Times NB 580 review
Active Gear Review is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
If you can get your paws on a pair of these limited edition Times New Balance 580 snowboard boots, don’t pass it up. Here’s a bit of background: New Balance teamed up with the snowboard apparel company, 686, to put out a novel line of boots which incorporate New Balance technology and 686 design and boarding experience. This 2009-2010 season partnership produced a pair of boots that look good, feel great, and have remarkable performance.
The Look of the Times NB 580
686 has been designing technical snowboarding apparel since 1992 and has a renowned history for putting out well designed, great performing products. The Times NB 580 snowboarding boots maintain this heritage. Do a quick Google search and you’ll find the boot comes in two colors, black plaid and white plaid, which have similarly designed sneakers and jackets. The boots are based on the old school MT580 sneaker and incorporate faux laces and the New Balance logo to complete the look. For the first partnership experience, New Balance and 686 put out some kicking gear.
The Feel of the Times NB 580
With a now industry-standard heat moldable inner liner, you won’t have to wait 3 boarding days to have comfortable new boots. The liner has dual density construction to save weight in addition to an integrated “H-shape” support system to lock in your heel. We liked the liner lacing system as it’s simple and effective with a sliding lock holding the laces tight and an upper ankle strap to ensure a firm fit. Apparently, there is also an anti-microbial coating to slow down foot smell- so far so good. The footbed deserves a brief shout-out as it incorporates New Balance Abzorb cushion technology, which takes the edge off of foot pressure. Lastly, New Balance used its Rollbar system to efficiently transfer energy from the rider to the board and the built-in Recco reflectors are icing on the cake.
The Performance of the Times NB 580
With a 7/10 stiffness rating I remained locked to the board with good response on the descent and versatility in the park. Gotta give props to Boa as their now widely used Focus lacing system is awesome. We like our feet with a bit of breathing room and our ankle locked in place, which is easily done with the dual lacing system. Also, be sure to check out Boa’s Dialed In for Life Guarantee. So, these boots kept our heels down and our feet on the board, which minimized wasted energy and improved stability and response. Did we mention our feet felt great at the end of the day?
For more info on the Times NB 580, visit www.evo.com.
The Stats on the Times NB 580:
- – 100% full grain leather upper, polyurethane coated for supreme water proofness
- – Boa® Focus® lacing system is the most advanced system boa® offers. This revolutionary system allows the rider to independently adjust both the upper and lower zones of the boot. the result is an exact, custom and quick fit that concentrates closure on the instep Focus® zone for superior heel hold-down.
- – New boa® colored coiler package (just like laces, but for boots)
- – Exterior faux laces emulating the original 580 sneaker
- – Articulating cuff with a high frequency molded “hinge” which allows the upper and lower parts to flex, giving the rider all the support with the right amount of soft flex
- – TPU reinforcement for overall durable boot structure and antibinding pressure
- – Internal stealth back spine increases both lateral and medial support for all types of riding conditions
- – Low profile tongue for better comfort and boa lacing response
- – Sneaker fit comfort with snowboard boot stability structure
- – Recco® advanced avalanche rescue technology without reducing or interfering with comfort or dampening
- – Rollbar® technology is a lightweight graphite stability posting system that transfers riding motions directly to the board/binding without reducing or interfering with comfort or dampening
- – C-cap® forefoot midsole, made of special durable eva for firmness and durability
- – EVA midsole is a foamed plastic that’s strong, light and disperses shock for hard landings
- – Hybrid combination of new balance’s proprietary trail running outsole mixed with the new demands of snow, sleet, ice and binding traction
- – Rollbar® outsole extension to mitigate stability and traction control
- – Dual density eva liner for superior lightness, flex and fit, while maintaining shape to your foot longer
- – Exclusive “h” shaped heel hold ankle support system
- – 686 speedy lace liner with stability webbing system to keep tongue centered
- – Anatomically fitted last for better heel and toe box comfort
- – Fur fleece lining for increased warmth
- – Anti-microbial coating for less foot stinkage
- – Abzorb® is a high-end compression and cushioning foam with Dupont® Engage® Isoprene rubber
