Wakeboard Boots: Open Vs Closed Toe

Wakeboard Bindings, a product that has been the subject of an explosion in technological advancements in recent years. One of these is the rise of the closed toed boot. But what's the advantage of these, or is there even an advantage to them? Just like with most alternate designs there are indeed positives to the closed toed boots, but there are also positives to the traditional opened toed boots as well. This will quickly break down a couple of the main advantages and disadvantages of each.

Open Toed Boots: These are the traditional and most common type of wakeboard Binding. That leads us to their first advantage; because of their popularity they often tend to be the most affordable bindings. These bindings secure your foot to the wakeboard by pinning your foot down by a tongue often made of a stretchy neoprene material or a foam pad which is often held secure further by an outer lacing system.

Because of the fact that the toe is left open there is a much larger "end area" of the boot meaning they often fit a wider range of foot sizes. This can be crucial for people looking to buy one set up that multiple riders will be able to use. It is important to note that because of this the comfort may vary for riders with different sized feet. A large foot may feel more squeeze and pressure from the tongue of the binding while a smaller foot may find they slip out of the binding more often when falling.

Closed Toed Boots: Think of these bindings more like a shoe rather than a binding. These work essentially the same as a normal boot or shoe, you slip your foot in, and then lace, velcro, or ratchet the binding closed depending on which mechanism your binding features. Because of the way these hold your feet in it can be a more secure fit. However that means their size range of the boot is much smaller. Since these fit like shoes they are sized like shoes. Thus, unless you have very similar sized feet to your friends you ride with, you will have to have multiple boards to fit everybody.

These also tend to be made on the more performance style bindings. This means they often are a tad more expensive. But with the extra expense you do get positives. With the more exact fit these bindings often to be more secure, comfortable and keep you locked in all day. Another bonus feature is that because of the design they work similar to a wetsuit, meaning once your feet get wet they warm the water in the boot up making for a warmer ride in colder water or early and late season riding.

 

Conclusion:

Pros: Open toed boots often fit a wider range of riders and can be found at lower cost making them a very efficient and affordable product. Closed toed boots offer a more exact fit, often providing better comfort and locking the rider into place while also working as a wetsuit keeping the rider's feet and toes warmer in cold conditions

Cons: Opened toed boots provide little protection from the elements and tend to be a less exact fit. Closed toed boots tends to be more expensive and have a smaller range of sizes each boot fits meaning they may not be ideal for the budget conscious or those looking to buy a setup for a family or group of riders.

You can check out Wiredsport's selection of wakeboard bindings here and if you need a wakeboard to go with them we offer a great selection at the lowest prices guaranteed.