Hello and welcome to my Burton Ruler Boa review.
In this review I will take a look at the Ruler Boa as freestyle snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ruler Boa a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Burton Ruler Boa
Price: $329 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle
Other Uses: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 83.7/100
Compared to other Freestyle Boots
Out of the 27 freestyle boots that I rated:
- The average score was 80.8/100
- The highest score was 91.3/100
- The lowest score was 68.0/100
- The average price was $263
- The Ruler Boa ranked 9th out of 27
Overview of the Ruler Boa’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Ruler Boa’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle or All-Mountain |
Price: | $329 |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Weight: | Lighter than normal |
Lacing System: | Double Boa |
Who are the Ruler Boa Most Suited to?
The Ruler Boa are a great option for those on a mid-to-low level budget, but don't want a boot that's too soft or too stiff. Something just in the middle and an all round solid boot, that works well with medium flexing and medium-soft flexing boards.
Not ideal for beginner-beginners, but high end beginners should be fine in these. That depends on weight too. A heavier beginner should be OK, but lighter riders probably want to be more of an intermediate level for the Ruler Boa.
The Ruler Boa in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Ruler Boa are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Burton Ruler Boa 2020
Size: 10.5 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: January 24, 2020
Conditions: A little rain with warmish temperature. But didn't feel super warm, with the wind.
Visibility was relatively bad but not terrible.
Snow was well groomed with a hint of slushiness on groomer and a little slushy off.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita 2017
Outersole Length: 31.1cm (mondo 28.5cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.6cm
Backstay Height: 30.1cm
Weight: 820 grams*
* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a good bit lighter than the average. The lightest I've weighed is 740 grams and the heaviest is 1320 grams.
Flex
I felt the Ruler Boa at around a 5/10 flex, potentially pushing 5.5/10.
Fit
Width: They felt like they're a little wider than medium, but not by heaps. Mid-wide, but not massively wide.
True to Size?: I rode 10.5s and I'm typically a 10. The 10.5s worked fine for demoing purposes, and I think they'd be fine to keep riding for a while in that size, but if I bought I would most likely go for 10s as I feel like the 10.5s would pack out too much over time. So, I would say true to size.
High or Low Arch: It's pretty normal. In the middle.
Shock Absorption
It's not bad, but not great either. Does a decent job of absorbing shock from flat landings and absorbing chatter, but not ultra-cush or anything.
Board Feel
Good board feel in these boots.
Responsiveness
I found the Ruler to be about middle of the road here. As expected really.
Good manageability at slower speeds but also decent at holding a carve - a good balance between those things, without being outstanding at either.
Adjustability
There's good separation between the upper section boa and lower section boa - so you can go tighter up top and loose down bottom or visa versa.
The liner has a typical lacing harness plus velcro for the top of the liner.
Comfort
All round pretty comfortable. On first try on, I noticed a bit of a pressure point on the top of my right foot - but that's pretty typical for me with most boots. After heat molding and then riding for a while, that was all but gone.
All round nice and comfortable, without being massively plush or anything.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
The Ruler comes in around 1:10
Heel Hold
Really decent heel hold. Not much lift at all. Certainly not enough lift to be a bother at all or notice when I wasn't specifically thinking about it.
Reduced Footprint
Decently reduced, typical of Burton. If I had to go 10.5, that would take away that reduced feeling, but I think the 10 would be the size I would be best of with, in this boot.
Burton also tend to have a higher toe bevel, which makes the angle needed to encounter toe drag greater than it would be with a lower toe bevel.
Traction
Sole isn't the best out of the Burton boots I've tested. Not a massive amount of tread and relatively soft feeling sole. Felt OK walking in them, but based on sole inspection, fairly average for traction.
Entry/Exit
Pretty easy to get foot in and out of. And that double boa system is really easy to get going.
There's the velcro you've got to do on the liner and the liner lacing harness, which is all pretty standard. Overall really easy and pretty quick too.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 14/20 |
BOARD FEEL | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
RESPONSE | 3.0 | 9/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.0 | 8/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TRACTION | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 83.7/100 |
The Ruler Boa are a really solid choice for the price.
There's nothing that really stands out as amazing or special about these boots, but there's also nothing to complain about. Middle of the road boots, but in a good way.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Ruler Boa, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.
- US
- CA
- UK/EU
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If you want to see how the Ruler Boa compared to other freestyle boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.