What's a good summer round toe boot?
ive tried and like Xcels
ive tried and not liked Solite
would get another pair of xcel but can't find any only the split toe

Hello, Ben.

I've been using Ocean Pro round toe, soft sole boots for years, so I am very satisfied with them. Mine are 5mm thick with a side zipper. You might care to look for a 3mm thick boot, but I find mine work in Vic's 21 deg. C summer water temperature, without trouble. I find the zipper makes them easy to get on and off, compared to the no-zipper type.

You can do a search on Ocean Pro and you'll probably find them, or an equivalent (maybe Mirage TTZ?), in a dive shop near you. Price is around $50. Have previously tried Excel, NP, Rip Curl etc., but have found that the Ocean Pros and Mirages give as good a life as the more expensive brands.

I wear mine all year round and find that the boot sole life is about 12 - 15 months. A replacement sole can be made up using Selley's Sole Grip (ex Bunnings) which is a paste squeezed onto the sole. The Selleys is an anti-slip type and I found that the grip was too severe on the board (had trouble pulling my foot from the footstraps), so now, after applying the grip and allowing it to dry, I then use the scraper (in the packet with the grip) and just burnish the new grip to lessen the grip on the board. Eventually, the grip wears out, but you just apply another layer of Selleys.

Biggest problem with round toes is that your big toe nail will wear the neoprene at the big toe location if the toe nail touches. Simple solution is to cut/file the nail to prevent it happening.

Hope this helps.

Found recommended on here in an old thread, Atan 3mm shoe, love them so much Ive ordered a second pair, don't even know you're wearing them, was a bare foot only before getting these, throw away the ankle cord, they stay on without it

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Dezza said..
Found recommended on here in an old thread, Atan 3mm shoe, love them so much Ive ordered a second pair, don't even know you're wearing them, was a bare foot only before getting these, throw away the ankle cord, they stay on without it

+1, I have been ATAN fan for ages - not super tough for walking on sharp stuff, but Selleys works! and in Summer little cuts letting in water is no issue

Been looking at the atan boots. They do one with a Kevlar sole which would be good with all the razor sharp shells here.

just need to find somewhere in Canada I can get them.

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Ben1973 said..
Been looking at the atan boots. They do one with a Kevlar sole which would be good with all the razor sharp shells here.

just need to find somewhere in Canada I can get them.

There is a guy on the West Coast who gets them but it's a once a year order.

Who's that?

I have the kevlar-soled Atan boots. Lasted less than a year for me before they started to peel and delaminate. Very good board feel and very cut-resistant but at the price I need more durability. I do still wear them in oyster country but not otherwise. I like split-toe designs a little better anyway and my cold-water boots are the XCel Celliant 3mil (I think I got them on sale at evo.com) which are just terrific. I bet the round-toe version is good too. I have O'Neill for warmer water - also good.

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Ben1973 said..
Who's that?

He runs things by word of mouth, first name is Markus but also known as Kus.
If you PM me I can drop you his cell number. He's on Vancouver Island.

From what I remember those booties were rather expensive. I went with a set of Solites and they seemed to hold up better.

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Peter Hands said..

Dezza said..
Found recommended on here in an old thread, Atan 3mm shoe, love them so much Ive ordered a second pair, don't even know you're wearing them, was a bare foot only before getting these, throw away the ankle cord, they stay on without it

+1, I have been ATAN fan for ages - not super tough for walking on sharp stuff, but Selleys works! and in Summer little cuts letting in water is no issue

+2 for Atan. I'm on my 6th pair. I like the split toe 3mm low rise. I must try the Selleys. When ordering, choose a size smaller than your usual size. You want a tight fit. You can order on line from 24-7 Boardsports.

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Peter Hands said..

Dezza said..
Found recommended on here in an old thread, Atan 3mm shoe, love them so much Ive ordered a second pair, don't even know you're wearing them, was a bare foot only before getting these, throw away the ankle cord, they stay on without it

+1, I have been ATAN fan for ages - not super tough for walking on sharp stuff, but Selleys works! and in Summer little cuts letting in water is no issue

+2 for Atan. I'm on my 6th pair. I like the split toe 3mm low rise. I must try the Selleys. When ordering, choose a size smaller than your usual size. You want a tight fit. You can order on line from 24-7 Boardsports.

I've got the 6mm boot from Need Essentials - well priced and have worked well for the 6 months I've had them.

That said, they sometimes come of easy, sometimes a pain - depends how wrecked my muscles are I guess - the zipper idea mentioned above sounds niiiiice.

I bought those, best money spent on boots (socks actually) ever !!!!!!!
skinners.cc/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxv2rr5jT6gIVhWkqCh0NJwgBEAAYASAAEgLRUfD_BwE

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seanhogan said..
I bought those, best money spent on boots (socks actually) ever !!!!!!!
skinners.cc/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxv2rr5jT6gIVhWkqCh0NJwgBEAAYASAAEgLRUfD_BwE

Those look interesting .
I hate traditional booties because of two reasons,
1 , my feet slide forward in the boot and my toes crunch at the end even with split toe and it makes my feet ache ,
2 , They grip too much in the straps and need too much of a yank to get them out to jibe .
How are these in regards to above compared to normal booties ?

