I've seen a couple of threads about booties in general but I am hoping some of you can lend your 2 cents to booties that are the lightest or thinnest. I wish someone made a bootie made of air with only a sole. I want to feel as much of the board as if I were barefoot. I ride barefoot most of the time except in certain areas where you have to wear booties because of the junk in the water.

I wear the Oneil bootie but I dislike it only because of the general feeling of having something on my feet. It's a great bootie but I just don't like wearing them. Anyone gone through booties from different brands that can lend some insight into the lightest weight one on the market? Any off brands perhaps that are not as well known?

Has anyone worn any of the water socks? Do they have any protection on the sole?

What kind of junk are you trying to protect yourself from?

I wear 2mm neoprene socks because I wear wakeboard boots and its too cold to go barefoot.

Generally the socks get holes worn in them if I do a lot of walking in them though.

A cheaper alternative is gold toe dress socks. Actually provide decent protection against cuts and scrapes but still have the same problem of wearing holes. Just cheaper then 2mm neoprene socks.

A couple weeks ago I stepped on something that was like a Vietnamese pungee stick or something, and I was bleeding like a stuck pig for an hour. Then of course it got infected and I had to go after it with a toothbrush and hydrogen peroxcide that night... Kinda muddy bottom, and smooth, but every once in a while you mess yourself up bad on some random anomaly.

Ion Ballistic Slipper - very thin and a good rubber sole. They only work when you wear them though :-/

I like the Atan Sunfast booties. Super light weight they really are the next best thing to having nothing on your feet. They don't last forever if you walk a lot in them on abrasive surfaces & they don't have hard soles for total foot protection - but thats the trade off for keeping the board feel.

Most UK kiters are wearing the winter versions of these now (Mistrals or Madissons). Check out kitecrowd or kiteboarder for recommendations.

Aloha

Dan
24-7 Boardsports

I've heard you will be injured less stepping on something Sharp while barefoot as compared to wearing a thin sock because you will stop yourself when you feel it. Might be different with a kite pulling you though

This is to some extent true, yes.

But another version is:

If you use boots most of the time, and only occasionally barefoot - you WILL get injured a lot, when you loose the boots

Whereas if you go barefoot always, you hardly ever get scratches

Why is this ?

Simply because, you learn to adapt and tread correctly when used to bare feet

Difficult to write, as it takes years to learn and adapt in muscle memory - but an example:

With boots you just step down on the bottom in low water, and thats it.

With bare feet - if you can not see the bottom, or are at a new spot where you dont know what is on the bottom - you typically let yourself drop gently backwards in the water on your back, and then you can step down without having all the weight on your foot/feet till you know its safe.

Or a more moderate way, is to let the kite pull a bit, so you step down on one foot only, and with almost no weight because you let the kite lift - and IF some obstackle is on the bottom - you can pull yourself up again, OR let yourself fall on the back - to avoid stepping on something.

If used to boots and out barefeet - you will just step down like you do normally, and cut yourself seriously sooner or later


Maybe it sounds odd - but believe me, it is like that - and thats why many used to boots trying to loose them, go back quite fast

Peter

Agree on the atans. Excellent board feel and good in and out of straps.

I use these....

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/produc ... t_mens.htm

Been using booties since I started back then in 2004 and the fivefingers are " the " best experience next to walk barefoot ...

Regards

Exactly - thes Atan boots are so good, and I have used this type since the 80's

Never use boots in the spring-summer-autumn though.

But in the winter I use MIBoot, and have used this very type since mid 80's as said - where I got the first Atan model down in France when windsurfing Carro, and there was some sharp and slippery rocks and shells.

They can be used in summer too - if out at rocky or sea urchin filled spots, but of course not a summer "shoe only" like the sunfast or madi.

I even use the same when winter and drysuit with latex socks - they are so flexible so they fit both with a wetsuit and a drysuit with socks - great !

They are only 3mm and latex so really good barefoot feel.
I have had split toe ones too, but not my liking.
And tried every other "thin" boot from other brands - but have ditched them as no good IMO.

Once I tried the 7mm Mistral ones - but they are way too warm for me (others like these), so got back to the 3mm MIBoot I love for everything

But not the topic - you asked for summer shoes, and not boots, right

Would just say these are great allround booties

What about the fivefingers or similar, when only for summer use ?

Dont know how good they are in/out of straps though - where Atan are perfect

Peter