If you’ve just got a shiny new board setup a stomp pad would make a great first accessory buy for it. It’s not going to make go faster, jump higher or flow better out on the slopes but will make life easier going up them. It’s the first thing I bought for my board and I can’t imagine not having one now.
| Stomp Pad | Price | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volcom Stone Studs |  | On Amazon | Style |
| Dakine Primo |  | On Amazon | Traditional look |
| Crab Grab Mini Claws |  | On Amazon | Something a bit different |
| One Ball Jay "Madness" Bottle Opener |  | On Amazon | If you like beers |
| ToeJamR |  | On Amazon | If you like large pads |
| Dakine Modular Mat |  | On Amazon | Custom placement |
Keep reading for a closer look at these pads…
What are Snowboarding Stomp Pads?
A stomp pad is as the name suggests, a small pad you can stick to your board. It’s sometimes referred to as a deck grip or traction pad. Usually placed just in front of your rear binding in the center of the board. Most boards don’t come with one attached as standard so you’ll usually need to get one separately.
They come in handy when riding lifts, especially the button lifts. When your rear leg is out of the binding and front leg is still in you’ll need somewhere on your board to put your rear foot.
Instead of having your boot struggle to stay on the board and slide around, especially true if you get ice and snow all over your board, it provides a good amount of traction.
Do You Need A Stomp Pad?
You can get away without using one, it’s not needed but it will make life harder. Considering you can pick one up so cheaply I feel everyone should have one.
If you don’t have access to a place with seated lifts or gondolas you’ll be stuck using a button lift. This is the case for me when I use my local indoor snow center.
A button lift can be sketchy, even more so if you’re new to snow sports. Fun fact: When I was 7 years old I went skiing with my family. My sister was in front of me on the button lift. She got her ski’s tangled and was laying in a heap in front of me as I was being elevated. I couldn’t stop and proceeded to ski over her arm and break it.
Now I’m not saying this will happen to you if you don’t use a stomp pad but it will help avoid these situations. Instead of having your feet handing like in a chair lift you’ll be relying on you legs to support and control your weight. If your rear boot slips on to the snow and starts to drag behind you it can be quite easy to get out of control and fall over.
It’ll also save a lot of energy when riding up them. Instead of using all those muscles to make micro adjustments for balance you’ll have more traction and use less energy balancing.
With chair lifts the main issues are getting on and off of them. The last thing you’ll want is to dismount from a chairlift loose your footing and have the lift hit you in the back.
Benefits
- Less likely to fall riding up lifts and getting off of them.
- Some designs enhance the look of your board.
- Cheap accessory
Downsides
- Something else to buy
- Can cover up details on your board if you have a nice design you’d like to show off. Although you can buy clear ones to avoid that.
What Makes A Good Stomp Pad?
First of all I have to like the way it looks. It goes without saying it should have great traction and be able to cope with some snow and ice on it. It’s a bonus if it’s easy to put on. Once it’s on it should stay on for a long time without moving around.
Different types of Stomp Pads
Foam and rubber pads
Most of the pads available are made from foam or rubber. They tend to be cheaper and come in tons of different shapes and designs. They can add a nice custom touch to your board. Lots of them have popular slogans, characters, animal shapes or even bottle openers.
Multiple mini pads
Some brands offer foam pads that come in a miniature size but with multiple pads. This allows you to stick 3, 4 or more smaller pads to your board. This can help if you want the pads in a specific location to not cover some graphics. Or maybe you’d like more traction on the outside of your boots and not just in the middle. You can cover more specific areas without cover the board up.
Metal studded pads
Usually made from aluminum or some type of alloy. These are sold in packs of multiple studs often more than 6. The studs are relatively small and stick to your board using an adhesive backing. The advantage being they may take up less room and you can customize the shape needed.
How To Install New Pads
This is pretty easy to do. Almost all of them come with an adhesive back that you just need to peel off and place where you want on your board. Sometimes you may need to heat it up before applying.