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Imax1 said..

1 , my feet slide forward in the boot and my toes crunch at the end even with split toe and it makes my feet ache ,
I wear size 9 shoes, bought the socks in medium, perfect fit, no sliding towards the end, had that with my NP booties, hated the feeling !
2 , They grip too much in the straps and need too much of a yank to get them out to jibe .
It's heavy duty sock material on top so quite slippery when wet actually, no issues there either !

like I said ! top stuff !! it's never cold over here so can't comment on the use of those in winter !

And when you're finished windsurfing you can use them to scrub the pots

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Imax1 said..

seanhogan said..
I bought those, best money spent on boots (socks actually) ever !!!!!!!
skinners.cc/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxv2rr5jT6gIVhWkqCh0NJwgBEAAYASAAEgLRUfD_BwE

Those look interesting .
I hate traditional booties because of two reasons,
1 , my feet slide forward in the boot and my toes crunch at the end even with split toe and it makes my feet ache ,
2 , They grip too much in the straps and need too much of a yank to get them out to jibe .
How are these in regards to above compared to normal booties ?

I use fivefingers:

eu.vibram.com/en/shop/fivefingers/men/kso-mens/M14.html?dwvar_M14_color=Black%20%2F%20Black#start=1

Very close to barefoot feeling and no problem with urchins or sharp reef! They require a little bit of practice, though, to put them on and you look really funny when you wear them
Imax1: toes don't crunch at the end and I don't feel any special overgrip in the straps

Not cheap but I am on my second pair. First one had neoprene liner and lasted very long, but now they don't make neoprene ones without groovy soles. In current ones lining is thinner. Good on summer but we will see how long they last, given the wearing with the footstraps.

Cheers!

Marc

Footwear on a windsurf board?
Note that all footwear is best avoided, unless as a necessary evil.

If you must disconnect your feet from the board then this is like riding a bicycle whilst wearing earphones - and a really dumb thing to do.

If your feet need protection for walking on the beach then that determines what sort of boots you wear - be cause some beaches have sharp stones.
If however you need to wear boots or shoes for warmth then the air temperature determines what boots you wear and how thick they are.

if however you need summer shoes for a bit of all round toe protection then get some 2mill wetsuit shoes - as made by wetsuit brands like Ion, Billabong, Quiksilver and O'Neil etc.
Some like Atan boots because the soles are thin but I find they squash my wide feet unpleasantly.

A good surf shop will let you try on several boots or shoes. Avoid the ones with thick soles.

we use the Gunsails neo socks , Justin Lord will be doing an order soon

gunsails.com/en/neopren-socks

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Dezza said..
And when you're finished windsurfing you can use them to scrub the pots

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seanhogan said..
I bought those, best money spent on boots (socks actually) ever !!!!!!!
skinners.cc/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxv2rr5jT6gIVhWkqCh0NJwgBEAAYASAAEgLRUfD_BwE

Would they protect from sharp shells? I cut the soles up on boots way before I wear them out
also looked at something similar from the barefoot company, Swiss made sock that says its cut proof

the surfshop that sells those used to sell the swiss brand and reckons those are better.
the sole on the skinners seems to be made of recycled tyres !! (though website says swedish polymer !)



there's one with legos which should appeal to any parent

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Basher said..
Footwear on a windsurf board?
Note that all footwear is best avoided, unless as a necessary evil.

Come and sail in Mandurah in summer, the crabs will be pleased to see you and your bare feet

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MarcCRider said..

Imax1 said..

seanhogan said..
I bought those, best money spent on boots (socks actually) ever !!!!!!!
skinners.cc/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxv2rr5jT6gIVhWkqCh0NJwgBEAAYASAAEgLRUfD_BwE

Those look interesting .
I hate traditional booties because of two reasons,
1 , my feet slide forward in the boot and my toes crunch at the end even with split toe and it makes my feet ache ,
2 , They grip too much in the straps and need too much of a yank to get them out to jibe .
How are these in regards to above compared to normal booties ?

I use fivefingers:

eu.vibram.com/en/shop/fivefingers/men/kso-mens/M14.html?dwvar_M14_color=Black%20%2F%20Black#start=1

Very close to barefoot feeling and no problem with urchins or sharp reef! They require a little bit of practice, though, to put them on and you look really funny when you wear them
Imax1: toes don't crunch at the end and I don't feel any special overgrip in the straps

Not cheap but I am on my second pair. First one had neoprene liner and lasted very long, but now they don't make neoprene ones without groovy soles. In current ones lining is thinner. Good on summer but we will see how long they last, given the wearing with the footstraps.

Cheers!

