Burton: Women's Sapphire Snowboard Boot

The mellow and progressive flex of the articulated cuff gives Burton's Women's Sapphire owners the distinct ability to keep their heels locked down on their advanced freestyle and all-mountain snowboards. The Sapphire offers a two-part flexing design between the upper and lower sections, so female riders enjoy a smooth flex that's also surprisingly responsive, making this boot an excellent pairing for freestyle and all-mountain snowboards. Granted, this progressive flex characteristic might not be the best thing for new riders, but it's a great snowboard boot for experienced riders who need performance with plenty of comfort features. This season Burton enhanced the Sapphire fit with a new Imprint 3 Liner with True Fit construction. The new Imprint 3 Liner offers Power Panel 2.0 technology and has customizable refinements like the J-Bar adjustable heel hold system and the Outlast Adaptive Comfort technology. The Power Panels inside the new liner contain memory foam materials that snap back to their original positions far better than the traditional boot materials that typically "pack in" after a season of hard use. That Outlast technology in the liner is a thermal phase-changing material that helps absorb excess heat while you're hiking up backcountry ridges and releases the thermal warmth as your feet chill during long rides down the fall line. The result is a more consistent insulation performance that you can count on throughout the day. Burton's True Fit construction is a female-specific design element that's found on all of their snowboard boots this season. Every part of the Imprint liner, shell, cuff, heel counter, tongue and even the lace guides are specifically designed to fit female feet. There are no unisex shortcuts on Burton women's snowboard boots. Ever. The Sapphire has a distinct outsole shape that can result in less drag along the heel and toe even when you're riding on a board that's possibly a size too small (results may vary, so pay attention to the sizing chart). One thing to keep in mind is that the Sapphire is the only upper-end Burton women's boot that doesn't feature a Speed Zone Lacing System. If this is an important feature, consider the similar support and flex found in the Burton women's Supreme Heat, Q or Emerald snowboarding boots.

• Burton "support" rating: 5 on a scale of 1 to 10
• New redesigned Imprint 3 Liner with Power Panel 2.0 technology, adjustable heel hold feature with removable J Bars and an Aegis™ antimicrobial coating
• Female-specific Burton ergonomic True Fit design refinements throughout boot
• Dual Zone 2:1 Power Lacing for improved heel hold
• Light Outsole with air cushioning for impacts and rubber ice spikes for slick spots
• Articulated cuff with Power Spine 1.0 backstay for moderate support
• Warm Thin Profile 3D molded tongue
• Molded EVA Footbed with ESS Support Shank and thermally-resistant Outlast® footbed treated with an Aegis™ antimicrobial coating