Surf booties are special kinds of boots specifically made for surfing use and water sports in the ocean and to wear on different kinds of terrain. Surf booties are made with different kinds of materials perfect to provide you warmth, comfort and protection from the water, uneven surfaces and sharp edges of colorful corals. Furthermore, surf booties are helpful to maintain the balance and stability on a surfing board while keeping your feet safe in the water. As wetsuit protects your body, surf booties protect your feet in the water and on the beach regardless of the styles they have. The key factor of your success to achieve highest performance in water sports is to wear the right surf booties but to find the best booties within your budget is a tedious task. If you go through this article, it can enable you to pick the best surf booties according to your requirements and budget.
Types of Surf Booties
Followings are the some main different kinds of surf booties
- Split toe booties: They consist of a divider (whether external or internal) to keep the big toe separate from the rest of the foot.
- Round toe booties: They are plain types of booties with rounded end without the divider that keeps all of your toes together.
- Reef booties: They are specifically made to protect feet from the sharp edges of the coral reefs.
- Latex dipped booties: They are made with the latest kind of material single-lined neoprene instead of the double-line neoprene that is extremely lightweight and flexible.
Why Do You Need Surf Booties?
Surf booties are essential because of three reasons.
- Protection
- Warmth
- Grip
How Do You Size Booties?
Most of the surf booties come in full sizes, not half sizes, therefore, you should be careful to get the right size for you otherwise performance can affect. The rule of thumb to get a perfect size is that if your large toe touches the end of the bootie then you should go with this.
Difference Between Round Toe and Split-toe Booties
Round toe booties are plain types of booties with rounded ends without the divider to keep all of your toes together. On the other hand split booties consist of a divider to keep the big toe separate from the rest of the foot.
Features of the Best Surf Booties
The booties should have the below-mentioned features in order to make it the best.
- Perfect Fit and comfort
- High-end quality
- Durable
- Comfort
- Incredible Performance
- Soft and lightweight material
- Extraordinary Insulation
- Decent Traction
Thickness of Booties
The majority of booties come in 3mm, 5mm and 7mm thickness. Whatever the thickness of the booties is it should provide firm grip, exceptional protection and excellent warmth to your feet.
Material of Booties
Surf booties are made with a special kind of neoprene. The first choice of material of booties manufacturers is double-side neoprene but now the latest kind of material single-lined neoprene is also used which is extremely lightweight and flexible.
Terrain
Terrain plays a very important role to choose the right type of booties. You should select booties to keep in mind what kind of terrain you will spend more time surfing.
How to Take Care of Your Booties
After using the surf booties, it should be properly washed and rinsed with cold fresh water and let them dry in the shade. This little procedure will help to reduce the odor and will prolong the life of booties.
Where Else Can Surf Booties be Used?
It can be used in most water sports besides surfboards.
Conclusion
Water sports are very exciting but at the same time, they are very dangerous as well. Before getting involved in any kind of water sport you should take proper precautionary measures first. If you love surfing then the utmost thing is a wetsuit and wet booties. Your selected booties should provide excellent warmth, firm grip on the surfboard, and extraordinary protection to your feet.
Feature Photo by Guy Kawasaki