Marc

Just my 2 cents worth, but I recently took a risk and purchased a set of these Five Finger shoes, read the sizing information 5 times to make sure (measured both feet) and used them yesterday on the flats at Green Island and could not be happier with the purchase. It is so close to sailing in bare feet, but with the added protection of no being stabbed by coral heads. In fact, my footsteps are almost back to the same position as if I had bare feet.
I had full movement and feeling across all five toes, the material stayed tight across the feet and didn't clump up, and to my amazement, didn't let in too much sand. We have a 100m walk back up the speed run to get to the wind line and back out on to the flats, all of that walk is through sand.
Two thumbs up for me so far after one outing. Hopefully they stand up to the test of time and you don't need to replace them every 12 months or less, cause at $150 that could get expensive.

Without wishing at all to trigger an argumentative element to the thread, I still don't get all the negativity towards boots in terms of loss of board connection. In my view, the squish and flex inherently created by 3-5mm of deck padding plus the further padding of the footstraps already creates a very imperfect connection between feet and board. A layer of taught, well fitting neoprene and rubber added by a pair of boots is barely detectable within the broader deficiencies and variability imposed by deck pads and foot straps......Just my 2c + GST (I don't work for a boot company!!)

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eckas said..
Without wishing at all to trigger an argumentative element to the thread, I still don't get all the negativity towards boots in terms of loss of board connection. In my view, the squish and flex inherently created by 3-5mm of deck padding plus the further padding of the footstraps already creates a very imperfect connection between feet and board. A layer of taught, well fitting neoprene and rubber added by a pair of boots is barely detectable within the broader deficiencies and variability imposed by deck pads and foot straps......Just my 2c + GST (I don't work for a boot company!!)

Have you tried wave riding?
It's the same argument as when wearing gloves to hold the boom in winter conditions.
On a wave board, your toes are like fingers.

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seanhogan said..
I bought those, best money spent on boots (socks actually) ever !!!!!!!
skinners.cc/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxv2rr5jT6gIVhWkqCh0NJwgBEAAYASAAEgLRUfD_BwE

Had a couple of sails in them now, I'm a 44/45 and ordered the XL I think L would of been better. But even though they are a tiny bit big I love them. Easy to get on and off but don't fall off, great grip, great feel. The only down side is while they stop shells etc cutting your feet it's really not comfy to walk over them but I'll put up with that as they are great for everything else

I've never worn boots, I tried a few times in the old days but they just moved around too much. I'm now sailing in some dodgy locations so tried again with Adrenalin split toe, there was the loss of feel plus hard to pull out of the strap for a smooth gybe. So I got some Xcel Infiniti 1mm boots and the feel great. Maybe especially great because I was coming off the Adrenalins. 4mm bigger straps compared with 8mm.

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Basher said..
Have you tried wave riding?
It's the same argument as when wearing gloves to hold the boom in winter conditions.
On a wave board, your toes are like fingers.

Nope. Toes are toes! I actually prefer to Surf all year 'round in booties. No effective loss of sensitivity when you get accustomed to it. 4mm or 3mm Ninja's in winter, 2mm Quicksilver reef booties in summer. Its all in your head, not your feet. . And I can comfortably walk in and out over sharp reefs.

I Windsurf all year round in similar footwear after a bad experience 30 years ago where I cut my foot on a fin and it would not heal all summer due to constant immersion. Ended up wrapping my feet in Duct Tape just so I could sail. Never again.

The Ninja's and Reef booties have Nylon upper surface over the instep and don't jam or stick in foot straps as all.

The O'Neil Reef Booties are very good, but I found there was a stitching seam right over the side if my little toes which rubbed my skin raw after a long session in the footstraps. They are great for Surfing though.

Booties with a strap over the upper foot, just below the ankle help prevent toe jamming, unwanted foot movement, and keep them on better in stacks. Split toes, especially if the are webbed on the sole help a lot with stability and comfort - as long as they fit you well (This is a trial and error thing unfortunately).

My Japanese windsurfing mate bought me over some split toe 'Rice Planting Booties' a few years ago. They were made with some sort of woven cloth, dipped in rubber and with a thin tough sole. They were great but are only sold in Japan.

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eckas said..
Without wishing at all to trigger an argumentative element to the thread, I still don't get all the negativity towards boots in terms of loss of board connection. In my view, the squish and flex inherently created by 3-5mm of deck padding plus the further padding of the footstraps already creates a very imperfect connection between feet and board. A layer of taught, well fitting neoprene and rubber added by a pair of boots is barely detectable within the broader deficiencies and variability imposed by deck pads and foot straps......Just my 2c + GST (I don't work for a boot company!!)

I would like to wear booties, but I simply can't. I have a weird foot shape ("Roman Toe") and I keep injuring my feet when I do. I bought my first pair tight enough to not bunch up under my foot and they were too tight on my toes, causing pain there. Next pair I got were correct length for my toes but bunched up under my foot, resulting in injury to my undersole. I would like to wear them for protection, but they actually do me more harm than good

I have been using the FCS SP2 Reef Booties for the last 5 years or so.
Split toes, two securing straps and very thin sole. They are so much better than anything else I used previously.
The only downside is they wear out quickly probably only last 120 sessions or so