Vans Infuse Snowboard Boots Review

The Vans Infuse are some high end (top of the Vans line) boots that give you an adjustable flex, with plenty of heel hold.

My biggest issue with finding boots is getting enough ankle hold, other than that I don’t have any other things that I really have to look out for. The last boots I have had were the Salomon Launch BOA, which did a great job at holding my ankle down from the Boa controlled straight jacket. They were just a medium flex boot, and once broken in they got quite soft, so I was on the lookout for something that had some extra support.

Sizing and Fit

My longest foot is 275mm, or 27.5cm which works out perfectly for the US 9.5 boots I bought.

I get a small amount of pressure on the ends of my toes, that backs off a little once I am leaning into the boots. After a few of weeks of riding in these boots, they have broken in well, and are comfortable all around.

Coming from Boa boots, these have a bunch more steps in getting them on and off. Although they take a while longer, all of those features add to the heel hold, and overall very snug feel.

The inner liner has the regular lace like most brands, as well as a second lower part you can use to tighten the very bottom of the liner before you lock it down. There is velcro on the wings at the top of the liner, that will help it stick to the tongue.

Although they are a slightly chunkier boot, I had no issues with them fitting in my two pairs of bindings (Burton Cartel/Cartel X and Union Strata), and didn’t have to adjust any straps. Both pairs of bindings are mediums, and the 9.5 boots fit in nicely.

Stiffness

The first couple of days I rode in these boots I had all the tongue stiffeners in, and they were very stiff. Especially on toeside turns, the boots hardly flexed at all. It let me ride much much faster, and put the brakes on coming out of a toeside turn with almost zero effort, even on a softish board (Ride Zero).

Even though I got these boots because I wanted something stiffer, that was way too much for me, and I have ridden them with all of the stiffeners out since then. Once the boots starts feeling noticeably softer I will start adding them back in again.

Heel hold

Heel hold is always an issue for my with narrow ankles, so it is one of the main deciding factors when I am choosing a boot. I had been quite used to the Str8jkt from my Salomon boots, which was great at locking my heel down.

The Infuse does it a little differently, but the end result is the same. The liner is a definite step up for me, and using both the upper and lower tabs to tighten it does make a difference. The rest of the heel hold comes from the side boa, which pulls a panel on the outside of the tongue. At first it seems like that is going to be less effective, but in reality it works well, and spreads the pressure out evenly.

Heat Molding

Although it has a heat moldable liner, I didn’t bother as they get used almost every day, and I want them to have the longest life possible. I didn’t have any pain at all on my foot, just a few weird things on my calf up high on my leg, though they disappeared after the second day of riding.

Overall

They are expensive boots, but they do feel and ride like them. Having the adjustable flex is a solid option to fine tune things to exactly how you like. Coming most recently from Salomon and Burton boots, I do fit well into Vans, though in general I don’t have much issues with how boots fit in general, so it isn’t a major problem for me anyway.

Features of the Vans Infuse

Flex Rating 5-9/10

The adjustable flex is able to be changed from the stiffest (with all 4 tongue stiffeners in) to softest with them all removed.

Intermediate to advanced

V3 UltraCush with TNF Flashdry Liner

TNF (The North Face) Flashdry fabric is made to act like a second skin, pushing moisture to the surface to that it can evaporate as quick as possible. Basically just doing as much as it can to keep things dry and warm. There is an UltraCush soft inside later, and a neoprene forefoot. It has a new version of the X-Cage, which is designed to give better heel hold. The X-Cage is on their top two liners, and has an asymmetrical shape that fills the space around your ankle bones with soft EVA foam.

There is a dual density, heat moldable core. Soft and warm microsuede on the cuff and tongue of the liners.

V3 Popcush Footbed

V3 Ultimatewaffle Outsole

The highest end of the outsoles Vans offer, it is made to be grippy, comfortable, lightweight with good dampening.

Vans Hybrid Plus Boa with Custom Slide Guide

The Boa tightens a panel around your instep, locking your heel down while letting you have all the flex adjustability.

Waterproof Zipper Shroud + D Ring

This is a waterproof shield that stops the lower part of your boot from collecting snow. It also has a metal D ring that you can hook your pant gaiters to.

Molded Toe/Heel Protection

Vans Flex Control System

In the tongue of each boot, there are two removable tongue stiffeners. Leave both in to keep the boots stiff, remove them both if you want it softer, leave them in one side if that works best for you.