The single most important piece of equipment to buy for a young snowboarder is their kids snowboarding boots. If you don’t get their boots right, they won’t enjoy snowboarding.
Buying snowboard boots for children is different than for adults. There are different considerations that need to be made.
Generally speaking, youth snowboarding equipment is less focused on performance and more on warmth and comfort.
You won’t start to see performance construction in kids snowboard boots until about the pre-teen to adolescent age ranges.
In this ultimate kids snowboarding boots guide, you’ll learn at what age kids can start snowboarding and the types of boots they’ll need. I’ll explain the types of boots offered to youth as they get older. We’ll go over construction materials and performance features that become available. You’ll know how to measure a child’s foot in order to shop for the right size kids snowboard boot. Lastly, I’ll share with you a tip to test the fit of your child’s boots and what’s the best way to buy kids snowboarding boots.
Let’s get into it.
The Ultimate Kids Snowboarding Boots Guide
How to Size Snowboarding Boots for Children
How Long Do Kids Snowboarding Boots Last?
The Difference Between Kids and Youth Snowboarding Boots
Helping Your Child Get the Best Fit
Where to Buy Kids Snowboarding Boots
How to Size Snowboarding Boots for Kids
The first thing you’ll want to figure out is your child’s boot size.
All you need to do is measure the length of your child’s foot in centimeters (cm). The length of their foot will match with a corresponding boot size. Here is a helpful chart.
| Kid’s foot size in centimeters (cm) | Kid’s snowboard boot size |
|---|---|
| 13.5 | 7C |
| 14.5 | 8C |
| 15 | 8C |
| 15.5 | 9C |
| 16 | 9C |
| 16.5 | 10C |
| 17 | 10C |
| 17.5 | 11C |
| 18.5 | 12C |
| 19.5 | 13C |
| 20 | 1K |
| 20.5 | 2K |
| 21 | 3K |
| 21.5 | 3.5K |
| 22 | 4K |
| 22.5 | 4.5K |
| 23 | 5K |
| 23.5 | 5.5K |
| 24 | 6K |
| 24.5 | 6.5K |
| 25 | 7K |
It’s becoming more common to buy snowboard boots online but I still encourage people to go into a snowboard shop if you can. Local snowboarding shops are getting harder to come by so you might have to settle with buying boots online.
If you have a ruler or tape measure, you can measure you child’s feet and use the kids snowboarding boots sizing chart above to figure out what size you need to buy.
If you visit your local snowboard shop the sales staff will be able to recommend you a few different products for your child.
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How Long Do Kids Snowboarding Boots Last?
Parents should be aware that a pair of kids snowboarding boots will usually last 1 or 2 seasons before your child will grow out of them.
There was a time when it was common for parents to buy boots half to a full size larger than what their child currently measures. But this is no longer needed. Snowboarding brands have responded by creating product innovations that parents will find convenient. These innovations include footbeds that can be removed or expanded to increase the fit of a boot, as well as simple lacing systems that children can do themselves.
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The Difference Between Kids and Youth Snowboarding Boots
Children can start snowboarding as young as three years old. Your child won’t grow out of the kids and youth snowboarding boot sizes until they need to wear a 7 or 8 men’s boot, or a size 5 or 6 women’s boot.
The product variety is limited for toddlers and young children. There’s usually only one or two boot options per brand.
But as kids start to get older the construction improves and more performance features become available.
Kids Snowboarding Boots (Sizes 7C–13C)
Click image to see more about Burton kids velcro boots.
Boots that are marked as size “C” are the smallest youth boots available.
At this age, the boots available for purchase prioritize warmth and comfort over performance.
A few brands like Burton, K2 and Salomon make snowboarding boots for children.
Click image to see more about Burton kids BOA boots.
The construction of these types of boots are basic. They are fastened by velcro straps or BOA instead of lacing. Usually offering standard support in the liners and footbeds. The shell of the boots are made with waterproof materials and the boot’s sole is made of basic polymer rubber.
They’ll cost around $130 for the velcro boots and around $200 for the BOA.
Youth Snowboarding Boots (Sizes 1K–7K)
Click image to see more info about Burton youth boots.
Boots that are marked as “K” are youth boots and are mostly just shrunk down versions of adult boots.
It’s good to know that the largest youth boots are the equivalent size of the smallest adult boots. For example, a size 7K youth boot is the same size as a size 7 men’s boot.
In this size range, the boots will have many of the same performance features as adult boots. That means the liners, the shell, the outsole and overall construction quality of the boots will be the same as adults.
Kids snowboarding boots like these will cost around $220.
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Helping Your Child Get the Best Fit
Now that you know what boot size your child needs the next thing to focus on is getting a proper fit. Achieving an optimal fit for your child will ensure that they enjoy snowboarding.
There are various features in the design of kids snowboarding boots that will help you get the perfect fit for your child.
BOA Lacing System – Kids Snowboarding Boots
Any parent who’s had to tie up hockey skates for their child understands how challenging that is. Snowboard boots feature a patented lacing system called BOA, where a wire is tightened by cranking a dial. This lacing system is far more convenient and easier for kids to do themselves than traditional laces. Not only that, but by slowly cranking the dial you can get a fine tuned fit that’s better than laces. It has become a common lacing system used in both adult and kids snowboarding boots.
Burton Room-to-Grow Footbed Feature
Some brands, including Burton, have footbeds that can either be trimmed or removed to increase the space inside the toe box of the boot. This can allow for children to get an extra season out of their boots despite their growth.
Burton snowboards has a feature across all their kids snowboarding gear called Room-to-Grow. It’s a feature seen in both kids boots as well as outerwear (jackets, pants etc.)
Room-to-Grow is where the footbeds of your child’s boots are produced with extra fabric stitched around the toes. This stitching can be undone and the extra fabric removed to accommodate extra space inside the boot.
This video shows how to trim Burton room-to-grow footbeds for kids snowboarding boots.
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Where to Buy Kids Snowboarding Boots
I always recommend going into a snowboard shop especially when purchasing boots. Because kids snowboarding boots are the most important equipment in your child’s snowboard gear, I think it’s best to physically try on different pairs. You can buy boots online and make your purchase based on online reviews. But I still think going into your local shop is the best buying experience.
If you shop somewhere with knowledgable snowboarding staff who have been trained with product knowledge you’ll get the best service. I like going to Corbett’s in Oakville. I use to work there for multiple seasons when I was younger so I know the staff are reliable.
Related Articles:
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Bindings Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Goggles Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Helmet Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Base Layer Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Jackets Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Pants Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Gloves Guide
- The Ultimate Kids Snowboard Socks Guide