Even though women’s gear has become more and more common in snowboarding over the years, it’s still much easier to find men’s snowboard boots. That’s because there are more of them. Snowboarding was originally a male dominated sport and that means some of the more established brands have been producing far more gear for men than for women. Many women can get frustrated by this and might consider buying men’s clothing for a number of reasons. But there are a few things to consider before buying a men’s boot for a woman’s foot.
It can be very tempting for many girls to buy a men’s snowboard boot. For whatever reason, many companies think that girls only want pink butterflies and purple stars on their team. If you’re looking for something a little more gender-neutral, you’ll likely be looking at menswear. The men’s team also tends to have a wider range in terms of features. Almost all companies offer more snowboard boots for men than for women; some companies even have twice as many boots for men! Sometimes that lack of selection can make finding the right boot nearly impossible for a snowboarder.
So get some men’s snowboard boots, right? Not so fast. Unless you have feet and legs suitable for men’s boots, you may regret your decision to buy boots made for the other gender. On an anatomical level, women’s feet and legs are quite different from men’s. One of the biggest problems with getting a men’s boot is that women tend to have narrower feet and may experience significant heel lift if they wear a men’s boot. That can cause not only a performance issue, but also pain and discomfort. Also, women tend to have lower calf muscles than men. The taller back of a men’s boot can dig in right into the middle of the calf muscle on a woman and cause a lot of irritation during a full day of riding.
But the differences between the foot and the boot are not the only reason why you should reconsider buying a boot outside of your gender. The way the boots fit into the bindings is crucial. If you have women’s bindings, but a men’s snowboard boot, you may have trouble getting the boot to fit properly into the binding. This is because boots are made to fit specifically with bindings and mixing men’s and women’s clothing can alter the fit. Not only could you be performing poorly, but you could also be putting your safety at risk if your boots don’t fit your bindings.
The truth is that it really is not the end of the world if you are a woman who wants to buy some men’s boots. But you may not get all the fun out of the experience that you would if you had a boot better designed for her foot. It’s always a good idea to buy the boot that was designed best for you. If you’re still set on buying a men’s snowboard boot, you might want to shop around a bit more to see if you can’t find a women’s boot you like.