Burton Emerald

The Burton Emerald is a women's specific snowboard boot that combines a lot of features for a reasonable price (MSRP $199). The Burton Emerald features a lot of the high end Burton features including their Speed Zone Lacing system and a women's Imprint 2 Liner. The speed zone lacing system lets you quickly tighten your boot with the pull of a plastic handle. It is also adjustable so that you can separately tighten the upper or lower portion of the boot. The Imprint 2 liner is heat moldable and features its own independent quick lacing system as well as some hot pockets where you can insert foot warmers for those extra cold mornings. Everything on this boot also utilizes Burton's True Fit system which means each piece of the boot was engineered for a women's foot and riding style. This boot ranks a 5/10 on Burton's support rating which means this is the middle balance between relaxed and responsive. The Burton Emerald is available in US sizes 5-10 and 4 color choices for the 2011-2012 season: Black/Gold, White/Multi (pictured), White/Silver and Clover/Aloe.

The Burton Emerald receives high marks from our female reviewers. They told us the boot fits true to size or maybe a half size small if you have wider feet. The boots are also very comfortable and extremely warm. The lacing system is very easy to use and adjust, even with gloves on but the laces are very long which can be a bit of a mess if you don't get them tucked in well. The design was also praised as it is easy to find a style that matches the rest of your snowboarding gear. One reviewer did tell us she thought the toe box was tight but that it finally stretched out after several uses. Another reviewer said she really enjoyed the toe warmer feature in the liner and had used it on a couple very cold mornings. Bottom Line: if you are looking for an under $200 women's snowboard boot, the Burton Emerald should be on your list.

Burton Emerald Specs

Upper Material: Synthetic leather
Flex: Medium (5 of 10 on Burton's scale)
Midsole: Airbag 270
Sole: Rubber
Shell Lacing: Speed Zone System
Liner: Imprint 2 with hot pocket
Removable Liner: Yes
Thermo-moldable Liner: Yes
Recommended Use: All-mountain riding
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year

• Overall Rating: 3.7
• Price: 3.0
• Performance: 3.3
• Features: 3.7