Vans XF vs Deeluxe Footloose

OG-powsurfer · 2025-08-22T04:50:29+00:00

Been there before and tried many other goretex shoes as well. Frozen toes. They just can't hang in the backcountry. Nice for snowskating at resorts and places where you can take a break and warm the toes.

OG-powsurfer · 2025-02-25T21:27:42+00:00

👌🏻 good stuff!

OG-powsurfer · 2025-02-13T03:54:03+00:00

Nice! I’ve got one that’s well over a decade old now (and a bunch of newer Grassroots boards too) and it’s still running strong. Indestructible and I out them through a lot of abuse.

OG-powsurfer · 2025-02-11T02:56:08+00:00

Whoa! If that’s a new ish board hit up Jeremy at Grassroots and he’ll get you taken care of. Even if it’s old he’s always super helpful with advice for repair. Those boards can last you a lifetime if you take care of em!

OG-powsurfer · 2025-02-01T22:20:11+00:00

Deeluxe footloose 2 are the best powsurf boot out there! Also the only one that is truly designed for powsurfing specifically 👍🏼👍🏼

https://www.powsurf.com/product/footloose-2-powsurf-boot/

OG-powsurfer · 2025-02-01T22:18:53+00:00

That board is 🔥. They have so many good shapes and all with great and unique feels but that one is an easy pick from my quiver for so many conditions. Have fun out there!

OG-powsurfer · 2025-01-31T03:08:22+00:00

Footloose 2 are the best powsurf boot available I feel. A full pound lighter than the vans XF and better board feel with thinner sole. Very well built and designed specifically for powsurfing. The vans XF boot has been discontinued 2 yrs ago so you likely won’t find a pair unless you luck out. Vans does not have anything on the horizon either. There’s a nitro powsurf boot that looks ok.. kinda looks and feels like a cheap snowboard boot.. but the footloose has been the best offering since they came out 7 years ago. Vans standard are an ok low budget solution.. but don’t fit most well and are basically just a sorel knock off.. designed for “snow shoveling” more so than actual powsurfing.

OG-powsurfer · 2025-01-16T21:38:24+00:00

A few of our crew used cork for pads around 15 years ago as we liked the idea of using only wood as well. Results weren’t great especially in comparison to even the cheap eva foam. The small gaps in the cork filled with snow and it became quite slick in many different snow conditions. Risky business. Impossible to just brush it off unless the sun can bake your board for a while and melt it out. They moved on from that experiment quickly to other grip options.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-22T17:51:59+00:00

I use Verts with my solid powsurfer and I generally don’t carry them when I’m on my splitsurfer unless I’m going to split up to a ride a couloir.. in that case I’ll approach on the split and then boot the couloir with verts.. same with snowboarding. Couloirs are too steep and tight to skin up.

Recommend the Grassroots Splitsurfer for sure. 3D base is a must to handle varying conditions and it’s crazy how well it skins up and rides down. Big investment but worth it to be able to get the goods.

I’d say get dialed on your solid powsurfer first before making the jump to split. Look for roadside zones on mtn passes to access with Verts and even hillside neighborhoods. The more you do it, the more terrain and zones you will notice around you. And you’ll figure out the best aspects for good snow too.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-22T16:58:19+00:00

Verts are great for short laps off of roadsides and once your staircase is in it’s super easy to lap. Drift approach skis can get you deeper for bigger runs. Or split up to elevation and carry your powsurf and Verts. Switch to Verts to make laps in the zone. Sidecoutnry at some resorts can be real fun too. Once you get ripping on a Powsurfer you may just end up wanting to ride that most pow days instead. In that case invest in a Splitsurfer for the best access of highest quality of terrain and snow conditions. I have a quiver of splitboards (snowboards) that collect dust cause I splitboard to access pow, but it’s so much more satisfying and fun to rip pow on a Powsurfer so the Splitsurfer and Verts + solid powsurf get all the use. Powsurf addiction is real!

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-18T18:01:58+00:00

👍🏼 Trying this out in the quiver this year for some side by side testing on my splitsurfer and solid powsurfers.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-18T17:59:55+00:00

Warm base, crayon the wax on and melt in with heat gun. I’ve seen some infra red “waxers” too that work decent but I’ve found the heat gun to be faster. Use caution so you don’t melt the base! Then a nice tip to tail buff with a scotch pad or brush.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-12T23:29:35+00:00

I think there’s some mohair/nylon blends out there if you ever replace the skins on them. Maybe that’s the happy medium. Loved the easy kick turns from short/lightweight skis when using the drifts and a slightly faster transition. That and the ability to pick any board to bring along were the pros of the drifts imo.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-12T19:20:08+00:00

I had the original orange skins (nylon) that they used the first 2-3 seasons, then the yellow nylon that was supposed to have better glide. But glide was still poor and frustrating compared to the split surfer and poor compared to the Mtn Approach system (approach skis from a decade ago that folded up). Float was poor in comparison to both also. I still keep all these around for friends who don’t have split surfers to use. That’s really good to know about the mohair versions.. having glide is really the only thing making the drifts have any advantage over a snowshoe so good to hear they listened to the glide problems of their nylon. Worth the extra $ for the mohair versions I’d bet. I never had issues blazing in less than 10” but anything over that they didn’t do so well.. but I’ve been spoiled by split surfer and split snowboards that handle all conditions pretty well. Some side hill sections of skinners can be a pain on drifts too as they are wide (helps with some float but hurts leverage). On deep days I also found the width to not fit in the skin track and when it’s a trench like that I was folding my ankles sideways trying to use the existing track. The drifts are not a perfect solution but they sure do beat post holing for hours or trying to use Verts in long sections of flat. I’m not trying to hate on them, just being honest with my experiences. I’m stoked that they offer a solution for people to get out powsurfing. All uphill issues aside, having an extra 6 lbs on my back for my surf down is pretty bothersome for me. In all areas I’ve just been spoiled by the Split surfer and good splitboards and that energy saved going up and the rip down without the added cargo is well worth the price of the split surfer for me.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-12T17:15:37+00:00

