The Trenched Boot Stiffener Gets a Review!

I was able to spend 4 hours riding for the first time in my boot stiffeners yesterday.  The great news is that they definitely firm up your boots and improve response.  I have Ride Deadbolts (7/10 flex with custom liners, so more like 8.5/10 now) and Union Atlas FC bindings on my Coiler BXFR, so already a very responsive set up.  On toe turns, it pretty much eliminated the ankle strap bite that I have been getting.  Because of my boot size (29) and the long base plate on the bindings, combined with the 27 cm width of my board, I have to ride higher angles than I would like (currently 36/24), so keeping pressure on the heel turns takes some conscious effort.  With the stiffeners and the large amount to which they wrap around my liners (about 270 degrees), engagement of the heel side is so much quicker- quick enough that I almost blew up a few times because I wasn't ready for it.  After a few quick runs I adapted to it and it just because part of the experience.  The lateral stiffness that they offer is actually the biggest change I felt.  They slide in and out great- I would recommend putting them in after your boot is on and taking them out before you remove your boot.  The one area that I need to work on is my rear foot instep bones are ridiculously high, so the stiffener on that foot tended to press down a bunch.  Not painful, but just a touch uncomfortable, so I plan on remolding my rear liner to conform better to the stiffener's curve.  These are a universal fit, so of course they are not going to fit everyone perfectly, but it is easily correctable.  For the price and performance gain, these are absolutely a no-brainer.  I am also looking forward to seeing if they increase the longevity of a pair of boots, so that may be another benefit.  

I’ll probably give them a try at some point.  I will note that I have way more ankle flexion with my rear foot when I’m riding.  On my Rome bindings I have the pivot on the front all the way up, but I need to drop that on the rear because it feels a bit restrictive. 

I wonder if you’re just pushing on the rear harder, and it’s not really a fitment issue?  Would it be weird to just use it up front?

It is definitely a fitment issue for me and it always has been, so a simple re-heat should solve it.  As far as using the front only, I don't know if it would offer any benefit for me, but maybe others?  The increase in lateral support is noticeable and appreciated, so I am zeroing in on the system that works best for me- I know there is a raging thread on ASB about how a soft set-up is a series of compromises, but having spent 25 years on hard boots, I feel for me it's the other way around.   

@wildcherry I’ve used these boot stiffeners and straps for the past three riding sessions, once with my K2 Thaxis soft boots and twice with my Deeluxe Ground Control (hybrid) hard/soft boots. I’m happy to report that comfort was great and performance of the boots was markedly increased. As a result, I’ve had the best three days of carving in my life - thank you😎

My package arrived today. 😎  I'll be on the mountain tomorrow, but can give a couch review of the Trencher straps and tongue stiffners on my Burton ION and Ride Insano boots.  

Last season, I bought straps from "Strapins". They have worked okay, but have begun to fail with tears at the loop end and pull end. Because the boot design doesn't always allow the straps to provide a complete and unobstructed flush fit around the shell, it's easy to over leverage the strap's loop. And we're tugging at the pull end often enough that it will tear at some point..

The Trenched straps are much beefier than the Strapins. There are two pieces sown together providing much thicker material overall and a rubber piece at the pull end to prevent tearing from long term use. The Trenched straps are clearly designed for more aggressive use like hard carving. Both brands are the same length and width.

The tongue stiffners will benefit most boots using a stock liner. And riders will see great benefit using both with straps on practically any soft boot. In fact, if cash is tight, there is good reason to skip the $600 sloppy Burtons, get the $300 sloppy Burtons instead and add the stiffners and straps, then get better liners. The cost may be lower for a much better return.  

I have sloppy Burton IONs with Intuition Alpine liners and aftermarket foot bed inserts. For me, the challenge with the Burtons is they splay open at the top of the boot, at the shin. I've had multiple models and it's always the same problem. And the IONs have the stupid pull strings making on slope re-tightening slow and cumbersome. The straps help keep it all together, but have their own challenges because they cannot fit flush to the shell's surface. I strap the liner, which is flush and then the shell.  

