There are old wives’ tales that say your boots should be a size too small or a size too big.  This is not true.  In reality you need a boot which fits.  All manufacturers make boots in slightly different shapes so finding a shape that suits is vital.  For example:

I.e. how much 'give' there is in the structure of the boot.  A stiffer boot will allow for a more efficient transfer of power from the rider to the board, making aggressive riding easier.  The extra support will also aide heavy landings.

Your snowboard boot lacing system may seem like purely aesthetic concern.  Whilst it is obviously important to LOOK as good as your riding on the slopes, how the boot outer holds your foot is also important

The best way to ensure good fitting boots is to come in and have a fitting session.  Some general rules for getting the most out of your snowboard boot fitting session would be:

• Take your time
  You want to try each pair of boots for at least ten minutes if not longer. This will give you feet time to feel any pressure points. If you notice any parts of the boot digging in or rubbing after 5 minutes in a shop imagine what it will feel like after 5 hours on a mountain.
  
  
• Communication
  You need to help the shop staff to help you so it is important that you tell him/her how the boot feels on your foot. You need to let them know if the boot is uncomfortable in any way.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, the only silly question is the one you didn’t ask.
  
  
• Heel lift
  Heel lift is something your foot naturally wants to do when transferring your weight from your heel edge to your toe edge. There are a few different ways to get around this. The first is obviously is to find a boot that has a good fitting heel cup for the shape of your foot. The second is to lace them up right. Most boots these days have a heel harness around the boots liner this wants to be fastened tight but not too tight, remember you want your boots to be snug. Cranking you boots up too tight can be worse than not lacing them up at all and can cause unnecessary pressure points.
  Depending what kind of lacing system you have gone for you need to fasten up the outer boot. The same goes for the outer boot as the inner boot, you need to fasten them up tight but not so tight that you can feel the lace eyelets digging into your shin. If your boot fitter is seasoned and experienced (like ours are) they should be able to show you a few different ways to lace up your boot.
  
  Now your all fastened up you’ll notice that you can still lift your heel as you walk round the shop or sit on the fitting bench, this is normal. The real test is to again stand with your feet flat on the ground and apart with your knees bent as if you’re snowboarding, now try to lift your heels. 5 to 10 millimetres of lift is pretty normal but once your strapped onto a board you shouldn’t notice it as your binding straps also help to keep you in place.
  
  
• Heat moulding
  For many years now snowboard boots have come with heat mouldable liners that take the shape of your foot. You can kick start the process off in store by sticking the liners on to heaters that warm up and expands the mouldable materials inside the liner this can be an uncomfortable experience for some but normally nothing more than a couple of numb toes. This is because the heat mouldable material expands. At first the boot will feel slightly too small this is completely normal.
  
  When it comes to lacing your boots up when they have just come off the heaters you don’t need to fasten them as tight as when you first tried them on. If you crank them up really tight when the foam is warm and soft you can end up squashing it flat, moving all the cushioning and ending up with imprints of lace eyelets in your leg.
  
  The best way is to lace them up normally and stand still in your snowboard stance while they cool down once they’re cool then you can crank them up a bit.
  
  Heat moulding won’t make a bad fit good but it will get out any little pressure points you might have or give you and extra millimetre or two in the toe box if needed.