct sunlight with the laces tied and/or BOA dials tightened. We recommend storing snowboard boots indoors, in a location that has relatively consistent temperature and humidity.
Cleaning Snowboard Boots: If grime, dirt, or funkiness have turned your snowboard boots into a hazmat situation, here's how to clean them.
- Remove the liners from your boot shells, and remove the footbeds from your liners (if your boots have them).
- Using a damp cloth or the non-abrasive side of a clean sponge, wipe down the inside and outside of the boot shells to remove dirt, debris, and grime. You can use a mild dish detergent to help loosen up and remove stubborn dirt.
- Let shells, liners, and footbeds dry completely before storing your boots in a dry location.
For especially nasty smelling boot liners, using a boot dryer with an integrated ozone generator after every riding session may help combat bad smells. Ultimately, drying your boots thoroughly is the best way to fight the funk and prevent it from becoming an issue in the first place.
Important: Do not leave snowboard boots or liners in hot locations for extended periods as this can cause damage and reduce their lifespan.
You can take your boot care and storage one step further by storing dry snowboard boots in a dedicated boot bag or duffle bag. Streamline riding days even further by keeping your snowboard helmet, goggles, gloves, and other riding accessories in a plastic tote, next to your boot bag and snowboard. This makes packing super quick on ride days. Just put the tote, boots, and snowboard in the trunk of your car knowing that you have everything you need. Plastic totes are also a great way to protect your car from damp gear until you can get home and dry it out.
Pro tip: While it’s tempting to hit the fireside après scene in your full snowboard kit and boots, packing a pair of shoes for end-of-the-day relaxation can spare you from accidentally melting the soles of your boots by the firepit, ask us how we know.
When to Retire or Donate Old Snowboard Boots
There comes a time when every pair of snowboard boots is ready to be retired, but this varies by individual. Some folks like to get in a couple of solid riding seasons before upgrading to something fresh and new. Other riders will wear a pair of boots indefinitely until the soles are practically falling off. Regardless of your preference, there are correct ways to retire old snowboard boots.
When to Retire Snowboard Boots
It can be difficult to tell when a pair of snowboard boots is truly ready for retirement, but if they seem to have irreparable wear and tear it might be time.
- Soles and stitching coming apart
- Water leaking through seams
- Tears through the liners and/or shells
- Overpowering odor affecting your friendships
If any of these types of wear and tear are obvious, don’t donate. Instead, find a responsible way to get your boots into the waste stream. We suggest calling your municipal recycling center to ask about local options for recycling/disposal or utilizing a program like LoadUp Snowboard Disposal & Recycling if you don’t have any local options.
When to Donate Used Snowboard Boots
For snowboard boots that are not fully up to your standards but that could potentially help a new rider learn to snowboard, consider donating them to a local snowboarding organization. If you don’t have access to a local non-profit, donating old snowboard boots to a local thrift shop is your next best option. No matter where you donate old snowboard boots, just make sure they are still in usable condition, because donating boots that should have been disposed of instead just wastes time and resources.
