Personally i dont know how anybody uses straps. If your just doing hooked in stuff, boosting ect, boots wont benifet you at all. But for unhooking low kite powered tricks boots are 100% the way to go.

Even boosting they are better. If your looping and your going to land hot with speed, you no your feet arnt going to slip out and going to screw you over.
Your ankle s are secure so the risk of rolling, snapping and all that is low.
The only time it's bad if you catch an edge. I kite in shallow flat water and if I catch an edge backwards it can slam your head into the wated/sand. That why I where a helmet now, saved my skull a few times!

I'm thinking about boots because I've sprained/twisted my ankle so many times and had to take work off because of it.
What happened when you did your knee?

Brisbud said..
Having broken an ankle in hyperlite boots and blowing out knees, unless you've got private health insurance and don't need too work cause your pro rider.. stick with straps or better still,strapless is way COOLER.. Full knee reconstructions aren't fun... 9months no riding!

seriously dude boots got way more ancle support than straps. and the whole knee thing, landing hard in boots or straps is gonna do the same damage. if your doing low kite unhooked tricks which is where you need boots, your gonna be landing hard and fast no matter what. so why are boots any worse for your knees than straps?

Well given what you guys are saying about ankle support I think I'll give them a go.

Well. I put my boots on my board. Did a bit of an out of control spin about 10 metres off shore. Landed hard and snapped the mounting point on my left binding.
Don't think I'll be doing that again for a while.