I can get more leverage with the Trenched straps. Two boot stiffeners per boot really made a noticable difference than without on the Burtons.  One stiffener seemed to have less impact due to the stiff nature of the Intuition liner.

The Ride Insanos are a completely different boot than the IONs. The IONs are high volume boot with a high volume aftermarket liner where as the Insanos are low volume with a stock liner. They don't splay open like the Burtons. The tongue stiffners and straps really benefit stock setups like this. The BOAs still get in the strap's way, but not like the IONs since the straps go around the BOAs and not over the pull string holders on the IONs.  

From the couch, I can definitely tell a difference. For a lot of people, they may only need straps and tongue stiffners. It's lower entry cost than better liners and a good starting point. 

On mountain review is thumbs up 👍 

Here at Hood Meadows with a warm 4" dust on crust and finally got a setup that carves like butter.  Stiff boots now because of the double Trencher tounge and strap setup. 

Finally get to indulge in the Intuition Alpine liners ability to absorb shock and provide support now that all is tight.  

The snow isn't great in that it's heavy, warm and getting chunky.  But damn, I've got so much more control at speed and knifing through the crud.  It was kind of squirrelly at first, but once I found the movements, it fell into place.  

My boots are a rats nest of strings, straps and inserts.  🤣 

@jeffg     Awesome review, thanks man!

Did you put one strap under the tongue of the shell?  Just over the top of your liners?  Interesting...  I like it!

@wild-cherry Yeah, the liners are much taller than the boot.  Designed for alpine ski boots so the toung area is fairly thick. I can fit a strap right at the top of the liner.  Just needs to be snug, not tight.  Then wrap a tight strap at the top of the shell.

Trenched straps are the real deal.  None of the straps moved all day. I am able to really wrench the strap tight around the shell without feeling like the strap will fail or is too weak.

There are aftermarket liners with built-in straps at the shin.  It makes a difference because all closures are closed completely; both liner and shell.  Could even add a third below the top strap.  

I was able to spend the last three outings on Mt Hood in powder this week with the Trencher straps and tongue stiffeners. I like the feel of being tighter in my boots in powder. As the days wore on, and the crud built up, I felt more powerful when plowing through the crud and didn't expend as much energy as I would have in a looser setup.

Different strokes for different folks actually make these types of performance accessories a must. A person can mix and match based on conditions by simply adding or removing stiffener or strap to either boot.

This week I also took my Frankenboot into the bootfitter and we put the tongue stiffener and straps onto a half dozen different boots. It is very impressive how just one stiffener and one strap can make any new boot amazingly stiffer and more "together". We tried on different boots with and without. Incredible difference. The $250 boot with a single BOA or laces becomes a whole different boot entirely.  

I'm now of the opinion that snowboard boot fitting has been dumbed down to the lowest level. The idea of additional accessories for boots is not very widespread and largely absent from the snowboard boot section. People selling the boots aren't familiar because they haven't tried these accessories, so buyers really have no knowledge that they can play around with their boots for relatively low cost with just straps and stiffeners.

The ski boot side of the shop however, has a long history of boot accessories and a long list of clientele trying to get the most out of their boots. Ski boot fitting is a rite of passage.

Outside of foot beds, for some reason soft snowboard boots are never ment to be upgradable or something to accessorize to improve comfort or performance. Nitro actually sells boots with a removable tongue "stiffener", but it's a marketing ploy. It's as stiff as a thin piece of cardboard, completely ineffective. 

There's ample opportunity for snowboard boot retailers to improve performance and comfort for their customers. It just seems like the "industry" acts as gatekeepers that the opportunity to greatly improve the riding experience for so many who squirrel around in their boots is muted. People just buy new boots, again and again.

The $100 in accessories is all they probably need AND are transferable to any boots at any time.

Wow @jeffg!  That's quite the review man...   

This is, of course, exactly how I have felt for a long time and a big part of the reason I started this project.  

Thanks for your support!

