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So I've had a bit of an epiphany of late... I'm not looking to start a debate or try and convert anyone, I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

Anyways, most recently I've ridden either hardboots, or stiff soft boots. But over the last four tours I've only tightened the inner boot of my Burton Imperials and just pulled the zone laces into the lock channels, leaving the boot shell open and loose.
The intention was to tighten them before descending, but being kind of lazy, or cold I just never got around to it. I must say, despite getting about the same heel lift I normally get (e.g. icy exits) the riding has been way more fun, responsive and confidence inspiring. This all seems really counter intuitive.

So has anyone else had this experience? What is going on here? Should I just go back to Sorels?

YES!!!!!

There was something about the way the binding straps just tore into your forefoot through those flexy rubber toeboxes. Sooooo painful on the lift, and yet as soon as I started riding under those yellow sodium lights, I forgot all about the pain. Ah, nostalgia...

Bring em back I say! These kids with their comfy boots with liners need to be taught how to endure some serious pain in the name of snowboarding.

And I pity the fool that ever took a run in these bad boys...



If you were after even less support than the leather ones, these white nylon puppies were your go to back in 91.

Seriously tho, I also have started to at least tour with loose boots as it's more comfy. If I need a little more medial/lateral support for a traverse, I just tighten em up.

Speaking of old boots with no support, I used to love riding in K2 Lighters. No liner, super flexy, but I totally got used to them. I'd like to try them for splitting as they were, well, super light and comfy. They'd be useless on anything needing edges for touring, but for pow days would probably be awesome. Anyone have a pair laying around in a sz 10?

Yup, I'm convinced that riding Sorels and crappy or no bindings as a kid cast the die for me. I still feel most comfortable with maximum ankle mobility. I love the feeling of shredding pow in super soft freestyle boots barely laced above the ankle... And a nice wide surf stance... Low, quick, slashy and stable.

^Yep exactly. Spent two seasons in sorels, still have the weird bumps on my feet to prove it. Heel lift? No problem. Just think of it like a tele turn. Stiff boots put a barrier between me and the board.

Ha ha, I know what you mean. During a recent Wasatch SpltiFest tour, the topic of stance angles and how they'd changed over the years came up. It occurred to me I'm still riding the stance from my Backhill and Perfomer

form 802 smuggler from of all places NH/Vermont http://splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=13333&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I agree, I don't intentionally unlace my boots but I usually don't remember to lace em up until I'm on the exit trail or experience some dust on crust that makes me really aware of it. I mean that would involve taking your gloves off and actually pulling your snow pants up to get at your boot laces. I'm guessing few sierra couloir riders or riders outside of the great snow zones folks measure their snow quality for the day by when and if they remembered to lace their boots up from a loose tour friendly setting.

I ride burton ions and have found myself going down without making my boots more tight on numerous occasions. sometimes weather related, sometimes pure excitement gets ahold of me. But I noticed when I do crank them down it takes me a little bit of riding to get used to them and comfy where as when they are loose its just time to go. This is the one place where hard boots might have a tiny advantage, just click those fittings into place and vola! time to ride. It just one more step in the process and usually im being rushed.. HAHA these boots work in everything and I can still throw a method!

I've been trying to run my boots looser too. For me its a circulation thing. All this time I've been cranking my boots so tight that at the bottom of every run, my feet are just screaming at me! I've lately been running the lowers super loose, with the top of the boots just moderately snug. I'm pretty sure it allows a lot more proprioceptive feedback... It can kind of be compared to the evolution of running shoes or climbing boots. For years things were so stiff and supportive, but now, all this research is coming out on the benefits of barefoot running. Anyway, its all about biomechanics!