Thoughts: VANS Cirro Boots

At the beginning of the season, I opted on the recommendation of Shay over at Shayboarder to pickup a pair of Vans boots.  After running through the options, I ordered a pair of Vans Cirro boots from 720 Boardshop.  This was my first foray into a dual BOA configuration, and my first time in a Vans boot. Now that I’ve spent a considerable amount of time on them, it’s time to post my mid season thoughts on the boots themselves.   I picked up the Cirro in a size 12, in the white colorway.

I’ve heard both positive and negative from people regarding Vans boots.  Whether it’s comments about boots needing to be lighter, or “updated” to the people who raved about the fit and feel,  there have been no shortage of opinions.  Having used laces up until now, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a dual BOA setup.  I was actually surprised at how much I really fell in love with the dual boa setup.  The ability to tighten both zones individually  is such a great option.   I still worry about that dreadful day that I may actually break the cable on a zone.  With laces you can tie the boot off and keep riding, we’ll see how I deal with the issue if it comes up on BOA. The Cirro (and I believe all Vans Boa boots) have a lifetime warranty on the Boa system.

10-11 Vans Cirro

Initial Thoughts:

The fit out of the box is very comfortable, and break in wasn’t nearly the process I’ve experienced with other boot brands in the past.  I’ve ridden the Cirro with Flow, Rome, and Union bindings, all without any real issues.  The Cirro is a boot that, in my opinion has a mid-wide feel to them, and a  pretty  stiff boot.  Well let’s just be honest, it’s a stiff boot.   It’s also a nice warm boot.  I have yet to find my feet getting cold, regardless of how long I’ve ridden.   With the Cirro being so stiff, it’s definitely a very responsive boot.  The one thing I noticed, and others mentioned, is the width, or bulk of the Cirro.  You may find that binding baseplates may be a tight fit on some models.  I haven’t had any issues on the Rome Targas I’ve been riding with as of late, but your mileage may vary.

One aspect that I really think is quite cool is the contribution by Vans to Protect Our Winters (POW) with each purchase of the Cirro boot.  If you haven’t heard of POW, please head over to Protect Our Winters to find out more information on such an awesome organization/foundation!

Protect Our Winters

On both sides of the Cirro boot, the outside and inside are the POW logo itself as well as the full name of the organization.

Protect our Winters

I have to give Vans props, the boot have held up really well.  I have about 30 days total on these boots, not my usual for the season, but not bad at all.  You can see from the picture they aren’t all worn out, nor torn up at this point.  That’s not to say that as the season goes on, they won’t get worse looking etc, but at this point, they are holding up really well. The dual zone boa setup works really well, and Vans appears to have put some thought into how to route the cables through the boot for the best support.  One thing to note as well, Vans puts a bit more design effort into the plastic pieces that route the Boa cable through the boot.  Those little things look to be built really well, and I have yet to break one.

As with any boot, there is a break in period, and mine was just about five days total with the Cirro.  I didn’t have the uncomfortable foot pain, or any hotspots develop on the top of my foot. This surprised me as I usually have a pressure point the top of my left foot with most boots I wear during break-in periods.  In powder I find myself riding the boots a little looser on the lower half, and tighter on the upper half, wheres on hardpack/groomers I find myself riding both the upper and lower boa settings pretty tight.

The flex pattern on this boot, well it’s a stiff boot, and is a little unforgiving in that area.  It’s designed to be a stiffer boot, so I expect this kind of response from the Cirro.  The Cirro has the “Flight Core Air” outsole on it,  which incorporates TPU arch support and full-wrap heel support.  The heel of the outsole also has a PU Heel cassette, which is essentially an air bag placed in between two gel pads providing great impact dampening characteristics.  Very much like any good basketball shoe, the Cirro provides great impact protection for the heel area.

The liner in the Cirro is Quadfit Custom X, which is a heat-moldable liner, with an X-cage, that can be adjusted for a pretty customized fit.   I didn’t really have any issues with the liner, and actually found it quite easy to remove and replace within the boot shell.

The Cirro has a somewhat bulky shell, most likely due to the dual boa configuration, and the incorporation of RECCO technology directly into the boot.   For those of you not familiar with RECCO, it’s a locating technology for emergencies.  Essentially anyone with a RECCO locating device, can send a signal out, and if you’re wearing any outerwear, hardware, etc, with RECCO tech in it, it will bounce a signal back to give the search crew a general area to look at.  Pretty slick tech.

On the back of the Cirro is a rubberized zone up the rear of the ankle area providing support.   The boot when combined with stiffer bindings like the Rome Targas I’ve ridden most of this season, makes for a very responsive ride.

Vans Cirro

Having ridden these boots most of the season, they’ve truly become one of my favorite pairs of boots.  I like the stiffness, it’s perfect for a bigger guy much like myself.  The comfort and support features that Vans has built into the Cirro make the boot not only comfortable out of the box, but even more so multiple days into riding them.    I haven’t encountered any issues with build quality at this point, and will do another review later in the season to circle back with updates.

For more information, please check out VANS

Specs:

- Shell construction utilizes 100% recycled PET textile, 50% recycled PET synthetic and non-toxic water based solvents
- Injection-molded backstay maintains response and support, as other shell materials break down
- NEW reengineered Vans Boa Focus System offers three distinct adjustable closure zones for custom fit and support
- Equipped with RECCO Rescue Reflectors
- NEW QuadFit Custom X Thermal Liner with Outlast and adjustable X-Cage for true custom fit capability
- Recycled Cork Series Footbed with Outlast
- Double Lasted Flight Core Air Outsole

*Disclaimer: I purchased these boots with my own funds *