After suffering a series of slashed open feet from kiting sessions in and around The Broadwater, Gold Coast. QLD. Of which I am still recovering from a very long deep wound to the bottom of one of my feet caused by a gust of wind pulling me onto a submerged oyster shell ladened rock whilst in the shallows from my downed kite (ok enough of the boring semantics, Im sure quite a few of us have been there done that) I was thinking of getting myself some booties for those Broadwater day sessions or other places of precarious natures (I know the trick is to avoid standing up in these locations but sometimes it's just unavoidable) and saving my feet and limiting mishaps that may keep me from my one true love

I was wondering if any fellow forumites could could give me some feed back on the pro's and con's of wearing booties ie; if it effects board handling significantly, what type of booties are best (split toe, zippers down side, brand), sole type, thickness, will it make me look to much like a poley, is it as gay as wearing boardies over a wetty , etc?

I am a big fan of the Neil Pryde Low Cut boots.

http://www.neilpryde.com/2000/2k-lc-round.html



There are several models. They're pretty much the same, just thicker or thinner. In QLD I would have thought thin would be the go.

They're high enough that sand and shells don't splash over the top but low enough that they dry easily. You can tuck wetsuit legs into them.

Avoid split toe booties. They have way too many seams and they can split.

You can go one size smaller than usual if you want a tight fit for foot straps. Two sizes smaller is ok but a bit tight on the toes.

Technique tip. If you have a shore break dumping onto a beach and you stand in the impact point (where the peaks drop onto the sand) you will get sand and grit into your boots. This sucks. Don't stand in the impact point. If you are standing there when a wave hits then get your feet off the bottom (ie. jump up or lift your feet) so your boots don't fill up with crap.

I've used booties whilst surfing before and find I always lack "feel".
I was thinking of trying the Vibram five fingers for my next pair as I think they are thinner.

Grab some booties from a local dive store.
They're all the same.

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NickT said...
...I was thinking of trying the Vibram five fingers for my next pair as I think they are thinner.

Don't. They suck as surf shoes. They let sand and crap in from the top. The soles are very stiff with an articulated section under your toes so you can bend them. The hard edge digs into the underside of your toes and causes discomfort. They do have plenty of grip.

I surf just fine with booties. The grip is far superior to bare feet.

I used to winter sailboard in booties and found they wore out the footstraps pretty fast, probably the same for a kiteboard

Sneakers from Kmart...........under $20 for sure.....and they don't get cut up on sharp reef.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Wedge-wave-comp-vid/?SearchTerms=wave,comp,vid


They are at 1:10 in the vid.

Thanks for the tip Gorgo, guess it's FCS reef boots again.
Also not all boots are the same as Jr said. I wouldn't go a boot without the split toe as they twist on your foot. Also a strap across the forefoot is a must when surfing ( not elastic as it stops the boot slopping around. As for Kiting the strap probably gets in the way.
Personally I tried booties once kiting and hated it.

Greuzi, are they Chuck Taylors?

I wear booties a lot:

- with the strapped kite surfboard because the grip of the deck pad is not good enough (my back foot slipped out of the strap once and I was limping for a week after. A guy at our local beach broke his pelvis from doing the same thing.)
- with a SUP because I have no deck pad or wax and the grip of the booties is fine.
- in colder weather to stop water rushing up the wetsuit leg
- in really k'n cold weather ... because it's cold.
- at a beach I kite in offshore winds with a reef downwind, in case of a gear failure. I have never ended up on the reef but lots of other people have.

I don't wear booties in warm weather riding a twintip, or warmish weather riding an unstrapped surfboard with wax.

Internal split toe is essential. It stabilises the boot. Exposed split is bad because it is too exposed and too complicated. You can get your toes stuck either side of a strap edge and the seams split.

Avoid zips. They jam and corrode and come open.

High top booties are ok and keep the sand and shells out better. They're not really necessary for warmth and they are harder to dry.

Velcro over the arch and around the ankle on high boots is good. Cut off any excess or the water flow at speed will peel the velcro open.

Boots and foot straps are not a problem. I have big feet and have never had a problem with getting my feet in or out of the straps. The boots improve grip so you are less likely to lose your board or stuff up a directional gybe.

