This is my review of the Salomon Dialogue snowboard boots.
I’m a CASI-certified snowboarding instructor who has been teaching riders of all ability levels for the last ten years. I have experience with many different styles of snowboarding boots and spoke with a few friends who have used these boots.
The Dialogue is an effective all-mountain boot with a freestyle focus. They have a medium flex that allows for versatility and a solid heel hold that translates into an adequate response. They can run a bit narrow but are generally a comfortable choice.
In this post, I’ll share all my thoughts and experience with these boots to give you an accurate assessment of how they perform on the snow. I’ll tell you what I like and dislike about them to help you make an informed buying decision.
Let’s get started.
Contents
Salomon Dialogue Overview
The Salomon Dialogue is a decent snowboarding boot in many ways. This model falls into the all-mountain category but has a freestyle focus that is very well suited to any rider who prefers this riding style or likes to spend plenty of time in the park.
I like the progress that Salomon has shown as a snowboarding brand in recent years. They used to be more focused on skiing equipment, but much of the brand’s snowboarding gear is solid, and these boots are no exception.
The Dialogue has been around for a few years, and the latest version features some quality construction and design elements that make them a practical option for many different riders. These are a good choice if you tend to stay in the park but want the room to roam.
Medium flex gives the boots versatile performance all over the mountain. This also makes them suitable to nearly every ability level, although I wouldn’t entirely recommend them as a beginner snowboard boot.
They are stiff enough to give you power and control to generate speed and tackle bigger lines while also being flexible enough to provide you with a bit of forgiveness in the park. If you are an intermediate rider, these boots have a lot to offer.
I think the boots shine at their best in the terrain park and other freestyle situations. They aren’t a complete freestyle-focused boot, but they have the flex, comfort, and shock absorption you want and need when you are hitting big features and attempting new tricks.
They can also hold up well on regular resort runs and help you progress as a rider. They make for a good option to grow with you and can help push a beginner to intermediate riding levels. They aren’t an aggressive freeride option and do lack the stiffness for technical terrain.
The Dialogue has a solid construction and is well designed. They are generally comfortable but can run on the narrow side, an obvious problem for anyone with wider feet. They aren’t flashy, but they look pretty good.
Overall, these boots make for a solid value for any snowboarder who likes freestyle riding and wants a little added versatility to tackle other areas of the mountain as well. They are affordable and built to last.
Detailed Review
The Salomon Dialogue is a capable boot in various situations with a freestyle lean that will make park rats smile. They aren’t the best option for technical freeride terrain but make for an excellent choice to help you progress in all-mountain situations.
Performance
These boots have the versatility and reliability you want and expect out of an all-mountain option. They provide you with a solid blend of stiffness and flexibility to extend your range all over the snow.
They definitely have a freestyle focus that will help you stomp lines in the park. I like how the medium flex is forgiving enough to allow you to dig and bend while still giving you enough power to ramp up for fast approaches.
The heel grip that they offer is excellent. This will keep your feet in place no matter how hard you ride and help you ride harder and longer, no matter what your preferred style is. This is noticeable inside the terrain park and anywhere outside of it.
Also Read: How to Fix Snowboard Boot Heel Lift
When you want to start exploring other areas of the mountain, the Dialogue holds up well in many different situations. The heel hold comes into play when carving big lines or turning up the throttle to reach higher speeds.
They don’t quite have the flex and power to be a capable freeride boot for advanced-level riders. They are a little too soft for technical terrain, and if you push them hard, you will easily notice them lose a little umph.
Comfort
Overall, the Dialogue is a pretty comfortable boot. They have all of the elements you want when considering comfort. You do need to know that the boots run relatively narrow. If you have wide feet, you won’t find these to be a comfortable option.
They come with a Gold heat-moldable liner with a three-dimensional flex. This provides a lot of support along the entire length of the foot and gives the boots a customized fit that is solid. This works with the exceptional heel hold to help reduce foot fatigue.
Your feet also benefit from an Ortholite C2 footbed that adds cushioning and shock-absorbing properties. The super-durable footbed will give you similar levels of comfort after hundreds of days of wear as it offered on day one.
A Flight EC+ sole is another comfort-forward feature that increases the feel and function of the Dialogue. The bottom of the boot is made out of a special EVA foam blend that adds durability and improves the bounce and impact reduction they have to offer.
Style
The Dialogue looks fairly standard without being boring. They are simple in design and style but still look pretty cool. I like the noticeable forward lean of the boots because it gives them a ready-for-action look that is hard to deny.
The ankle piece has a sort of spider-web look to it that adds a bit of flair without being too flashy. This also helps to reduce weight through a lattice-like material. The boots will blend in more than stand out, but performance is always the primary concern anyways.
A textured toe also adds some extra style points to the boots. It gives a little contrast to the overall design and keeps them from coming off as too plain. I give the boots an average style ranking, which isn’t a bad thing.
Additional Features
The Dialogue comes with a few additional features that increase performance. They aren’t the most decked-out pair of boots out there, but the extras you do add to their value and are well thought out.
A machine-washable liner is a nice touch that I appreciate. You can pop the liner out of the boots and throw it in the wash with the rest of your clothes. No special treatment is needed to reduce stink and get your boots feeling fresh again.
A cat-tongue material in the heel helps lock down your feet and keep them in place when you ride. This is an effective solution to increasing heel hold, which directly affects your riding performance.
The latest version of the Dialogue also comes with a BOA lacing system that allows for quick and effective adjustments and a solid fit. BOA dials are my preferred lacing style, and these boots are ready for action in seconds.
Value
Thanks to an affordable price, quality construction, and versatile performance, these boots are a pretty good value. They don’t give you supreme high-end performance, but they do deliver above-average all-mountain capabilities.
If you are looking for a freestyle-focused boot that is more than capable in other areas of the mountain, the Dialogue makes for a solid value. They deliver high freestyle capabilities that shine in the terrain park and any natural feature you want to hit.
If you are an advanced rider looking for a technical and powerful all-mountain boot, these will fall short and don’t make an outstanding value. They don’t have the stiffness to deliver high levels of power, response, and energy transfer.
They also aren’t a good value for anyone with wide feet. I wouldn’t even attempt using these if you know your feet are wider than average.
The Alternatives
If you want to check out some other good snowboarding boots, consider any of the following alternatives to the Salomon Dialogue.
1. Burton Moto
The Moto is another good freestyle-focused boot with all-mountain capabilities. These are a bit more beginner-friendly than the Dialogue and have an affordable price that makes them a good option for anyone looking to get their first set of boots.
They come with Burton’s Total Comfort Construction that gives them an excellent fit right out of the box with little to no break-in period. An Imprint 1+ liner gives you a heat-moldable customized fit as well.
==> Read our detailed review of Burton Moto to learn more.
2. K2 Maysis
These boots are an all-mountain boot with a freeride focus. If you don’t spend much time in the terrain park and want to tackle technical situations without compromising versatility, the K2 Maysis is a good option.
Their Endo 2.0 construction offers a lot of performance, and a stiffer flex makes them a good option for more experienced riders. They also come with a BOA lacing system.
==> Read our detailed K2 Maysis review for more.
For awe-inspiring all-mountain performance and supreme style, check out the Adidas Tactical ADV. These boots will deliver high-quality capabilities all over the mountain and have a unique and impressive look.
==> Read our detailed review of Adidas Tactical ADV to learn more.
My Verdict
The Salomon Dialogue is a decent set of all-mountain snowboarding boots with a freestyle focus. They have a medium flex that provides power and control outside of the park with plenty of give-and-go when you want to spend your days flying high and hitting new features.
About Lorraine