@jeffg great review - I totally agree - with the Trenched Straps and Stiffeners added to my boots the carving force is higher with less lower leg fatigue. I recently wondered if the stiffeners could be more comfortable if they were applied on the outside of the shell - and with only a minor modification to cut a notch for the tongue BOA they provided even more stiffness to my Thraxis boots when I was hard carving on 3/13/25 on the 166C4. I just replaced the stock liners (great Intuition liners) with a set of Remind Solution liners which are significantly stiffer. I’ll be giving this set up a go on 3/25 - should work great.

Last week. I decided to pull out my Ride Insaneo boots and go for a spin using the Trencher tongue stiffener and straps.

This meant using my Rome strap bindings. I forgot how much I liked these boots, all stock. It's the low volume nature of the boot I like best. The Burton ION I have is like wearing moon boots from the 80s compared to the Insaneo. 

You can see the difference in these pics, especially the heel and back.  

Anyway, the boot performs amazingly well with the Trencher tongue stiffener. Almost as if the Trencher designer uses Ride Insaneo boots…. It makes the boot better, much more supportive. I noticed that the Trencher tongue stiffener mitigated pain coming from the ankle strap over the top of my foot. One of my biggest gripes about strap bindings solved. I had noticeably better response and control. I also found that I wasn't having to cinch the BOAs every run. The BOAs stayed tight the whole time. This isn't the case without the tongue stiffener and straps. And it's really easy to cinch the boots really tight, too tight.  

But, alas the process of strapping in made me long for the step in solution. In a three hour session of nonstop laps, I lose one run due to the time it takes me to strap in. The Burton Step-On bindings I've been using for years are so sweet to just skate, step in and go; all in one movement. Even though I'm fit and not fat, my old age just doesn't agree with strapping in. 

So, I had to do something new if I wanted to enjoy the Ride Insaneo boots.  

I bought on sale the Nidecker Supermatic Carbon bindings. I was always skeptical about these bindings compared to the Burton Step-On. The Supermatic has way more moving parts, materials and is a bit heavier. The Burton Step-On is a much more elegant design. It's the boots that make the Burton setup weak.  

The Supermatic performance was great. Stiff bindings, clamp down super securely around the Insaneo boot. In fact, I am on the borderline of sizes since my boot is 26.5 mondo (8.5) and the medium binding goes up to 26.0 mondo. I had no choice as the large binding size is sold out.  

Fortunately, because the Insaneo is a low volume boot, it has no problem sliding in. Ironically, I tried a high volume 26.0 mondo boot at the shop I bought the Supermatic from and the boot would not fit. The heel was too wide. Although this was supposed to fit, a size up was required for that particular boot (Bataleon).  

On slope, I had to fiddle with the straps to find the optimal position for ease of sliding in and being adequately tight enough without ratcheting. Sliding in is a completely different feel on the slope than at home. Seemed like the binding was tighter on slope than at home. At home, I would strap the boots in overnight to try to break the binding in a bit. YouTube is full of stories of people who struggle to slide in, because they ratchet the straps too tight.  

In comparison to the Burton Step-On, the ease of use is the same. The step on motion is slightly different for each binding, but easy nonetheless. I didn't feel any weight issues under foot whether on slope or on chair lift. My guess is weight is a wash as my ION Frankenboots are heavier than the stock Insaneo.

Step-On boot builders need to focus on stiffening up and better support the front of the boot. Current Step-On boots can't handle the heavy toe side pressure. Even with the Trenchers, the Burton ION is a poor performer compared to the Insaneo.  

For me, performance was much, much better with the Supermatic/Insanio combo than the Step-On/ION. The Insaneo doesn't splay open at the tongue like the ION. And my foot felt far more fixed to the snowboard.  You can see how the IONs do not wrap around the tongue like the Insaneos.

Both have exit challenges because they have a similar mechanism for getting out. When weight is on the toe side, there is pressure on the release lever and it takes more effort to release the boot. Can be similar with straps under the same circumstance.

What makes the Supermatic a better binding overall is boot choice. Assuming the boot is properly sized with the binding, any boot will work. This explains why the large binding size is sold out. There is demand for this binding. And if you have a boot that agrees with you, the Supermatic is just another strap binding with two methods to enter/exit.  

