Splittie of the Week | How do you tie your shoes?

Traditional lacing system

This is how it all began, and this system still has its raison d'être today. The reason for this is the simplicity and reliability of the system. Several loops allow lace-up shoes to be tightened at key points and quickly loosened for putting on and taking off. One could argue that the laces are under a lot of strain due to the constant tightening and could break quickly. Fortunately, I have not had this experience myself so far. Even if this happens, you can easily repair the shoe yourself. In the best case scenario, you even have a piece of cord in your "first aid kit". Pure lace-up shoes are usually inexpensive due to their simple technology and can therefore only be customized to a certain extent. Technically advanced shoes, on the other hand, usually combine a classic lacing system with a powerstrap and a BOA® system.

So pure lace-up shoes are well suited for beginners who don't want to spend a lot of money right away, as well as for people who have found a very suitable shoe shape in which their feet fit very well.

Shoes with traditional lacing system from DC Shoes.

Till Mangesius

BOA® system

The further development of the classic lacing system uses a system in which the shoe no longer needs to be laced manually, but can simply be tightened using an adjustment wheel. A detailed description can be found here. A major advantage here is that the lacing is no longer just superficial, but can also be routed inside the shoe using a sophisticated system. This means that certain areas can be pulled tighter than other areas. In addition, the wire is rolled up as soon as it is tightened, ensuring that everything is tidy. The BOA® system is equivalent to a traditional lacing system, where easier operation is traded for increased complexity. However, it is also possible to readjust the boot without having to open the lacing first. Unfortunately, the wire ropes cannot be easily repaired on the move, but these systems come with a lifetime guarantee. An extension is possible in the form of two BOA® systems. The second system usually stiffens the heel area of the shoe.

The only disadvantage for me so far has been that the shoe has to be laced tighter and tighter as it ages (which of course does not depend on the lacing system). At some point, it unfortunately becomes tedious to turn the small plastic wheel and it's no longer really possible to use it with mittens.

Boots with the BOA® system are now only slightly more expensive than a traditional lacing system and are therefore well suited for beginners who find a traditional lacing system too cumbersome. Snowboarders who regularly adjust their boots or want to open the laces on the lift, for example, will also find a suitable model here.

As you can read here, ski boot manufacturers have now also discovered the BOA® system for themselves and are replacing buckles completely in some cases.

For shoes with the double BOA® system, the second system runs inside the shoe and is not visible from the outside.

Johanna Korte

Combination of traditional lacing system and BOA®

Most high-end boots and especially snowboard boots that are specially designed for splitboarding - such as the renowned models from K2 and ThirtyTwo - rely on a combination of lacing and BOA® system. The BOA® system is usually used to adjust the stiffness of the heel and the walk mode. This combination offers maximum adjustment options and robust, reliable lacing. For me, the ability to fix the heel is particularly important. As my feet are not the same size, the shoe is actually a little too big on my right foot. In addition, the change from ascent to descent is very relaxed, as only the BOA® system needs to be adjusted, while the rest of the lacing remains unchanged.

The combination of several systems is important for people who have not yet found the right boot with one of the systems mentioned above. Splitboarders who use soft boots should also choose a boot that combines the two systems. However, these boots are at the upper end of the price range for snowboard boots.

Other systems

Some manufacturers, such as Burton, Nitro and Deeluxe, rely on an internally developed lacing system. This lacing system, known as the "Lacing System", literally tightens the boot. This means that these systems are laced even faster than the BOA® system. The laces have to be stowed away separately for this, but most shoes have a special place for this. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I have not had any good experiences with this system. However, this may be due to the fact that my first snowboard boot 15 years ago still had a few teething problems that have since been rectified. My boot kept coming undone because the locking system was not as secure as with a lace-up boot or a BOA® boot. In addition, the shoe could not be tightened evenly. But perhaps these problems no longer exist with newer boots.

So such systems are good for people who don't want to spend a lot of time lacing up.