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Burton Step On Photon 2021-2022 Snowboard Boots Review

Tested and selected for our top 100 snowboard products of the year: the Burton Step On Photon

  • Price: €420
  • Sizes: US 7 to 15
  • Flex: 5-8/10
  • Lacing System: Boa

Why we chose the Burton Step On Photon Snowboard Boots: This one transitioned seamlessly from Burton’s classic boot range to the Step On stable. It’s a crowd-pleaser, now with added click-in-straight-off-the-chairlift points.

With five different models in Burton’s Step On range now, it’s not hard to find one that’ll work for you. It’s our guess that, for most people, the answer will be the Photon. It’s a tried-and-tested member of the Big B’s boot family, subtly adapted to work with the easy-in, easy-out binding system.

There are a few tweaks for 2021/22, which we’ll explain further down, but for the most part this remains the boot that has already proven itself as a comfortable, reliable all-rounder.

“It’s a crowd-pleaser, now with added click-in-straight-off-the-chairlift points”

MORE INFO:
BURTON.COM

Who Is The Burton Step On Photon For?

Precision isn’t just for ice-axe-wielding peak-baggers; thanks to the Burton Step On Photon’s double Boa closure and oodles of support, you can fine-tune your feet without any compromise whatsoever, even if you’re just setting up for a day in the resort or hiking a side country booter. Also (duh) you get the convenience of the Step On binding system. Win-win.

Shell & Outsole

The Burton Step On Photon boot has a fairly rigid shell and tongue, perfect for all-mountain endeavours. There’s also Step On’s classic Boa-powered ‘Snugger strap’ that allows you to lock your heel down, and also helps esthetically.

The outsole has been upgraded for 2021/22 with mountaineering-inspired Vibram rubber. As well as being hard-wearing and grippy as hell, it’ll save your feet from some of the nasty rattling that a good day on the hill will inevitably expose them to. What’s more, the soles are made of 30% recycled material.

Depending on what your feet are like, you can opt for a slightly wider version, available in all the same sizes and in the same classic black-with-blue-highlights colourway. For those with more standard-shaped hooves, there’s also the option of a jazzier design that looks like the lovechild of BB-8 and one of the original 1980s Transformers.

“The Burton Step On Photon boot has a fairly rigid shell and tongue, perfect for all-mountain endeavours”

Liner

Naturally it’s the outside of each Burton Step On boot that makes it stand apart from its traditional equivalents, what with all the cleats and clicky bits and whatnot. Beneath the shell, even the most vehement Step On skeptic will find themselves in their comfort zone – literally. Burton employs its Imprint 3 liner here, the very same one you’ll find on the classic Photon. It’s absolutely bursting with features, including slightly stiffer panels on each side that give you more support and response without compromising comfort.

Speaking of which, top-quality moisture-wicking material helps to banish sweat, and extra grippy material right at the heel attaches to your sock to help keep your foot where it’s supposed to be. The cuff does its part too, supporting the lower leg to reduce the change of calf bite.

“The cuff does its part too, supporting the lower leg to reduce the change of calf bite”

Roundup

We’ve gone over a lot of the features, but if we had to boil it all down to a rich jus of only three words, they’d be ‘comfort, performance, longevity’. For something that is clearly built to last, the Photon feels great from day one, and the Boa laces can be set to your exact preference with ease.

In the space of a single day we’ve ridden a pair of these at Mach 10 on fresh groomers, and taken a dialled-back cruise through the park. In both scenarios (and for everything in between) they ticked all the right boxes. Take our advice, and get your foot in the Photon.

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