Vans Jamie Lynn Boots
By Cori Jones

Almost every one of us has had a pair of Vans shoes over the years. They have long since established themselves as leaders in the skateboard market and have successfully branched out into several other markets. So when Vans decided started making boots for snowboarding they set out to do it right and as with skateboarding they have moved on to establish themselves as leaders in this market. The reason for this success? Vans makes good boots.

First impressions: I really like the design of these boots and the fact that they are a small profile boot. Compared to other boots of the same shoe size they have less toe and heal hang and they are narrower. They felt kind of small when I first slid my feet into them; in fact I had to check and double check to see if I had the right size. The reason they feel small is the massive heal grabber cushion that the liner has, until the boot is broken in it pushes your toes into the front of the boot. They are a very stiff supportive boot but they also have a low ankle flex point, this makes them much more rideable for people like me who like a more flexible boot.

The Jamie Lynn unlike most other Vans boots does not have the full wrap around thermal mold liner. Instead they have "Synthetic nubuck sonic molded panels for lightweight support." In other words try them on and if they feel good, great. As mentioned the liner has an ultra defined well padded heal cup and they have a small channel for your Achilles to go through. The tongue of the liner is very thick and stiff, this gives a ton of upper shin support which translates into good toe response. The liner like with most Vans boots has a great inner lacing system and new this year they have a solid loop lace with a piece of plastic on It for your lace pulling comfort.

Overall What I really liked about the Lynn's was the flex in the ankle and the small size of the boot. What I didn't like was how long in took to break in the liner so it wouldn't cram my toes. I also prefer a boot that is a little less stiff all around. If you like a stiff supportive boot, you should give them a try. I would find it hard to give up my Vans Daniel Frank boots for the Lynn's because I love the wrap around thermal liner and the amount of support the Franks provide.

The Jamie Lynns are considered to be the top of the line and this shows in the price, they are one of Vans most expensive boots, with a retail price around $220.

Cori Jones is a new contributor to GearReview.com and specializes in snownboarding and mountain biking.

For more information, contact:
www.vans.com
Vans inc.
15700 Shoemaker ave.
Santa Fe, CA 90670-5515