I have never worn out a footstrap in 20 years of windsurfing or 12 years of kiting. I ride my gear hard and I ride more than most people. I try to ride my boards to death, but I have not succeeded yet. I have worn out the plastic structure holding the footpads onto the deck.

Booties seem to last about 4-5 years. Generally the soles wear to a point where they are paper thin so I get some new ones.

Getting velcro stuck on the fabric can wear a hole very quickly.

For very cold weather I have some fleece lined, high top boots from Rip Curl. They are toasty warm, but, if you leave them damp for more than 24 hours they get toxically stinky. A splash of vinegar with water in the boots gets rid of the stink.

I don't understand the "loss of feeling" reason for not wearing boots. If it's cold and I don't wear boots I lose feeling anyway. I get really pissed off if I don't wear my boots and get cut feet or get cold. I feel the board through my legs and stance. It's how it feels to my body, not just the soles of my feet. Maybe the "feeling" guys are just better surfers than me.

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LostinSpace said...

After suffering a series of slashed open feet from kiting sessions in and around The Broadwater, Gold Coast. QLD. Of which I am still recovering from a very long deep wound to the bottom of one of my feet caused by a gust of wind pulling me onto a submerged oyster shell ladened rock whilst in the shallows from my downed kite (ok enough of the boring semantics, Im sure quite a few of us have been there done that) I was thinking of getting myself some booties for those Broadwater day sessions or other places of precarious natures (I know the trick is to avoid standing up in these locations but sometimes it's just unavoidable) and saving my feet and limiting mishaps that may keep me from my one true love

I was wondering if any fellow forumites could could give me some feed back on the pro's and con's of wearing booties ie; if it effects board handling significantly, what type of booties are best (split toe, zippers down side, brand), sole type, thickness, will it make me look to much like a poley, is it as gay as wearing boardies over a wetty , etc?

Go see the guys at SurfFX, they have a big range of booties, including the Neil Pryde one pictured above. The Rip/Curl ones are pretty good too but for value and quality the Neil Prydes are very good.

Upside - far less damage to the feet and subsequently no loss of water time

Downside - initially feel very different with a feeling like there is a loss of feel, but this does go away quite quickly as you get used to wearing them.
Low cut allows sand and shell/coral grit to get into the bootie, high cut stops this.
Split toe, can rub on the inside, between your big toe and the next one, where the split bit is. But round toe can rub the ends of your toes, helps if you keep your toenails very closely cut.

Would I wear booties, Yes. Where - anywhere that there is reef that I could end up on if I had a relaunch issue or wind drop out, anywhere there are submerged rocks, or shellfish that sting or cut (shuffle feet as you walk, do not stomp around).

Great info Gorgo, I am quite impressed with the Neil Pryde boots you mentioned and am now making (excuse the pun) moves to a foot, to get a pair. Cheers

For me it's all about fit. No fun sloshing around in a bootie full of water, or getting squashed up toes - find a brand that fits your foot shape. All booties aren't the same.

Also get a bootie with a high strap so it doesn't interfere with your footstrap.

High top booties that fit don't fill up with sand like the low cut ones.

I've got fat feet so I only use split toe booties and have been using O'neil superfreak for about four seasons now.

Booties feel strange at first but you get used to it - and no more cut feet.

Cheers Kitepower, I will drop in and see the boys at Surf FX

I am very new to the sport and have a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes for running. I figured they would be great for kiting as they are very flexible, but protect the feet from sharp things.

They worked great until I managed to come out of my binding mighty quickly (read: superman) during my second lesson. Because they make my pinky toe longer than normal, it helped it get caught on the way out and I bent it pretty far out three times. I broke my first bone after 31 years of tumbling around in the wilderness. It was a quick heal, but would have been nice if I avoided it.

I have heard of others using these, but sewing the pinky toe of the shoe to the 4th toe to prevent just this.

Just thought I would throw this out there if anyone else is currently using them!

I try to avoid using booties but occasionally use them in the winter. Currently have O'Neill Ninja because they have a relatively soft sole. Fit well for me and have a split toe. Never had an issue with the split toe, but don't wear them too much.

The sole may not be tough enough for you Lost one.

Double pluggers aren't good for kitesurfing but you will be the king of your local when you hit the pub afterwards.

Split toe for balance, High ankle so they dont fill with crap.

Volleys seem to work well strapless.

yeah I don't like cut feet either so I always wear booties!