Hello and welcome to my Vans Infuse Snowboard Boots review .
In this review I will take a look at the Infuse as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Infuse a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
Check out the tables for the Infuse’s specs.
Who are the Infuse Most Suited To?
The Infuse are perfect for anyone who wants a boot that can be used across a wide range of boards and bindings. Because of the tongue stiffener system and power strap, the flex feel of these boots is very versatile.
They are appropriate for an intermediate level and up and are suitable for all styles of riding from the park to the backcountry.
Not for a beginner - too stiff, even with all the tongue stiffeners removed.
Also not for anyone wanting really soft boots for playful park/all-mountain stuff.
Finally, they are best for people with normal or narrow foot width and normal or low arches. Some with high-arches complain that Vans boots can put some pressure on the tops of their feet.
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Infuse are capable of.
Arches: Flat left foot. Semi-flat right foot.
Date: Multiple dates. I own these boots.
Conditions: All sorts of conditions from hard/icy days to powder days.
Fit: The Infuse fit me very well. Though I did have to get them heat molded. I wore them for a while without heat molding but they didn’t naturally heat mold to a point I was comfortable with. They still felt like new boots after good few days riding them (i.e. uncomfortably snug) but once I had them heat molded they now have the perfect fit for my feet/ankles/calves.
The Infuse comes with 4 tongue stiffeners. 2 for each boot. Without any of those tongue stiffeners in there, they feel like a 6/10 flex. Vans rate them as being from 5/10 to 9/10, but they don’t feel as soft as a 5/10 to me, without any tongue stiffeners. With all 4 stiffeners in place, they feel like an 8/10. Again, Vans says up to 9/10, but they don’t quite feel that stiff to me with all 4 in place. You can just put 1 in per boot too – which I’m guessing would translate to roughly 7/10 – though I haven’t tried this yet.
The Infuse respond as you would expect them to. A little more response when you add the tongue stiffeners and a little less when you remove them. A little more playful and surfy when you remove them too. Also you can adjust that feel with the power strap. When you really tighten that done, in addition to adding in the tongue stiffeners you can get a very locked in, supportive feel with great response, especially at high speeds. But you can get a more casual, surfy feel by adjusting them.
They have an articulated cuff. Which is nice in terms of not getting shell distortion but I also prefer the feel of an articulated cuff.
They have some pretty significant soles with plenty of dampening and some good tread for traction. This limits their board feel. They don’t feel like very flat/thin soled boots when it comes to board feel. But they’re not designed for that kind of feel either in my book. These boots are more for a responsive, damp kind of ride – not a playful, loose freestyle kind of ride.
They’re still good for the park in terms of jumps and certainly for bigger features, but aren’t like a skate like feeling boot.
I found that you could get a really good lock down of the heel in these boots. And the Boa part of these boots really helps there. It basically acts as a pull down on your heel as well as addition ankle support. I wouldn’t say they’re most heel locking boot I’ve ridden in, but they’re pretty darn close and all I would ever want/need.
These are one of the most adjustable boots I’ve come across.
You get the advantages of traditional lacing with the locking down capabilities of boa. You can adjust upper and lower separately and you can have great control over your ankle support and heel lock down.
Then there’s the power strap which gives you the ability to control how tight you have the boot at the very top and around the calves. You can leave this undone or you can get it really quite tight – tighter than I’m able to with the laces alone.
And on top of all of that you have the tongue stiffeners which allow you to adjust the flex (see flex section above for more details).
The only thing that I take off half a point for is the fact there isn’t much difference between essentially leaving the lower section laces as loose as possible and having them tight. But other than that, these bad boys are super adjustable for that custom fit.
These boots are very comfortable. I found they took a bit to wear in compared to some other boots. But that’s often the case with stiffer boots. These boots are very sturdy and feel really high quality. I would recommend getting these heat molded rather than trying to naturally heat mold them by riding – just because I feel it takes a while that way with these boots.
But once they were heat molded they are super comfortable.
The only thing really that takes a little away from that comfort, apart from taking a while to wear in, is that they are quite heavy. Again this is something that’s often the case with stiffer boots. But still, if they were lighter, they’d be even more comfortable.
The liner is really plush and super comfortable, as is the footbed. Sometimes with cheaper boots you really need to add a custom footbed. With these that footbed is really nice as it is.
The Infuse have a really good amount of cushioning in the sole. On top of that the footbed, as mentioned above, is really nice and adds to those dampening features. Overall, they absorb shock and chatter very well.
The Infuse have a quality sole that provides good traction. Like pretty much every part of this boot, there are no weak areas and the construction just feels (and performs) high quality.
With an outersole length just 2.3cm longer than the Mondo of the boot, the Infuse (and all Vans boots) have one of the most reduced outersoles that I’ve measured. Only Adidas boots are shorter, in my experience.
They don’t have a huge amount of bevel compared to some other boots, but there’s certainly some toe bevel and overall are a very reduced outersole.
As far as I can tell the 2019 model are the same as the 2018 model but just in a different colorway.
From the moment I picked these boots up they just looked and felt high quality.
And that quality isn't lost when riding in them either. They are nice and adjustable, versatile and have good support and response, whilst at the same time being comfortable and damp.
There are basically no weaknesses to these boots across the board. Assuming they fit and they are the type of boot that you're looking for, the Infuse are a great choice, IMO.
If you want to learn more about the Infuse, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Infuse compares to other men’s all-mountain boots or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Is there a reason you did not go with a 9.5 US since your mondo size is closer to 27.5 than 28.0?
Even though on paper my mondo size is closer to 27.5, in reality I’ve never been able to fit in a 9.5, in any brand’s boots. And this has been a similar experience for a lot of people I’ve talked to. Some feet even smaller than mine can’t get into a 9.5. Sometimes I have to ride a 10.5, depending on the brand.
And trust me, this boot is not too big for me. It’s a very snug fit, that took a bit of time to actually feel like it wasn’t too small. After breaking it in (and boots with better liners tend to take longer to break in – but then last longer). So yeah, in my experience, Mondo isn’t always accurate – in fact more often than not I’ve found people telling me that the Mondo that’s suited for their foot is too small for them in reality.
Thanks for the reply. I have been battling some foot issues for a few seasons and have been through a fair share of boots. I go off my mondo size which usually requires lots of heat molding and a few days of discomfort. Some of my problems still persist which makes me think going up a half size isn’t the end of the world.
Yeah I would try going up half a size and see how that feels. Might be more comfortable and a better fit.