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Burton ions 2014

6K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  snowphun 
#1 ·
Does anyone wear the Burton ions 2014?
How do they compare to previous years ions?
 
#2 ·
I have them, can't compare to previous years, as i used to wear Van Auras...

I found them extremely stiff, hard to get used to, and with very little cushioning. But now i have worn them 20-25 times, i love them...

Going to buy another pair .5 of a size smaller as well...

I wear thick socks in winter, but as spring approaches, i wear thin socks and found i am getting heal lift as a result...
 
#3 ·
borton ions 2014

Yes I agree to all that you commented on. I have the same issues. I used to love the ions. I switched from the 2012 ions to the 2014 model.
What I found was that they are more stiff, much less cushioning. made of plastic instead of cloth/leather which makes them cold and therefore your feet get colder. I do use thick socks though.
I am a bit disappointed!

Do you have cold feet problems as well?
 
#4 ·
No, i don't get cold feet as i use the proper socks... Hehe

Are you confusing cold feet with numbness from over tightening...???

If i over tighten them, then i get numb, try having them a little looser on the bottom, and don't do the insert so tight, you may just be surprised how much better you like the boots, the top, well that gets yanked tight, and i feel much better overall with the boots...
 
#6 ·
It blows my mind how Burton cheapens all of their products. They could make epic gear but they don't. All of their products have become cheaply made except for the most expensive AK gear and a few boards. Their socks are all garbage, well designed, cool looking but cheap materials. Their expensive merino wool socks are a joke, same thing with their base layers, most of their gloves etc. It's too bad really. They have great customer service, make some great bindings etc but you really have to watch what you buy from them, it's hit or miss.
 
#7 ·
my 2013 ions were like that, complete garbage totally falling apart after 10 days on the hill. The boot softened up so much it was like a pathetic no name beginner boot.

For 2014 they redesigned the toe box to be hard plastic and the whole boot is much stiffer, I think it's the same toe as my 2013 SLX actually. They redid the imprint 4 liner which also used to suck.

Oh yea.. my 2013 ions were pleather. $400 boots and they are made with fake leather, blows my mind. At least my SLX's are genuine leather/suede and hard plastic.
 
#8 ·
I just grabbed a pair of the 2014's, took them out last weekend and they were great except where the lower speed laces route thru some sort of hard tubing about midway down the boot, right under the ankle strap. After an hour of riding it was really digging in. I've never had speed laces so I cranked both down along with the liner. I guess the lower laces don't need to be so tight.
I was going to take these to a good boot fitter to see if he could add some padding or even hack out that tubing if its possible. Should I just leave the liner and lower laces a little looser?

Again these were great everywhere else comfort wise and heel hold. I can't believe they have that hard tubing tight on top of your instep. BTW I have this years Ride Capo bindings
Thanks for any replies.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Yeah that liner should not be tight. Just snug. It doesn't affect performance.

You can tighten your boots anyway you choose. I ride a lot of park and prefer my lower section tight and my upper laces just snug, this makes for more room to flex into the boots and greater flexion and range of movement on setting up for jumps and staying small in the pipe etc. If you ride a real soft boot that may not even be a factor. I have Ions and if they are too tight up top the boots might be a touch more responsive for freeriding, but it makes it more difficult to get low and into them for everything else.
 
#12 ·
Interesting to read about the issues some of you guys have had with the Ions in recent years. I had problems with mine as well, a couple seasons ago. They were awesome boots until they started broke down after 30 days or so. Luckily it was an REI purchase so that was an easy remedy. Believe it or not, the Flow Hylite and Talon are every bit as tech as the Ion in terms of lightweight, comfort, cushioning, similar fit, but BOA instead of speedlace and with a grippy Vibram sole. Most importantly they're holding up really well after about the same amount of use thus far this season.
 
#23 ·
I agree with everything in here. My Ions from few years ago are softer than mush. 2 of the speed laces ripped out.

I've been a big Burton boot guy my whole life. Bought Airwalk Freerides in 92 maybe? Then I bought a pair of Burton Vikings in 1995, rocked those fuckers for ten years or more.

Since then I've had every Burton boot I think? The stiff ones anyway.:thumbsup:

They've all fallen apart & turned to mush really fast.
I tried on this years Ions at the ski swap & they were mush to begin with:thumbsdown:

I'm no longer a Burton boot guy.:eusa_clap:

I found a pair of Flow Hylites on Craigslist for $100 brand new in the box.
Started to do a little research.

Pretty much that's what everyone's saying about the Flow booties.
Stiff, really stiff kept coming up.

One thing that sticks out in my head. I know Argo is ridin' em.:huh:
He's like 14 feet tall & weighs more than a tonne:icon_scratch:
Plus, he gets a fuck of a lot days on em.

Need I say more?:giggle:

Mine l look not too bad & I beat the shit out of boots. There's some fraying on the rear boot but I've been on brand new boards all year with razors for edges.

More importantly, actually the only thing important too me, is that they stay stiff. Stiff boots are fuckin' expensive, doesn't matter the brand. stiff boots are expensive:thumbsdown:

I can't afford new $400+ boots after 10 or 20 rides, I plan on going 60, hopefully 80 plus times a year. How the fuck are you supposed to do that?:dizzy:

These Hylites are as stiff as the day a bought em.
Got about 30 on them so far.:thumbsup:
I drove 100km hoping they were gonna fit:dunno:
Luckily they fit like a glove.

TT
 
#14 ·
Just snatched up a pair of 14's on closeout. Looking forward to using them next season. This year I had the DC Terrains. While they were stiff, I didn't like the Boa and never used it and the leather on my back boot looks awful.

I'll review the Ions when I wear them.
 
#15 ·
So, I've bought 3 pairs of boots in the last two years all online, and all new, all size 11. All sight unseen. The three pairs I owned were 2012 Burton Rulers, 2013 DC Terrain, and now 2014 Burton Ions.

Out of all the boots the Ions have felt the best right out of the box. I had to heat mold the previous Burtons and DC's in order to get them to feel even OK. After heat molding they felt fine. The Ions are stiff, but about the same as the DC Terrain. I will say after a year the Terrains look like absolute crap, and I make a conscious effort to not cut up my back boot. The Rulers looked like new after a full season.

I'm feeling like I'm not going to need to heat mold the Ions, but might just because it's a long summer haha.

I'll hopefully update this thread next season or make my own review.
 
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#26 ·
I just went from the 2012 Ions (which I rode to death) to 2014s for the back half of the season.

Quick notes:
I like the new hard toe. My old boots would crush under some of my bindings (like my IPOs).

I found them to be much stiffer than my last pair - not necessarily bad, but it is a huge difference (keep in mind that my old boots were likely quite broken down)

Heel grip is definitely wider which is a bummer. I called Burton and they sent me some free J-Bars which has helped a lot.

Overall they are very comfortable and easy to walk in.
 
#27 ·
I broke down and bought a set, wanted to be able to exchange for a larger size if needed and the longer I wait the less stock there is. Plus no tax and 5% cashback via Discover helped.

Heel grip is definitely wider which is a bummer. I called Burton and they sent me some free J-Bars which has helped a lot.
I've never used J-bars, are they an effective long term solution?
 
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