2010 Burton Hail. Help me get the right sizing.

Hi, I have with me some new 2010 burton hails in size 9.5 and size 10. I'm planning on returning or selling one of them. I know its only half a size difference, but I already went through a bad boot this season and, I really don't want to have to re-buy another boot yet again. I normally wear sizes 9-10 shoes depending on the brand.


So, here's how they feel...

The size 9.5:

When I have them in and tightened, the toe's are just glazing the end. When I strap on the board and lean heelside, my toe does slightly start to scrunch at the tip.

The overall feel is pretty rigid and tight. Right off the bat, there's a bit of pressure on the top of the foot. It kinda feels like the circulation is getting cut off a bit and the fatigue does start to grow the longer I have them on. I'm wondering if this is only because it hasn't started to break in yet, especially since I haven't tested it on an actual ride down the mountain...

Also, I have not gotten snowboarding socks yet so I'm worried this will make the overall fit even tighter and more uncomfortable.

The best thing about the 9.5 is that there is pretty much no heel lift.



The size 10:

When I have them in and tightened, the toe's are maybe just a half a cm away from the front. When I strap on the board and lean heelside, then my toes scooch up a bit and it feels like they're touching the front. My toes feel like they have the perfect amount of wiggle right now.

The overall feel is almost perfect right off the bat. It holds my foot tightly, but in a more of a soft padded squeeze kind of way. I wonder if the toe distance from the front is really a huge deal if every other part of the boot feels snug and tight.

With snowboarding socks on, I think they'll feel even more perfect. I'm really just worried that after breaking them in, they will get too loose. Then again, maybe I can retighten up the fit by getting thicker socks and a pair of green Superfeets...?

The 10 does have slightly more heel lift than the 9.5, but still much less than anything else i've tried.



For the last half hour while typing this, I've had the 10 on my left foot and the 9.5 on my right foot (with bindings on too).
-My right foot definitely has more fatigue right now from the tighter squeeze. Its getting slightly numb.
-My left foot still feels great. I feel like it can sit like this all day long.


It's safe to say that at this point, the 10 definitely feels better. They really are the most comfortable boots i've ever put on.

What it really comes down to is:

-whether or not things are gonna drastically change for the 9.5 after riding a few times in them.

-whether its really a huge deal or not to stick to this rule of having your toe's touching the front of the boot when you first put them on. (this is just what i hear from friends...)

-And even if the 10 gets looser after a few rides, can it just be easily fixed with some Superfeet and thicker socks.


Again, I know I'm making a big fuss over only half a foot size difference, but I really don't want to encounter any more suprises with snowboard boots. Too many bad experiences this season with a previous boot, and too much money wasted. It really is a lot of dough for me especially having also bought all kinds of other snowboarding gear too. By the way, this is my first season of snowboarding and buying gear, so I really don't have the experience or foresight to know what's best in the long run. I'm the type of person that buys a product and sticks with it for a long time so I want to make sure that what I get is good. So please let me know what you guys think. Thanks!

This is going to sound very weird, but usually i'm a 9/9.5 in burton/forum boots. Thing is, when I tried on some hails in a store, I fit in a size 8. No pressure, a little tight but comfy...very weird.

I went to the sports chalet today and put in a pair of size 10 superfeets into my size 10 burtons to test the feel. The base does feel sturdier and more rigid. But i'm not sure its really getting rid of heel lift. Do I need to size up the superfeets?

The Superfeet won't help with heel lift much (if at all), but I still recommend them for the arch support, especially once that stock insole packs out.

Try the Burton Buffer sock.  That's the one I started using, and it's well padded.

to me it sounds like the 9.5 is the better fit of the two, but its not a good fit if youre getting those pressure points.  it depends how bad they are though, cause if its just mild pressure points, that could possibly be taken care of after breaking them in.

Id get the 10 because if you do park or anything else you dont want your toes slamming the front of the boot.