Vans Hi-Standard Review

One thing that you may notice about both the Vans Hi-Standard Snowboard Boots is the use of traditional lacing. Call us old fashioned but nothing really compares to the feeling of putting on a pair of snowboard boots, pulling up on the laces and tying a big old knot or perhaps a double knot.

Vans Hi-Standard Snowboard Boot

Comfort is king! When it comes to trying on a brand new pair of snowboard boots the Vans Hi-Standard Snowboard Boots offers that elusive perfect comfy no-need to break in fit. In the 10+ years, I have been reviewing gear no other boot brand can even come close to the feeling of Vans Snowboard Boots fresh out of the box.

Need even more comfort? The Vans Hi-Standard Boots come with a  heat-moldable liner, although I personally never even felt the need to get these custom-fitted, maybe they would fit even better with some time spent at a local snowboard shop using the heat molders?

When something isn’t broken I try my best not to mess around, both these boots fit perfectly.

Once the Vans Hi-Standard Snowboard Boots have been laced up the peace of mind happens quickly as you know these boots won’t loosen until you undo the knots at the end of the day. Along with the outer laces, the boots feature an internal web harness quick pull system that really helps to pull your feet and heels down into the liner for a super dialed-in fit.

Vans Waffles

Waffles seem to be popular in the snow sports world these days, and Vans has perfected the Waffle Outsole on their Vans Snowbaord Boots. The Waffle Outsoles on the Hi-Standard Boots offer a ton of traction for walking around icy parking lots or hiking up steep boot packs.

But what makes these a must-have is the amount of vibration dampening these boots offer, meaning if you are riding over super chunder snow, your feet will actually be more stoked than in the past. Like to ride the park and stomp hard landings, well your feet will thank you for the Waffles too.

The Vans Hi-Standard Snowboard Boots offer a very comfortable, surfy and responsive feeling underfoot. For park riders, the Hi-Standard is a solid bet. Hence being the best selling Vans snowboard boot of all times. The Hi-Standard boot is going to be softer than the V-66, another popular lace boot from Vans.

I would say out of a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the stiffest, the Hi-Standard is a 4 out of 10 in terms of flex. Great for tweaking out airs, especially nice for driving in your boots and you may find yourself lounging around in these well after your day on the mountain is done.

What Can Be Improved?

I spend 80% or more of my winter splitboarding these days so the way I use snowboard boots may be different from your needs. I love how soft the boots are torsionally from the top of the calf to the toe which feels very natural and surfy, especially great for jumping off features and landing in deep snow.

What can be improved would be some stability in the heals. (I actually have taken gorilla tape to the liners to “stiffen” these up a bit and it worked wonders. Hopefully in the future Vans sees a need for a soft boot with lateral stiffness?? As splitboarding continues to grow this may or may not happen as a lot of people are switching over to hard boots (think skiing) or rocking very stiff boots like the Vans Infuse which would be perfect for my needs aside from the use of the BOA system.

Vans Hi-Standard Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Comfortable and no need to break in fit
• Provides good traction on icy surfaces
• Surfy and responsive feeling underfoot

Cons:

• May lack stability in the heels
• Limited lateral stiffness for some users

Overall Impression

I can safely say that anyone reading this will enjoy the feeling you first get when you put on a pair of Vans Snowboard Boots. The fit and performance fresh out of the box will be impossible to beat. For park riders and people that spend a few days on the hill each season check out the affordable Vans Hi-Standard Boot ($199.95)

Related Articles:

1. Vans Verse Snowboard Boot Reviews
2. Vans UltraRange MTE Shoes Review
3. Vans Infuse Snowboard Boots Review