Hello and welcome to my Burton Ruler Boa review.
In this review I will take a look at the Ruler Boa as freestyle snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ruler Boa a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Burton Ruler Boa
Price: $339 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle
Other Uses: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 83.9/100
Compared to other Freestyle Boots
Out of the 26 freestyle boots that I rated:
Overview of the Ruler Boa’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Ruler Boa’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle or All-Mountain |
Price: | $339 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Lighter than normal |
Lacing System: | Double Boa |
Who are the Ruler Boa Most Suited to?
The Ruler Boa are a great option for those on a mid-to-low level budget, but don't want a boot that's too soft or too stiff. Something just in the middle and an all round solid boot, that works well with medium flexing and medium-soft flexing boards.
Not ideal for beginner-beginners, but high end beginners should be fine in these. That depends on weight too. A heavier beginner should be OK, but lighter riders probably want to be more of an intermediate level for the Ruler Boa.
The Ruler Boa in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Ruler Boa are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Burton Ruler Boa 2020
Size: 10.5 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: January 24, 2020
Conditions: A little rain with warmish temperature. But didn't feel super warm, with the wind.
Visibility was relatively bad but not terrible.
Snow was well groomed with a hint of slushiness on groomer and a little slushy off.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita 2017
Outersole Length: 31.1cm (mondo 28.5cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 2.6cm
Backstay Height: 30.1cm
Weight: 820 grams*
* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a good bit lighter than the average. The lightest I've weighed is 740 grams and the heaviest is 1320 grams.
Flex
I felt the Ruler Boa at around a 5/10 flex, potentially pushing 5.5/10.
Fit
Width: They felt like they're a little wider than medium, but not by heaps. Mid-wide, but not massively wide.
True to Size?: I rode 10.5s and I'm typically a 10. The 10.5s worked fine for demoing purposes, and I think they'd be fine to keep riding for a while in that size, but if I bought I would most likely go for 10s as I feel like the 10.5s would pack out too much over time. So, I would say true to size.
High or Low Arch: It's pretty normal. In the middle.
Shock Absorption
It's not bad, but not great either. Does a decent job of absorbing shock from flat landings and absorbing chatter, but not ultra-cush or anything.
Board Feel
Good board feel in these boots.
Responsiveness
I found the Ruler to be about middle of the road here. As expected really.
Good manageability at slower speeds but also decent at holding a carve - a good balance between those things, without being outstanding at either.
Adjustability
There's good separation between the upper section boa and lower section boa - so you can go tighter up top and loose down bottom or visa versa.
The liner has a typical lacing harness plus velcro for the top of the liner.
Comfort
All round pretty comfortable. On first try on, I noticed a bit of a pressure point on the top of my right foot - but that's pretty typical for me with most boots. After heat molding and then riding for a while, that was all but gone.
All round nice and comfortable, without being massively plush or anything.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
The Ruler comes in around 1:10
Heel Hold
Really decent heel hold. Not much lift at all. Certainly not enough lift to be a bother at all or notice when I wasn't specifically thinking about it.
Reduced Footprint
Decently reduced, typical of Burton. If I had to go 10.5, that would take away that reduced feeling, but I think the 10 would be the size I would be best of with, in this boot.
Burton also tend to have a higher toe bevel, which makes the angle needed to encounter toe drag greater than it would be with a lower toe bevel.
Traction
Sole isn't the best out of the Burton boots I've tested. Not a massive amount of tread and relatively soft feeling sole. Felt OK walking in them, but based on sole inspection, fairly average for traction.
Entry/Exit
Pretty easy to get foot in and out of. And that double boa system is really easy to get going.
There's the velcro you've got to do on the liner and the liner lacing harness, which is all pretty standard. Overall really easy and pretty quick too.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 14/20 |
BOARD FEEL | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
CARVING | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
HEEL HOLD | 4.0 | 8/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TRACTION | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 83.9/100 |
The Ruler Boa are a really solid choice for the price.
There's nothing that really stands out as amazing or special about these boots, but there's also nothing to complain about. Middle of the road boots, but in a good way.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Ruler Boa, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.
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If you want to see how the Ruler Boa compared to other freestyle boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hi Nate,
Even I wear 11.5 in sneakers, 12 ruler wass too small for me. I had to go for 13s. This happened twice with rulers from different years. I recommend to keep this in mind for people who think to buy rulers
Hi Oguz
Thanks for your message and sharing your experience with sizing the Rulers.
I rode the 10.5 in the Rulers and I’m typically a 10 in regular shoes, but I would ultimately ride them in a 10, as I think the 10.5 would pack out too much over time for me. And for other Burton boots, the 10 has been the best for me. I have noticed that people with wide feet a lot of the time have to go with a bigger size for it to be comfortable. Have you checked whether you have wide feet before? If you do have wide feet, it might be that you fit the Ruler Wide in an 11.5 or 12. But feet are weird too and even if you don’t have wide feet, sometimes fit can be different even with the same length foot. Just finally as well – when you wear the 13, are your toes touching the end of the boot? Fit for snowboard boots is a little different to regular shoes – i.e. you should have your toes touching the end. There shouldn’t be too much pressure on them or anything – they shouldn’t have to curl up to fit in the boot, but should ideally be touching the end of the boot, when standing up straight in them.
