[OneRound]

Hi!
I'd like to get some insight on your experience with Vans boots and Infuse in particular. So I bought a pair of Longos this season and I must say I really like the boots but not the build quality. They fit my feet really really well and I like everything about them except how the boa is fitted on them. I took them on snow once and found something is digging into my ankles and causing paing. These goes for both ankles on the medial side. So after a day of riding I inspected the boots in detail and I found this.
First picture is showing the lateral part of the inner boot shell. Keep a close eye on how the boa cables come out of the shell. All is well on this side.

The second picture is on the medial side of the inner shell. Watch how the boa cables come out and there is this hard plastic/metal thing sticking out.

Those things are really sharp and are protruding out. So when I tighten everything up they start digging into my ankle and causing pain. The other boot is the same - some holes are ok and some have these things sticking out. Its clearly a build quality issue as every hole for the boa cable looks different. Apart from that the boots fit my feet exceptionally well so I'd like to do everything in my power to make them work. I hope I explained everything well enough.

I'd like to hear your experience with these boots. Do any of you have similar problems or are some boots built better? Should I warranty the boots or do a DIY repair?
I have some ideas on how to fix this. I could cover (and glue) these sharp points with some sort of material (neoprene or rubber or something) or I could try to file the things and make them less sharp. Mind you I've read some reviews online that mention similar problems. Boots were not cheap so I'm kind of sad and angry Vans doesn't put more effort into build quality.

Once again thank you all for your inputs!

 

[Cambered234]

Hi!
I'd like to get some insight on your experience with Vans boots and Infuse in particular. So I bought a pair of Longos this season and I must say I really like the boots but not the build quality. They fit my feet really really well and I like everything about them except how the boa is fitted on them. I took them on snow once and found something is digging into my ankles and causing paing. These goes for both ankles on the medial side. So after a day of riding I inspected the boots in detail and I found this.
First picture is showing the lateral part of the inner boot shell. Keep a close eye on how the boa cables come out of the shell. All is well on this side.
View attachment 166449

The second picture is on the medial side of the inner shell. Watch how the boa cables come out and there is this hard plastic/metal thing sticking out.
View attachment 166450
Those things are really sharp and are protruding out. So when I tighten everything up they start digging into my ankle and causing pain. The other boot is the same - some holes are ok and some have these things sticking out. Its clearly a build quality issue as every hole for the boa cable looks different. Apart from that the boots fit my feet exceptionally well so I'd like to do everything in my power to make them work. I hope I explained everything well enough.

I'd like to hear your experience with these boots. Do any of you have similar problems or are some boots built better? Should I warranty the boots or do a DIY repair?
I have some ideas on how to fix this. I could cover (and glue) these sharp points with some sort of material (neoprene or rubber or something) or I could try to file the things and make them less sharp. Mind you I've read some reviews online that mention similar problems. Boots were not cheap so I'm kind of sad and angry Vans doesn't put more effort into build quality.

Once again thank you all for your inputs!

Did you buy them from REI? 🤷‍♂️

 

[OneRound]

Did you buy them from REI? 🤷‍♂️

Nope. Bought from Blue Tomato in Europe. I already contacted them and also Vans. Got no answer from Vans but Blue Tomato said to send them back for inspection. There is a slight problem however as I’m going snowboarding in a week and there isn’t enough time for them to process my reclamation. I’m thinking I could also order new ones and send these back for a refund.

 

[chjones]

i got the vans aura pros. very comfortable but the boas aren't great- the bottoms can only go a few turns before stopping, getting only moderately tight, and the tops i can get pretty tight but would like more. the tops also need an extra 2-3 turns every few runs, especially in snow where i work hard.

 

[OneRound]

i got the vans aura pros. very comfortable but the boas aren't great- the bottoms can only go a few turns before stopping, getting only moderately tight, and the tops i can get pretty tight but would like more. the tops also need an extra 2-3 turns every few runs, especially in snow where i work hard.

I can get the boa very tight on my Infuses but the problem lies elsewhere I do agree about the comfort. I love the liners to. Best liners for my feet and I've tried almost all the brands.

 

[chjones]

if you ever skated or wore their shoes, it's obvious quality control isn't their thing. I just looked at my boots and the boa setup is a bit different in that they come out of plastic holes within the boot vs making contact with the leather. you can see on the tan ones if you zoom in on pic 2 and 3.

Vans Aura Pro Snowboard Boots - Men's - 2022/2023 | REI Co-op

Emphasizing comfort and control, the men's Vans Aura Pro snowboard boots are built to perform in all environments. They're versatile and hardworking—and they feature a Boa® lacing system.

www.rei.com

 

[OneRound]

if you ever skated or wore their shoes, it's obvious quality control isn't their thing. I just looked at my boots and the boa setup is a bit different in that they come out of plastic holes within the boot vs making contact with the leather. you can see on the tan ones if you zoom in on pic 2 and 3.

Vans Aura Pro Snowboard Boots - Men's - 2022/2023 | REI Co-op

Emphasizing comfort and control, the men's Vans Aura Pro snowboard boots are built to perform in all environments. They're versatile and hardworking—and they feature a Boa® lacing system.

www.rei.com

In my skating days I wore the Airwalks lol.
My infuse also have those plastic holes on some cables and metal (or both) on others. Some ure hidden under the leather and others are protruding out. Its so inconsistent its ridiculous.

