Snowboarder uses new Burton boots. Then she ends up in the ER with two broken ankles. She’s not the only one: ‘I was told it was new technology’
A Vancouver snowboarder just tried out Burton’s newest line of experimental snowboarding boots. Then she ended up in the hospital because her ankles broke.
Boop (@boop6203) only noticed a defect with her boots once it was too late. She has a PSA for anyone who’s considering buying a pair of Burton’s clip-on snowboarding boots in their 2026 line. Her TikTok describing her injuries and how she ended up with a snowboarder’s break has over 453,000 views, with commenters recommending she seek legal action for the incident.
A regular day of snowboarding turns into a painful experience
Boop decided to try out a new type of snowboarding boot while taking on some slopes. But, when she wiped out sometime during a regular outing, her feet ended up “flexing” forward in the shoes, leading to a break of her talus bone.
Ankle fractures can sometimes take months to heal. Even simple fractures can take a snowboarder off the slopes for eight to 12 weeks. The break in both feet, which commenters and Boop herself described as a “complicated fracture,” may end up limiting Boop’s ability to snowboard for months or even a year.
Boop cited how soft the shoes were as a reason why both of her ankles ended up breaking. “ My feet went into ballerina, like quite literally,” she added.
What Burton boots did she wear that day?
Based on the photo that Boop put in her video, she was using Burton’s Step Ons, which notably don’t have straps. It wasn’t until 2017 that Burton introduced its patented Step On boots to the broader industry, with new models and additions coming out every year.
The snowboarding community generally doesn’t seem to be fans of Step On boots. That’s because “Step Ons used to be much worse with a lot of boot lift,” at least according to one Reddit commenter. They did add that, “they’ve gotten a lot better so performance is probably near par.” But many snowboarders avoid them altogether.
Burton introduced a number of new Step On boots in 2026, which Boop most likely refers to. Notably, Burton ‘softened up’ their boots when releasing new boots from 2025 to 2026. For that reason, new Waverange and Highshot boots may have a softer, looser feel when going down slopes.
Is it really because of Burton’s boots?
It’s not clear whether the break in both of Boop’s ankles happened because of her snowboarding shoes. Still, commenters mentioned that it would be an extremely unlikely coincidence for it not to be due to a faulty shoe.
“To fracture your talus is so rare but to fracture both of them at the same time-clearly due to those boots having a faulty design,” one commenter said.
Another added, “OMG!!!! My husband broke his ankle with the SAME boots and he’s never had an injury boarding until those boots. That’s crazy, wow.”
At first, Boop stated that she didn’t want to blame the shoes for the issue. Then, she went around the Vancouver community and asked around about the new boots. According to her, other people have had similar issues with the snowboarding shoes, saying that they’re too soft and generally aren’t safe for use. She even said that if she were wearing almost any other Burton boot, she wouldn’t have a break.
Burton hasn’t made any definitive statements regarding the boots or issued recalls. Boop clarified in the comments that she was sharing her personal experience with the boots. She added that “based on my personal experience during the fall, my feet flexed forward inside the boots.”
Can she seek damages because of the Burton boots?
Commenters pointed out that there are a number of environmental factors to consider. Ultimately, that would make it difficult to prove liability.
“You may have just sunk any chance for litigation against Burton as any lawyer will argue that you don’t have the Boas right enough as you state your feet flexed inside [the] boot. They will say it’s user error,” one viewer added.
Regardless, other snowboarders mentioned that they’ve noticed the boots simply don’t have enough support to be safe to use.
Boop added that she’s sharing her personal experience after a rare injury, and that she isn’t encouraging anyone to contact or harass any brand, including Burton. Many viewers told her to delete the post and lawyer up, but for now, she’s kept the PSA on her profile.
@boop6203 @Burton Snowboards ♬ original sound – Boop
The Mary Sue reached out to Burton via email and Boop via TikTok direct message for comment.
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