Im not sure where they are getting this idea. Boot enchants add a massive strategical advantage, high engage comps are able to use "Captain" enchantment just as easy as mobile based champions are able to use Alacrity. They've never had a major impact on a game to the point of breaking it, but they've always been a major decision point in your late game build.
Its the old saying....
Its not broken... dont fix it?
Deep Terror Nami2 votesThe enchants are almost exclusively Alacrity on all champions, and Distortion on a small handful that rush it. There is hardly any choice in the matter.
WngNut1 votesFuror is extremely popular on ezreal for the kiting, I also like building it on Udyr and somtimes lulu, or I'll build Captain. What's the problem if not many people build it? ohmwrecker is still in the game and the only people building that are Ultimate Bravery comps.
Better Jungler1 votesWhile the current meta supports high mobility/pushing comps, this wasnt the case in the tank meta of late season 5. With the ever-changing meta, and playstyle of "What works; Works" we will see alacrity have its time, just as we will see tanks have their time, or assassins, or in this case, next patch is going to bring in the Mage Meta.
Meriipu2 votesSoon league will have the complexity of Adventure Time Battle Party.
Better Jungler1 votesIf all goes well
Icestar11862 votesBoots have never been a complex decision. When homeguard was an enchant, it was the only one worth taking. With it now being an automatic buff as 20 min, Alacrity took its place as the hands-down best enchantment. If they remove Alacrity, Captain will replace it. Furor and Distortion are barely worth taking outside of rare edge cases. There's no strategic depth at all and I would rather Riot rework the enchant system entirely than leave it as is.
Better Jungler2 votesAgree that it needs to be reworked, but would you rather have them remove it completely? Any choice we can make adds depth to the game. I can go AD off tank split push leblanc if i want, thats the depth that we enjoy in this game. removing choices, removes depth.
Icestar11861 votesIIRC, they said they would look at a way to bring boot enchants back as a balanced system, so I have no problem with what they are doing.
Better Jungler2 votesas for now, ive been unable to find that they are bringing the system back at all, all the information we have right now, is in PBE they removed all boot enchants.
Icestar11863 votesOK, here's the red post I was thinking of; basically says there will probably be boot enchant work in the future. The general tone of the thread is that enchantments as they are now are bad, but they could be fixed and brought back. http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/gameplay-balance/Ik3EfwOh-mid-season-stuff-that-may-be-harder-to-spot-on-the-pbe?comment=00000002
Better Jungler1 votesThanks for that post Good information to have.
I still agree with where they are coming from, Too much movement speed, a boot shouldnt get an enchant to make it's base speed faster, but that also shouldnt hinder the other utility from other enchantments. Remove base speed movement speed enchants, make more utility based enchants. hell, split the distortion boot enchant up and make each one an individual buff.
Having 30% movement speed after a flash (full cooldown) only allows for better outplays/escapes, and the amount of time you're waiting to use that enchant again is so long its barely noticable in game.
Cooldownslol2 votesOK, here's the red post I was thinking of; basically says there will probably be boot enchant work in the future. The general tone of the thread is that enchantments as they are now are bad, but they could be fixed and brought back. http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/gameplay-balance/Ik3EfwOh-mid-season-stuff-that-may-be-harder-to-spot-on-the-pbe?comment=00000002
A red posted that they will probably re-work boot enhancements in the future? Thank god, now we can all rest easy knowing they most certainly will be coming back. I mean there is no chance in hell they would ever say they were going to do something and then not do it. Thank you for your consistency, keep up the good work Riot.
Icestar11861 votesThis is a week-old thread, for one, and you aren't actually making any kind of point by complaining about Riot.
MasterSomething1 votesWell, what would you recommend, then? They clearly thought long and hard about this decision.
Better Jungler1 votesPersonally, I would recommend keeping the current system in place, while reworking a new system in the background that would replace this one. I agree the current system needs to be evaluated, but replacing choices players make to customize their playstyle, with an absence of choice, is never a good thing.
You can have your ice cream, with chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and oreo bits.
Oh actually, now you can just have your ice cream since everyone used all the chocolate syrup. NO OREOS AND NO SPRINKLES, because everyone used the chocolate syrup.
DREADN0UGHT1 votesWhen playing Top, I use Distortion more than any other enchant, and furor and alacrity in equal parts.
Distortion has so much split pushing utility... I would be so sad if they removed it..
LordGeovanni1 votesfor people with no brain to think ill take 20 + movement speed all the time over 800 movement speed for 3 seconds when leaving base cause i can see the value in being fast when i need to rather than being fast in my base when my team is in the enemy base similarly when i need to stick on people i pick furror and when i play mages mid lane or support i pick captain so my allies can move faster not that any of them realizes it. certain champions top with initial gap closers i take disruption with teleport ghost to stick on my enemy and out run ganks
ModAzure Ole1 votesBoot enchants have almost always been dominated by one enchantment or another. When homeguards was a thing, everyone got homeguards. With the movespeed meta, it's pretty much only alacrity, with uncommon exceptions. When captain does the same thing as tank-elixir, furor is just phage, and distortion is basically an obscure one-of-a-kind stat, I can see why the enchants come off as gratuitous.
DreamLeviathan1 votesChoices or not aside, I believe one of the rioters explained that they feel like champions are just moving too fast in general.
Better Jungler1 votesAgreed, this is the movement speed meta though, put a sivir on a team with a high seige comp, you will win close to 90% of your games haha. when the mage update comes out, theres a good chance we will see less movement speed focused builds, and more split push/assassin style gameplay.
Jaygo411 votesThere's enough damn move speed rn.... everyone gets it, just leave it alone and take away alacrity and other things that don't belong like summ CDs
Better Jungler1 votesI guess my point is, we go through phases in this game, ive been playing for five seasons and have seen /been apart of every major meta in for NA. Dumbing down the boot enchants, removing another personalized choice a player can make to increase the depth of this game is detrimental to what seperates LoL from HotS.
TheLastShadow451 votesWith homeguard going to everyone at 20 min, alacrity was the most purchased enchantment and gave a massive MS buff with homeguard.
The others just didn't get used.
Hopeslayer1 voteshow am i supposed to chase 
as a low mobility adc like 
without 
. if i get 
im a troll