Is it a great carving binding? Certainly stiff enough. Large heel cup sits about ¼” or 0.63 cm higher on the board than the Rome. The Trenched Riser gives a bit more lift to the heel cup. Heel side carves will drag at some point.  

Overall, I like the feel of the Supermatic/Insaneo+Trencher combo. I may get a second pair of the regular Supermatic as prices drop. Would be great for powder days.  

I imagine this will be deleted and my membership cancelled, but I need to correct this.  @jeffg those Strapins you bought are at least 4-5 years old, you 100% did not buy them last season and would know that. The version I have been selling for 4+ years now are bulletproof. Note the buckle, its wire, like the ones selling on this site, and I found 1in 5 broke which is why i went to a very strong buckle a long time ago. These Straps he is selling will work though to be fair, until the buckle breaks so I assume he also offers a lifetime guarantee like Strapins do. Just know that James had Strapins to use for a template to be very clear. I wish him all the success in the world, but the quality is very different to Strapins. How they are stitched and put together matters eventually. Good luck with these, but there is no need to rubbish Strapins as they actually are tried and proven by thousands, including hundreds of Canadians. Booster Strap will do that same job also.

 @myoko Hahaha...  Our policies are clear: no talk of religion or politics and no harassment.  Your comment doesn't meet our criteria for deletion.

Posted by: @myoko

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Just know that James had Strapins to use for a template to be very clear

This, however, demands a response...  I have been using a variety of straps in different combinations on soft boots for more than two decades and I'm not the only one.  You didn't invent the velcro strap for snowboard boots bro, you just marketed it first.  Below are a few examples of my "templates":

These are some of the straps that I used last season.  The Dynafit was my favourite.

In fact, I only rode the Strapins once.  They felt cheap and light, I prefer heavier duty.  I said this to you @myoko on the phone and would have been willing to work with you on a higher quality unit.  But then I got a quote for making my own and immediately realized that you lied to me about your cost on these and were trying to rip me off so I went my own route.  (If in fact you didn't lie to me, then you're overpaying for these by about 4x.)

I also did a break test on the Strapin and the Trenched BootStrap.  Mine is stronger.  We are planning to sew them better and use a stronger thread next season anyway but this improvement is inspired by my years of climbing experience and the bar tack method they use for 22kN nylon slings, and not by your little X pattern on the flimsy Strapins.  (These improvements are meant to add longevity and reduce fraying, no extra strength is needed.)

We sell only high performance carving equipment here.  The Strapin has undergone many upgrades over the years (apparently), that must be because @myoko started with the cheapest strap he could make and had to improve it so it would hold up.  Seems he would rather save fifty cents on an item that he retails for $43 USD than make it decent quality and sacrifice a little profit for performance and durability.  That's not how we operate at Trenched.

I would never have mentioned your product and certainly not in a negative light, but you had to come on my forum @myoko and say that your product is better, and then imply that I copied you, so the truth is coming out and that's on you.  

For the record, @myoko contacted me last spring.  I had never heard of Strapins before that.  He offered me a "sponsorship" of sorts and wanted me to distribute Strapins in Canada.  I was willing until I received the product...   I won't sell junk on this website. 

I'm proud to say that we have zero reported breakage on Trenched BootStraps this season and zero reported breakage on any of our risers for the whole season.  There was, I admit, about 1% reported breakage on the Boot Stiffeners, I happily sent replacement (two free sets for each cracked unit), and one other customer stripped the threads on some of his posts for the Butterfly Wing Risers, so I sent him a new set for free.  Zero warranty claims on any of the boards that have sold through this website also.

One thing I will say, the Strapins are more compact and fit better in a pocket.  That's the one upside to choosing those.  I designed the Trenched BootStrap to close at a natural point and I keep them on my boots at that setting until I'm on the gondola in the morning (loose enough to put my foot in but tight enough not to fall off the boot when I'm walking), so I rarely need to put them in a pocket anyway.