I now have to reluctantly wear booties to protect my feet.


Now my feet often get stuck in the straps.
Especially after an intense run when they slip further in. Result, I can't wriggle out easily and crash. I hurt my feet. Doh.
I have tried both neoprene covered versions which seem to stick more on the neoprene straps and the slicker rubber covered versions which seem to slip further in.
As I recover from latest pain, may I ask for anyone else's experience please.
Is it better to have the straps even looser, or even tighter ? Or are there other tricks.

Atan are fine. Just be sure to have lots of wiggle room.

Solite are the best with straps, but they are expensive and the Velcro isn't great.

i always wear booties, most of the year its too cold not to. I like the front straps tight, so i can only get toes into them. And a narrow but high rear strap which i can push my foot all the way thru for riding. I've tried all the variations and this works best for me.
Also found that when the sole of the bootie wears down it seems to get softer and grippier and more likely to get stuck

AI.Dave said..
i always wear booties, most of the year its too cold not to. I like the front straps tight, so i can only get toes into them. And a narrow but high rear strap which i can push my foot all the way thru for riding. I've tried all the variations and this works best for me.
Also found that when the sole of the bootie wears down it seems to get softer and grippier and more likely to get stuck

Mine slip when worn..when it's too light to get in the straps.
I get about 6 months from a pair but I average 2 sails a week or more over a year.

sboardcrazy said..

AI.Dave said..
i always wear booties, most of the year its too cold not to. I like the front straps tight, so i can only get toes into them. And a narrow but high rear strap which i can push my foot all the way thru for riding. I've tried all the variations and this works best for me.
Also found that when the sole of the bootie wears down it seems to get softer and grippier and more likely to get stuck

Mine slip when worn..when it's too light to get in the straps.
I get about 6 months from a pair but I average 2 sails a week or more over a year.

Its a dark art isnt it! Trial and error to find out what works
This was learning not to use old wornout straps 😎 much grippier than expected

Boots are obligatory on Moreton Bay. Too much coffee rock and shellfish. Over time you get used to them, particularly optimising type of boot and setup. I've used Atan boots for over 10 years without issue when windsurfing, however I use quick release foot straps when windfoiling to protect my ankles in an uncontrolled to windward dismount. The Atans are neoprene dipped in latex and no strap. They are the closest feeling I've found to no boots.

boots in straps. There is only one good fix for it.
sand down the grooves of your pads under the straps.
I will not mention the obligatory wide straps. Because this is not a question regardless of booties or not.

ptsf1111 said..

SchobiHH said..
boots in straps. There is only one good fix for it.
sand down the grooves of your pads under the straps.

I would advise against that. Maybe find another type of boot if yours are too grippy

I've gone from no bootie's , cos that's for pansies, to always wearing booties. Sick of cutting my feet and pulling out urchin spines. Breaking my little toe was the changing point. A stuck foot in the strap just before jibing was not good. A quick tack was even worse. Tried different booties and they all stuck, then I sanded the grip off, just under the strap. Worked, the perfect amount of grip, just like barefoot. If your always wearing booties, it works well sanding the grip off just under the strap. Now it feels normal. Game changer. Probably not good barefoot.

Obelix said..

Taavi said..





oneill ninja 3 mm boots

These look like they would not get stuck?
I noticed that all boots wear off the grip under straps anyway.

My Oneill's don't seem to get stuck. I only wiggle them out a bit if It's getting super knarly and imight want to eject or sometimes, if I think, before a gybe.

Didn’t think I’d like wearing booties but mostly don’t feel much difference now. I use them a lot and bare feet a lot too.
getting some sturdy ones that fit really well is the key I think.
I always go for 1.5mm reef bootie.
Low ankle. High boots are good but a mission to get on and off I find. They stop the muk getting in too. With ankle boots i dry not to walk around in the water much or rocks and shell gets in and that’s no good.
The NeedsEssentials ones I’ve got now look like they’ll do atleast two seasons.

After many instances of cut feet, I reluctantly chose to wear booties and I wouldn't go back now. I haven't had any significant issues with my feet getting stuck in the straps, but I mostly sail on a lake and not in the waves, which may also be a factor. It did take a little while to be fully comfortable and happy with the booties, but it was better than the alternative of injuring my feet.
I tried many versions and I found they all let water in, with the low sided booties allowing most of the water out after a beach or water start which was good, but as Mobz says they also let sand and rocks in, which drove me nuts. I also tried a pair with an external split toe (not connected), which I didn't like as I'd occasionally end up with a toe either side of the footstrap webbing.
I eventually found the Ripcurl Flashbomb 3mm hidden split toe (high sided, twin strap) work best for me and I'm now onto my second pair. Another thing I found was to choose a size that feels tight when dry as they seem to grow half a size when full of water.

Imax1 said..

ptsf1111 said..

SchobiHH said..
boots in straps. There is only one good fix for it.
sand down the grooves of your pads under the straps.

I would advise against that. Maybe find another type of boot if yours are too grippy

I've gone from no bootie's , cos that's for pansies, to always wearing booties. Sick of cutting my feet and pulling out urchin spines. Breaking my little toe was the changing point. A stuck foot in the strap just before jibing was not good. A quick tack was even worse. Tried different booties and they all stuck, then I sanded the grip off, just under the strap. Worked, the perfect amount of grip, just like barefoot. If your always wearing booties, it works well sanding the grip off just under the strap. Now it feels normal. Game changer. Probably not good barefoot.

A game changer, you are so right. I wear booties all the time.

SchobiHH said..

ptsf1111 said..

SchobiHH said..
boots in straps. There is only one good fix for it.
sand down the grooves of your pads under the straps.

I would advise against that. Maybe find another type of boot if yours are too grippy

have you tried? or how can you advice against it?

I have not, as there's no need for it in my case. I think if you can't get in or out of the straps when wearing boots, it's because of the boots and not pads. Sanding the pads can't be undone, replacing boots is easy. Surely the pads might get a bit more slippery over time when using boots all the time, so sanding it makes it worse.

It might also affect resell value if that matters.

Most of the guys I sail will wear boots, and none of them have ever sanded their pads. What I meant to say is that it shouldn't be needed to have a good experience when wearing boots.