Whether you’re looking to drive more power through your turns, or get loosey goosey when you’re sufing pow, the Empire Lara has got you covered. The Asymmetric flex puts more response through the lateral side of the boot by using a smaller flex window, and a larger softer one on the inside to loosen it up. It’s a nice best of both worlds approach and gives the Empire some serious versatility when it comes to a range of terrain and conditions.

Two L3 Speedlaces tighten the boots upper and lower zone respectively, so you can really dial in your fit. They lock off and slot into little pouches, staying tight and secure from first lifts until last. The handles have been ergonomically designed to fit better in smaller hands, making it easier to really crank them in.

“These little adjustments can make the world of difference to your feet”

A Power strap sits in front of the tongue and wrenches the boot shut tight. This stops painful shin rubbing and eliminates dead zones down the front of the boot. It also helps to adjust the flex of the boot, run it looser for a more mellow ride, or crank it in for instant response.

These boots are gonna be on your feet day after day, all season long, so you want to make sure they’re as comfortable as possible. Deeluxe’s ThermoFlex Liner is fully heat mouldable, the foam expands when heated, and then cools and contracts round your foot to personalise the fit. These little adjustments can make the world of difference to your feet, and could be the difference between getting the shot and having to go home early to soak your aching trotters.

Slipping over in front of your buddies isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it’s no one’s idea of fun. The Empire Lara uses a Remedy Outsole, which has deep tread for enhanced grip when you’re hiking lines or traipsing back through the carpark. It also uses pockets of cushioning to take some of the slap out of big landings or soak up some chatter from mottled pistes.

The Empire Lara already sit on the stiffer side of the scale, but if you want to beef up the response from the them, there are three extra tongue inserts available through the Deeluxe website. These TPS Shields slot down the front of the boot to stiffen it up and bolster performance.