2012 Slingshot RAD Boots

Well I finally got my RAD boots, just pulled the liners out of the oven and am currently heat molding them as we speak. As far as high end boots to compare with these I can compare 2009 Slingshot D3's and 2007 Ronix Cell's.

1) FIT/FINISH - First off, these are a Slingshot product so 10 off the bat. But seriously, I was shocked at the quality of these boots. They bolted to my board (2012 Slingshot Lyman) perfectly, lace tightening and loosening is super easy. I really can't ask for much more simplicity and quality out of a boot.

2) COMFORT - I always felt that my D3's felt good, but not a WOW feeling. Although my feet are hot in the liners right now, I can feel a significant amount of cushion here that I didn't feel in the D3 or Cell boots.


3) STYLE: These boots remind me of a white pair of Jordan shoes with the cracked leather look on the bottom. I like the white a lot, and the Slingshot badges look really cool, just curious to see how long they will stay on the boot.

My first impression is that these are awesome and insanely comfortable boots, but I really won't know until I ride them. When I ride my D3's I don't feel any discomfort, I don't really feel anything, just my board on the water, I'm interested to see if I feel these boots more than the D3's.

I won't throw out the go buy them now recommendation just yet, but I have a feeling I will be saying that on Monday.

**timer just went off, molding is done.**

I can definitely feel the impressions of my feet in the liners, I ordered these in a size 11, my D3's were a 12 and felt big. The guys at Slingshot told me not to worry about molding them right away, but when I put them on they felt pretty snug so I molded them, they still feel tighter than what I am used to but they should pack out some from riding them good and hard.

Here is a shot of them on my board

the 2012 liners are so much better.
*additional layer of padding in the footbed.
* additional support and padding behind and around the ankle, forming better heel kidneys, translating to better heel lock down and comfort
* liners are taller than last years so that the shell of the boot has no chance to dig into your shin.

Laces are better, stronger and glide smoother. little bit easier to unlock from your boot-hardware, but at the same time they hold great and there is NO worry of them slipping like some of the cheap lace beads do in the industry.

...speaking of lace bead. i could feel the lace bead inside the boot on toeside edges and it was a little uncomfortable. i removed it along with the laces since i won't be using them, being as i ride only boat for the most part. i bet if i played around with where i put the excess lace and bead it wouldn't bother though.
I wish the lace pull was just a tad bigger to completely cover the rough piece of velcro on the tongue (it covers 95% or more.. so really i am just being picky). this velcro piece i left on the tongue to prevent chafing of the velcro teeth on the liner material.

RIDE REPORT

I don't really know where to start, perhaps by saying that after riding these boots I am a HUGE ADVOCATE for bottomless base boots. I felt much more connected to my board than ever before. My D3's mounted on plates to board, as opposed to the 4 hole mount they used on the recoil, which was still a big plate. With bottomless I feel like I have more control and I can cut harder than before. Not to mention the weight savings.

Next, comfort. I was riding about 26 mph at 80 feet and landing somewhere from 5-10 feet into the flats consistently and I didn't feel a thing from my feet up through my knees. I was popping up as high and as hard as a could to push them and they still felt awesome.

I didn't experience lace bead issues like the poster above me, overall I thought the fit & finish was pretty good. However I did notice what he was talking about in regards to the velcro on the tongue.

I guess the last thing I would say is that in boots that fit better and connected better the board, I was able to push my board harder and I serious to some W2W hits that were insanely big for me. The setup I am on right now has me more stoked on what I will be able to do behind the boat.

Not gonna do a 1-10 or star rating, they're awesome boots and I don't care to ride any other boots for a long time.

nice report.
id love to try the lyman some day... and the velcro boots that SS has

you could take the velcro lace piece off and leave it connected to the attachment on the tongue. OR find a piece of material to stick over it.

Being lower really does make a difference. i was not so sure till i experienced it myself. like a sports car being low to the road. the older slingshot boots are pretty high off the board compared to the new and it is quite a change. grabs are a bit easier too

For the boot size, did you go with one size smaller than your regular shoe size with the new 2012 rad bindings

I wear an 11.5 shoe I got an 11 boot and molded them, they fit like a glove. I feel better and better in these every time I ride. They look awesome and ride even better. If I wasn't a lifetime customer before I certainly am now. As for the Lyman, this board is a freak of nature, I pop much harder on it even with ollies, I was ollying a tree top protruding from the water on Sunday, super fun!

My buddy has these and can never get that little black lace tightener to release everytime after he rides. We always end up getting a screwdriver and pulling on that little black spinny thing. Other than that he likes them. Maybe they're defective?

Originally Posted by newmy79

My buddy has these and can never get that little black lace tightener to release everytime after he rides. We always end up getting a screwdriver and pulling on that little black spinny thing. Other than that he likes them. Maybe they're defective?

talking about the black hardware with the teeth on the side of the boot that lock the laces in?
or the lace pull bead on the laces of the liner?

if the first and your buddy is still using the 2011 RAD with the thin black laces i recomend getting the new laces. the new laces are stronger and a bit thicker. they still hold well in the hardware but can be pulled out easier. they are a pain to swap out (it was for me) but WELL WORTH IT

if the second. I would just get rid of the lace-lock-bead and tie them like a traditional shoe maybe