MillersLocal
  • Home
  • Latest Shots
  • Blog
  • Comp news
  • Surf Report
  • SurfGuide
  • PHOTOS
  • Vintage
  • Enviro
  • Shop

Blog

Bootie love

5/19/2015

 
Picture
Wetsuit booties are a love/hate thing. You either swear by them, or you refuse to wear 'em. For some ou's it's about the grip, for others it's about keeping their tootsies from freezing off, and for the crew who constantly surf reefs - they save you from chop-sueyed feet.

No one will argue that a dash out the channel at Supers is a helluva lot easier with some rubber between you and the reef. Even Millers reef can be carnivorous at times. And anyone that's encountered the urchins at Seals would probably in retrospect wished they'd had a pair on.
Picture
Not all booties are created equal. Drop the dough and get a decent pair. My personal faves are the Billabong Foils (lank easy to get into) and the O'Neill PsychoFreaks (lotsa technical stuff going on in these). You wanna try go for the split toe vs the rounded toebox, as it does make it more comfy and efficient to have a big toe that can go on it's own mission vs the other 4 lil piggies. 

Some of the split toe booties have a small rubber bridge between the big toe and #2 toe, so even though technically the big toe is separate it stops your leash from getting caught in the split. Which invariably happens when you catch the wave of the day...and you end up wobbling down it thanks to the leash tangle.

If it's warmth you're after, go for a bootie that has velcro starp at the cuff for added snugness. Fit is vital in a bootie. How do you know you have the right size? It'll be an absolute bitch to get on! Getting into it too easily? Probably too big for you. An exception to this are the Billabong Foils - lank stretchy, with no fussy stuff. But if you're wanting arch bars, rubber heel cups and forefoot straps...prepare to swear under your breathe every time you put em on.
Picture
I've been a bootie wearer since I started surfing. Learning to surf at Muizenberg meant floundering around the shallows and always standing on big slimy bits of kelp. Used to freak me out - so I got booties! Worn em ever since. Did try a sesh in the Maldives once without em...and proceeded to slip right off my board at the bottom of a solid wave. No fun in that - back to the boots.

Only recently worked out the easiest way to get the buggers on. All you gotto do is fold the top part of the bootie right down on itself (like the pic below), as it makes it much easier to get your foot in - instead of trying to squirm it into the normal opening. Usually your foot gets halfway in and then your heel gets stuck and yah - just lank annoying. The fold-over works a treat. More you fold it down, the better it works.
Picture
Nothing smells quite as funky as a wetsuit bootie. Yrr, they can honk. Tried all that fancy anti-bacterial bamboo-lining whadawhadawhada - they stink just as much.

Why do they get so bad? Because they don’t dry out before bacteria take over. The same glues and materials that keep the water from getting in fast also prevent its escape. So they stay nice and damp, and the bugs just thrive.

The obvious solution would be to dry em out properly, but unless you turn em inside out it doesn't really happen. At least hang em upside down (toes higher than heels) so that the water can drip out of them. Most definitely don't leave em baking in the boot of your car - maxing the miffness.

Rinsing them out with fresh water will help keep the stench at bay, but if the smell is starting to get serious - there are a few ways to unfunk your feet.
Picture
Some guys swear that a cold water wash in the washing machine does the trick, others reckon you should soak em in a bucket of water with some mouth wash and vinegar. Dettol works too cos it's an anti-bacterial. Have even heard of guys using vodka and lemon juice (just don't try drink it after you're done). There are some westuit shampoo's on the market, so they'll also do the trick.

Just remember not to piss in your suit - cos that'll really add to your wetsuit funk!
Picture
Hercules Venter @ Supers
Winter is coming. Go grab some rubber love for your feet. You won't be sorry you did.

An added bonus is that apparently being all warm n snug in booties makes you so happy you throw shaka's - like the Beck bro's here! Frigid feet suck. Cut to shreds feet suck. Feet that slip off boards suck. Booties rock.
Picture
Clinton
5/19/2015 05:05:58 pm

Nice article.

I have some xcel slit - toe reef ( end just above the ankles )boots, they slip on easy and are comfy to surf in and I use them when I go for the odd beach run ( almost like bare - foot ). Love them, but they do get funky.


Comments are closed.
    Picture
    LATEST POSTS
    More posts HERE

    Author

    Millerslocal

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

Picture
SURF GUIDE
Shit you should know
​Surf safe

Da rules
Gear Guide
​
SURF STUFF
The Boardroom
Greg Smith boards
​Surf Centre
DEETS
Contact us
​Terms & conditions
  • Home
  • Latest Shots
  • Blog
  • Comp news
  • Surf Report
  • SurfGuide
  • PHOTOS
  • Vintage
  • Enviro
  • Shop