Most importantly you’ll want to place the pad where you want it to go without peeling the back yet so it doesn’t stick. Stand on your board and find the best position for the pad, usually next to the rear binding.
Once you’re happy with the location go ahead and clean the area, if you stick it on a clean surface it should stay on longer. Peel the back and apply some pressure so it sticks. Stand on it for a while or place something heavy over it to make sure it stays in place.
Our Favorite Snowboard Stomp Pads
Volcom Stone Studs
Volcom is long existing brand in the snowboarding sports world. Their stone stud style stomp pad offers really nice and unique looking studs in the style of their famous diamond logo. They offer up several different colors including black, purple haze, yellow, lime and rose wood (which actually looks more like pink).
You get 6 studs made from a zinc alloy metal so they should be very sturdy.
Although these say they are for women they are in fact unisex. I don’t think there is a thing as women’s only stomp pads. The only real difference would be the color and these come in a range of colors.
Pros
- Studs take up less surface area than a full pad so you’ll not cover a board design as much.
- Sleek design
- Affordable price
- Customize the pattern when adding to your board.
Cons
- Made from metal which could hurt if you kneel on them.
- The colors might not suit your style.
Dakine Primo Stomp Pad
The Dakine primo stomp pad is a more traditional style rectangular pad. It’s molded from “EVA surf traction” and comes with an adhesive backing. It’s 7″ x 5.5″ so slightly bigger than others on this list.
Pros
- Good traction from the large surface area
- Affordable price
- Subtle styling
Cons
- Only one color available as far as I can tell
- larger size than other stomp pads may cover graphics
Crab Grab Mini Claws 
These Crab Grab mini grab claws come in a pack of 4. They might not be for everyone in the camo color but they are also available in white. As they are small they don’t take up as much space covering your boards design. You can get creative with the placement or even use only 2 or 3 if needed.
They are made from “C-Foam” which is a specifically formulated rubbery foam from the brand. They can be stuck on with the 4EVA Glue.
Pros
- Customize the layout on your board
- Very grippy
- Small area used.
- Affordable
Cons
- Some might not like the style
- You’ll have to wait a while for the glue to dry
One Ball Jay “Madness” Bottle Opener Snowboard Stomp Pad
The One Ball Jay “Madness” Bottle Opener stomp pad is likely not for everyone but it certainly makes a statement. If you like to have a cold beer after a session and maybe enjoy some other plant based activities this one could be for you.
The highlight is the bottle opener and design but it does work well as a stomp pad. It might be hard to see in the image but there are small nipples that stick out of the pad which help a lot to keep your foot from slipping.
Pros
- Bottle opener
- Style if that’s your thing
Cons
- Larger than average
- My not like the style
ToeJamR Snowboard Stomp Pad
ToeJamR Snowboard Stomp Pad is a larger pad made from EVA foam. This ones great if you love bears. It is very large compared to others, at least 7″ long. There is a textured surface to help with traction but it doesn’t have any studs or nipples sticking out. The pad is easy to install with a peel and stick back included.
Pros
- Large so hard to miss with your foot
- Light and stays flexible when wet.
- Easy to install
Cons
- Large so might cover to much of your board.
- Slightly more expensive than others on the list
Dakine Modular Mat Stomp Pad
Another Dakine Snowboard Pad this one is slight different. It comes in three pieces that can be configured any way you’d like. It’s also not as large as some of the others on this list being 4.8″ x 4.3″.
This snow pad also has small studs within its moulded urethane which should help a lot with keeping your foot planted.
There are several color options which is nice including a transparent option. Good for those that want to see their board design through it.
Pros
- Modular design
- Studs to help traction
- Transparent color option
Cons
- Clear color is more expensive
- Large logo on the pad
These are some of my favorite stomp pads but if you find something else more to your taste, go for it. It’s not a big investment so you can always change them out if they’re not as good as you expected.