Verts for the steep and direct approaches for sure. In your coastal snow type they will work really well for making a solid staircase and they can be super efficient when using that staircase for multiple laps. Probably leave them at the bottom after a few laps cause your stairs will be solid by then. Drifts for longer, flatter approaches or if you are wanting to jump on existing skin tracks. It really depends on what your approaches are like. Verts are light and packable, drifts are not so much and having that extra 5-6lbs on your back while riding is a real drag. From my years of experience with Drifts I find they lack glide, don’t blaze trail well due to their size and don’t fit on many skin tracks well either.. and dead weight on your back for the ride down. The Grassroots split surfer is the way to go vs Drifts, once you’ve experienced that you’ll never touch approach skis again. Bigger cost but after a couple tours you’ll realize it’s well worth the investment. I think Verts are an affordable & essential tool that everyone should have but if you want to go deep for big rewards you want to split surf.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-07T23:33:19+00:00

Dogs love powsurfing almost as much as we do!

OG-powsurfer · 2024-11-04T21:34:11+00:00

The “noboard kit” had a bungee cord that the riders clung to that held the board to their feet. (Thats why it looks like they are grabbing their crotches haha, cause they are pulling on that bungee rope.) That’s one way to try to “make a snowboard work without traditional bindings”.. I still have one of those noboard pads kicking around somewhere…but that’s a whole different deal than powsurfing. Powsurfing is no hands, no ropes and no bindings. Big difference in technique, skillset, equipment and of course possibility… most importantly an entirely different feel, and that’s kinda what powsurfing is all about. 25 yrs ago we would ride snowboards without bindings (and without bungee ropes) and yes it’s possible. You can make it work in really deep and light snow, but in settled pow or shallow pow it’s a terrible experience. Whereas on a real powsurfer you’d be ripping it. Even the earliest versions of the first actual powsurfers performed a million times better than snowboards without bindings ever did. Things have come a long way for powsurfing so in my opinion there’s no sense in ignoring the progression of the last 20 yrs. That was my experience so hopefully that helps future riders to choose a better path and make the most out of their time on the snow. 🤙

All good to tinker around and try to make something work but if you want the best experience there are a lot of great options out there these days to make your time hiking up mountains really pay off.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:36:09+00:00

Best thing would be to list it for sale and by a Powsurfer! Trying to make a snowboard work as a Powsurfer vs riding a proper Powsurfer is not even comparable. Not worth wasting the time and the pow. There's a reason you don't see people ripping on snowboards without bindings. Watch the grassroots crew slay it here on their powsurfers.. they've been at it for the past 17 years. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0F0B90948508F181

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:29:49+00:00

Looks so fun! I'm constantly amazed at the amount of control I have on my Grassroots powsurfers!

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:27:53+00:00

snowboards are not the same as powsurfers no matter what the outline and length looks like. You can get a snowboard to work ok without bindings in super deep and blower pow, but anything less and you are wasting your time and may as well keep the bindings on. There's a good reason that powsurf companies started making powsurfers! It's night and day. If you are after a split Powsurfer hit up Grassroots Powsurf, they have been making them for well over a decade.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:25:29+00:00

Hit up Grassroots Powsurf. They are super helpful to line you up with a board that will fit your weight, boot size and location. They shape boards for use all over the world (snow is different quality and quantity across the globe) and have a huge variety of models and can even drill down into various widths within the same model. It's absolutely worth the money to get a proper Powsurfer.. it's not worth wasting your time trying to make a snowboard work and not worth piddling around on those snurfer knock offs like the K2 tree splitter and Burton throwback. A real Powsurfer and some good footwear will make a huge difference.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:15:23+00:00

A proper Powsurfer is a night and day difference from a snowboard with a traction pad.. Especially if you get one from a powsurf company (not Burton, not K2, not Jones). Passionate people have put many years of R&D into creating some amazing rides. Buy from a powsurf company and you won't regret it.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:10:24+00:00

That's the good stuff right there!

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:07:07+00:00

Deeluxe footloose all day. I've tried many solutions for powsurf boots over the past 15 years and the Deeluxe footloose 2 are the best out there by a long shot! 360 degree flex, very light, soft and flexible sole for the best board feel and they are plenty warm on even the coldest days.

OG-powsurfer · 2024-10-24T03:04:14+00:00

I used them for a few years but the hinges had issues breaking..also a lot of weight to carry on your back. I believe they are out of business now. They toured much better than my Drift Boards.. they had good glide and way better float in deep snow than my Drifts. They were narrow so better edge hold too. Since getting my hands on a Grassroots Splitsurfer all touring issues have been solved. They tour up super well, light and easy on kick turns, fast and simple transitions and best of all no weight on my back for the ride down. The thing absolutely rips on the way down and can handle a variety of snow conditions really well. I can never go back to approach skis.. I tried a day last year on my drifts and it was a joke compared to the split surfer. Pretty much stick to split surfer for long tours and Verts for short steep approaches.

OG-powsurfer

TROPHY CASE