Hi Nate, thank you for your reply.
It can be said that 13 was a little big for me but definetly was better than 12’s which my toes were curled in them. I also do not have wide feet. Maybe this situation is occured in bigger sizes in contrast to smaller sizes. Everything is possible :d If there are any other users who can share their experience, it would be helpful for everyone.
Hi Oguz
Thanks for the extra info. Yeah, maybe in the bigger sizes it works differently. I agree, it does seem like everything is possible when it comes to feet/boots!
I am a 12w 29.5 mondo ski boot. When I had to rent some rulers cos I’d left my 12w behind they only had standard sizes the 12 was too cramped and uncomfortable (rentals would be well packed) and 13 was mad loose but at least I was comfortable but so sloppy riding.
I suspect other poster is either between size or as you guessed wide footed.
The rulers were much more comfortable once I replace the insole with an aftermarket one more like the one in the photon. This has a plastic arch support and locks your foot soo you font cram toes.
Great beginner intermediate boot once the insoles were swapped. I’d wear them now if I want to do more park or buttering/partyboard.
Hey Tim
Thanks for your input/insights. Much appreciated.
Hi Nate!
Thanks for your review, was super helpful! Just got myself a pair of ruler boas (first ever boots).
Just wanted to double check whether it’s normal for them to wrinkle/crease like in this photo, when laced up?
Will appreciate it if you could have a look!
Hi Michael
Thanks for your message.
Don’t have any ruler’s (or other Burton Boa boots) with me right now, so can’t say for sure, but it doesn’t look quite right to me. And in pictures I have from when I had them, they don’t fold in to that extent and don’t have that creasing on them. They’re definitely not as straight looking as the product pictures you see, but they’re not folding or creasing/wrinkling like yours are showing.
It’s wrinkling/creasing around the articulated cuff. That is designed to fold in when you lean forward in the boots, so there’s nothing abnormal about that, but if you’re not actually leaning forward in them in this picture it looks a little off to me. But couldn’t say for sure. Doesn’t look like they’re fully tight. Does it get better or worse when you tighten them up more? Does it get better or worse with your foot in them (assuming it’s not in these pics?)?
I think your best bet at this stage is to try to contact Burton and show them the image and they should have a better idea of what’s typical. It looks wrong to me, but couldn’t say for sure.
Hi Nate,
What do you think about the boa system in Burton Ruler Boa. I am planning to buy this model but I am not sure if the boa in the front is easy to break when it hits the ground?
Thanks for your reply in advance.
Hi Berkehan
Thanks for your message.
I don’t think they have the new H4 Boa coiler that a lot of higher-end BOA boots have, so they’re standard Coiler Boas on the front. The new H4 Boas are designed to separate on impact, rather than breaking, so there’s an advantage with those. But in my experience breaking a BOA isn’t super easy to do, they’re not super fragile or anything. They can break for sure – and the H4 Boas are supposed to be far less easy to break, but the BOAs on the Ruler are the same as most Boas out there – they’re not any more fragile than the standard Boa coiler.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate,
I have wide feet so I need to go with either the photon wide or the ruler wide. I just picked up new union stratas as well as the ride algorythm. Im an all mountain rider looking to have fun all over the mountain. Not really a hard charger or trying to lay down big carves, and also not spending any time in the park except s/m jumps. Between the two boots, what would be your choice?
Hi Dylan
Thanks for your message.
I haven’t ridden the Algorythm yet (one of those boards that’s just managed to elude me the last couple of years), so I don’t really have a read on how the board rides or how stiff it feels. It’s rated as medium, and if it’s like a 5/10 kind of medium or up to 6/10, then I’d be happy with the Rulers, if you’re not going to be riding super aggressively or anything. I think they would do the job nicely and be a little easier for riding at slower speeds. But if it’s more like a 6.5 or 7/10 flex, then I’d be wanting the boots a little stiffer than the Rulers, in which case I would go Photon. Photon will allow you to do bigger deeper carves, whilst not being quite as friendly for slower speed riding. But they’re still not super stiff or anything and are still good for riding at slower speeds/more casually, but not quite as good as something like the Rulers.
So, assuming that the board is closer to 5 than it is to 7 in terms of flex and given that you’re not really a hard charger, I would be leaning Ruler – and it will save you a few dollars as well.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate,
Do you know if there is much of a difference between the Burton Photon and the Burton Ruler; do they fit the same? I just bought the Photon’s but they are a bit expensive for me ($500cad after tax; and I’m a college student so I don’t have lots of money) so I was thinking of exchanging them for the Ruler. Footprint size is also important to me because my board has a small waist.
Thanks for any help
Hi Jack
Thanks for your message.
Fit-wise, they are quite similar. But the Photon is a stiffer boot than the Ruler. By my feel, the Photon around a 7/10 and the Ruler more like a 5/10 in terms of flex. There are some other differences, like the Photon having a nicer sole and that kind of thing. But in terms of fit and in terms of how low profile they are, it’s very similar. So if going to a softer flex and slightly lower overall quality isn’t an issue, then you should be fine going to Ruler in terms of fit and low profile-ness (I’m sure that’s a word!)
Hope this helps