 

[foreveryoung]

Not related to snowboarding but I had to put my Vans comfycush oldskool's to garbage since they were so non-breathable. A day in the office with them and my socks were literally wet. I've never experienced sweating in any other shoes let alone in sneakers.

 

[Turms]

Nope. Bought from Blue Tomato in Europe. I already contacted them and also Vans. Got no answer from Vans but Blue Tomato said to send them back for inspection. There is a slight problem however as I’m going snowboarding in a week and there isn’t enough time for them to process my reclamation. I’m thinking I could also order new ones and send these back for a refund.

send them back and tray to get the refund

 

[MrDavey2Shoes]

Im going to venture a guess that the boots are too big requiring you to overtighten the boa which is destroying the boot.

 

[RadDad801]

I have the same exact issue with my Infuse. The BOA lacing system pokes right on my ankle bone if I tighten them too much. I cut some EVA foam discs and place them on the area putting pressure on the bone, but it still kinda does it. Some days are worse than others and I find myself loosening the BOA, which I don't love. I also had to cut some EVA foam and place it on the top of the liner where my binding strap hits my foot, it was causing a bad pressure point while on my toe edge.

 

[16gkid]

Sucks to hear, I'm on season 4 on my vans verse, about 130 days on em and still going strong, like someone said they might be too big and clamping them down is causing the shell to deform in a weird way

 

[fraxmental]

I know this has been overly discussed arround here, but i wonder if some or most of the europe retailers got not such a good quality stuff if comparing to USA for ex. Owning stuff that I bought from US, includind older snowboard gear, and outerwear, makes me feel this...but maybe it is just inside my had.
anyway it sucks to pay a lot for crapy stuff...

 

[RadDad801]

I was just looking at my boot’s again and noticed some wear on the backside of the lower eyelet.

So I added some foam there as well to see if it would help.

These foam discs have helped a little, but I still get pain when they are really tight.

 

[Turms]

are your boots maybe too big and you crank the boa too much?
however why tha cable come such a way ? without something like reinforcement ?

 

[RadDad801]

I can't speak for the OP, but my mondo size is 28 and I have size 10 US boots. So not too big, in fact these are the smallest size boots I have ever worn.

 

[Turms]

nop...they are ok. Definitely your size

 

[Hamish]

Hi!
I'd like to get some insight on your experience with Vans boots and Infuse in particular. So I bought a pair of Longos this season and I must say I really like the boots but not the build quality. They fit my feet really really well and I like everything about them except how the boa is fitted on them. I took them on snow once and found something is digging into my ankles and causing paing. These goes for both ankles on the medial side. So after a day of riding I inspected the boots in detail and I found this.
First picture is showing the lateral part of the inner boot shell. Keep a close eye on how the boa cables come out of the shell. All is well on this side.
View attachment 166449

The second picture is on the medial side of the inner shell. Watch how the boa cables come out and there is this hard plastic/metal thing sticking out.
View attachment 166450
Those things are really sharp and are protruding out. So when I tighten everything up they start digging into my ankle and causing pain. The other boot is the same - some holes are ok and some have these things sticking out. Its clearly a build quality issue as every hole for the boa cable looks different. Apart from that the boots fit my feet exceptionally well so I'd like to do everything in my power to make them work. I hope I explained everything well enough.

I'd like to hear your experience with these boots. Do any of you have similar problems or are some boots built better? Should I warranty the boots or do a DIY repair?
I have some ideas on how to fix this. I could cover (and glue) these sharp points with some sort of material (neoprene or rubber or something) or I could try to file the things and make them less sharp. Mind you I've read some reviews online that mention similar problems. Boots were not cheap so I'm kind of sad and angry Vans doesn't put more effort into build quality.

Once again thank you all for your inputs!

Hi there,

Was very interested to find this. I bought the same boots earlier this year (UK) and just came back from a week snowboarding with them. Inner shin just above ankle bone on both boots was so painful I could hardly walk at the end, though did not notice quite so much while riding. Could not really spot what was going on while away but did try all possible combinations of boa, lacing and stiffeners to no avail. Looked very closely at them yesterday and came up with the boa lace entry points as the culprit and then googled and found your post. Mine are just as you describe. The lowermost lace (of 3) seems to enter the outer boot through a relatively minimal tube, but the upper 2 enter through rectangular tubes with sharp and prominent rims. With the design of the boot, as you tighten up the outer boot (strap and laces) it compresses those onto your foot. I did not really think it possible to feel it through the thick inner boot but it is all I can come up with. If you google a close up picture of for example the ThirtyTwo TM-2 double boa, you can see similar rectangular entry points for the laces, possibly without the sharp edges, but in any event the design means they are not compressed onto your foot.

Did you come up with a solution? I absolutely love the boots in every other respect, would rather modify than stick them on Ebay and replace with something else. I was thinking about slicing the lining and trying to remove the entry tubes altogether, but if it doesn't work they are not really re-sellable. And they cost a fortune.

First time with BOA, will look very closely before buying other boots with same system.

Cheers!

 

[Rip154]

Just seems like bad design, and someone with skinny calves will probably notice it more, since the tongue of the boot won’t go all the way around. Also steel cables are bad. It’s been an issue in alot of boots with boa.

 

[Turms]

After 14 years with Boa i decided to go to trad. Laces....but Stil looking
These 14 years with vans aura didnt have a Problem at All.
However i found many reviews for Problems with bo....von vans. And i had also with the malamutes also a problem and i have to return them