hey,

With so many brands and so many types of boots around its hard to make a decision on which is the best? Hyperlite, Ronix, Liquid force, North, Best, cabrihna, and many more

who is the best? and Why?

Edging ability and rigidity - Hyperlite - Some find them a bit of a drama to get on and off however I don't think this is a problem. Only time I get annoyed is switching between a surfboard and twinny in the waves

Comfort - Ronix - Durability is questionable though. I have broken a lot of them in my time. They are light and comfortable however. Also the most $$$.

Weight - Cabrinha - Pretty low cut and flexible side to side but good overall boots. Good price and they are super durable. If you're okay with flex they're a good option.

All around - LF - I ride these and even though they're not the lightest and not the cushiest they last a f**king long time and they are dependable. The LFK is a good stiffness, is super light, and reasonable price. The wake models are generally heavier but more comfortable. I'm loving the 2016 Raph. Lighter and better than 2015.


North - 2014/15 was absolutely horrid. They are based off of the base model Hyperlites and they are as flexy as a noodle. The 2016 was still really flexy but more comfortable.

Humanoid (Best) - Some of the worst boots I've ever put on my feet. Nobody but team riders should suffer in these. Uncomfortable, lowest cut, overly flexible, terrible mounting system. Just absolute shyte.

To be fair it's the Humanoid Howl that is horrible for kiting, I think the Odyssey is better (higher cut, bit stiffer), I still wouldn't buy though.

If you don't like how stiff the Hyperlite System is just get the low cut system binding. I've said it many times already, but I find it really hard to ride in anything but Systems now, all boots feel really unstructured with lots of heel and toe lift in comparison. I wish some brands still made a higher cut stiffer lace up boot (like the 2009 Watson used to be).

Sorry yes I was referring to the Howl. Odyssey is moderately better.

Liquid Force LFK 2016 Looks awesome But when/are they be available in Australia??

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Scanno said..
Liquid Force LFK 2016 Looks awesome But when/are they be available in Australia??

Which colour? Blue is here already white and black within next two weeks I think

Tons of boots out there, just like anything else I suppose. Add Slingshot to the list and you've covered the most common brands.
I wouldn't focus that much on the brand though, rather on the boots themselves. All brands make multiple model and some models are quite comparable (just like most kite brands make beginner kites, freestyle kites, wave kites etc which can be compared, but the brands themselves are hard to compare without looking at a specific model).

For me when choosing a boot I would be looking at the following:
-Stiffness, i.e. how much it flexes when you're riding, tweaking, grabbing etc.
-Strap type: Velcro, lace, both
-Shoe/lining type: Fixed shoe/lining (most boots), removable inner lining (e.g. Slingshot Shredtown), removable shoe (e.g. Hyperlite system)
-Weight and bulkiness.

Stiffness is very personal, it all comes down to how you want the boots to feel when you're pressing on rails, tweaking etc. Too stiff and you're cemented down, too loose and it gets flimsy.

Strap type is an interesting one. Personally I prefer velcro, because velcro can be done up with one hand (leaving the other hand free to steer the kite). Velcro is also easy to readjust, even when while riding. However, velcro can come undone from big slams and water spray and it can also get seaweed and things stuck in it. Some people told me they prefer lace because it stays on better and it's easier to get a very tight fit. If you can't make up your mind there's always the combination of the two, e.g. one upper velcro strap and a set of laces below.

Shoe/lining type matters the most if you're riding in cold water and/or go to the cable park a lot. Removable lining/shoe is sweet for walking around the cable park and on cold sand when before/after your session. Makes sense in Europe (and possibly Melbourne during winter), but in Sydney it doesn't make much sense from a warmth point of view. Removable lining/shoe adds complexity to the boots = another thing that can break.

Weight and bulkiness, well it kinda speaks for itself. No one wants to ride around with heavy boots that slow you down on the water and it's terrible for airfares.

I've owned and tried a few different boots, LF Vantage, LF Watson, Slingshot Shredtown, Hyperlite system boots, etc before finding the ones I ride now, Slingshot KTV which I'm happy with. I would recommend you to have a look in a few in a shops and try them on. Maybe even try them on the water if you're able to.

And don't forget the most important part, they have to match the colour of your board! =)

Happy to stand corrected but im yet to see any boots last a reasonable amount of time.

I used hyperlite boots a few years ago, they put me off using boots. Only just recently went back to boots because old feet bone breaks are starting to cause me pain riding straps, using ronix franks, overall not bad despite the flex, ronix laces are crap though

^^^What put you off about the Hyperlites? At least give a reason .

Just a little observation (not directed at anyone here, just a general observation) -

It's been funny to watch "boots" become a trend in kiting.
There once was a time (even on this forum) where people who only rode straps complained how boots were heavy and stiff and they couldn't understand why you needed them... These days a lot of boots basically have the same weight and flex properties as pair of straps and those very same people who never wore boots are now advising people what pair of boots others should buy... This all seems pretty ironic to me.

In conclusion:
If you want a pair of boots that gives you almost none of the benefits of riding boots and wont be too hard to move to from straps - get the lightest, flexiest boots you can find. If you want a pair of boots that actually aids your boards edging and response capabilities - get a higher cut, stiffer flex pair of boots .

Refreshing the topic...have you ever tried liquid force harley ? I can have a good deal on them. Already tried the watson and didn't like the rear back part that is a little low and cut my leg. Harley seems to be highter cut ?

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chris313 said..
Refreshing the topic...have you ever tried liquid force harley ? I can have a good deal on them. Already tried the watson and didn't like the rear back part that is a little low and cut my leg. Harley seems to be highter cut ?

I think the harley is a touch higher, but it's a pretty soft boot as well so will not really be any different to ride in.

To be honest you can basically pick any boot that isn't a binding/boot combo like systems/jobe as they all pretty much feel the same to me (especially LF line). Soft and flexible with not much support.

There once was a time when companies like LF offered higher cut supportive boots, but now "tuck knee grabs" are all the rage I think that philosophy has all but gone out the door.