Nidecker and SOREL have joined forces to reimagine the Caribou™ – the boot that helped define snowboarding as we know it. Launching for Winter 2026/27, the Caribou™ Snow-G pays tribute to the original while bringing modern comfort and performance to an iconic design.
Back in 1984 when Nidecker started pressing boards, snowboard boots didn’t exist. Riders grabbed whatever worked, and SOREL’s warm, flexible Caribou™ became the boot of choice. That soft flex was key – it let snowboarders tweak grabs and throw tricks inspired by skateboarding. The freestyle revolution was born right there, captured on camera by early lensmen like Bud Fawcett.
For Thierry Kunz, who’s been riding since the early ’80s and now leads the Nidecker brand, this project hits close to home. “The name SOREL is entwined with the history of snowboarding; when I started, their boots were the benchmark,” he says.
“They weren’t originally made for riding, but they worked – and more importantly, they let you move. That freedom changed everything. I’m so hyped to get the chance to reimagine this boot, bringing that same spirit into something built specifically for today’s riding. It’s been a dream of mine for a while.”
Heading up the refresh was Italian designer Maurizio Molin, the brains behind Nidecker’s boot program. “The Caribou is an icon, so we knew we had to respect what made it special,” Molin explains. “But we also wanted to give riders the fit and support they expect from a modern snowboard boot. Finding that balance – keeping the soul of the original while upgrading everything underneath – was the best kind of challenge. When you put these on, you feel the heritage, but you’re also getting precision and riding comfort that didn’t exist 40 years ago.”
The goal of the collab goes way beyond nostalgia. It’s about reconnecting today’s riders with the creativity and style that still shines through in those early shots, and inspiring others to discover the sport for the first time. For SOREL, partnering with Nidecker brings the Caribou™ back to its roots in snowboarding.
“In the 80s SOREL was right there, as the original snowboard boot,” says Cory Long, President of SOREL. “This collaboration with Nidecker brings that energy to a new generation, celebrating the origins of SOREL’s involvement with snowboarding while re-imagining it for 2026.”
Alongside the boot, the project includes the SOREL Surfer – a directional board shaped by Thierry Kunz that channels the golden era aesthetic with a retro outline and modern, lightweight construction.
The Caribou™ Snow-G boot and SOREL Surfer snowboard will be available at select retailers worldwide starting Fall 2026.
Product Details
Caribou™ Snow-G Boot – A Modern Original
The Caribou™ Snow-G stays faithful to the original’s waterproof nubuck leather upper and natural rubber lower shell while completely rebuilding the interior. Nidecker’s wider last accommodates modern binding geometry, and a heat-moldable Silver Liner adapts to your foot for a personalized fit. The BOA® H5 Internal Heel Lock system is integrated right into the tongue for secure, customizable hold, while the soft flex maintains the spirit of the original – letting riders explore those boned-out grabs and extreme old school tweaks that made the Caribou™ legendary.
SOREL Surfer Snowboard – The Shape of Your Journey
Shaped by TK and inspired by snowboarding’s golden era, the SOREL Surfer blends a retro directional outline with advanced tech. A Surfy CamRock profile delivers effortless float and smooth, connected turns, while the lightweight core construction combines poplar and paulownia for natural board feel and agility across all terrain. The topsheet graphic featuring a lone caribou pays tribute to the boot that started it all.
About Nidecker
Nidecker, a fifth-generation family-owned business based in Rolle, Switzerland, opened as a manufacturer of wooden wheels in 1887. The company introduced its first production snow-sliding products in 1912 and transformed into a dedicated snowboard company in 1984. For over 40 years it has produced innovative boards, boots and bindings designed in the Swiss Alps.
About SOREL
Born in a snowstorm in 1962, SOREL began as a practical solution for the harsh Canadian winters. Working with local leather and felt suppliers, the Kaufman rubber factory created the iconic SOREL Caribou boot, which went on to become the first boots on the North Pole, the first snowboarding boots, and the gold standard for cold weather protection for over 60 years. Now based in Portland, Oregon, the SOREL brand continues to push boundaries, collaborating with explorers and visionaries from arctic landscapes to Paris runways. Known for merging trustworthy performance, premium materials, and daring aesthetics, all SOREL products are creatively designed and confidently equipped…For Bold Steps.
