Round Toe vs. Split Toe Surf Booties

Surfing clips on television or in movies can lead you to believe that all surfers ride barefoot, wear bathing suits and live near temperate beaches. However, surfers take advantage of great waves in many locations, even cold and hostile ones, by wearing protective gear like wetsuits and surf booties. Surf booties come in round-toe and split-toe varieties, which are made distinct by their physical shape, their particular benefits and each surfer's personal preference.

  1. Purpose of Surf Booties

    • Many surfers wear booties along with a wetsuit, a tight neoprene outfit designed to keep a surfer's skin warm and dry. Surf booties extend these benefits to the feet, which can quickly get cold and numb when surfing in chilly water. Surf booties have a thicker bottom layer that provides traction on the board and protection from stepping on sharp objects, such as coral.

    Bootie Design

    • In general, surf booties are made of waterproof neoprene, supplemented with rubber or nylon and insulation. Several straps keep the shoe tight and prevent it from sliding off or leaking water. Booties come in various thicknesses designed for different water temperatures. Rounded-toe surf booties have a single waterproof chamber that envelops all five toes at once and holds them together. Round toe booties look much like regular boots in design. In contrast, split toe booties have two compartments, one for the big toe alone and one for the other four toes. The two compartments are unconnected, to allow greater freedom of movement.

    Benefits of Round Toe Surf Booties

    • Round toe surf booties hold all your toes together, conserving warmth between them. Since independent toe movement is not possible, thick and inflexible 5-mm and 7-mm materials are often made into round-toe booties. Thus, when surfing in very cold water, round toe booties offer the greatest warmth. Round toe booties also help surfers avoid the inconvenience or danger of getting a leash caught between your toes while in the water.

    Benefits of Split Toe Surf Booties

    • Split toe booties allow for a greater range of motion in the toes, assisting with balance and grip. For some surfers, this added mobility helps the surfer feel the side-to-side movement of the board and respond accordingly. The split toe design limits the problem of your foot sliding inside the bootie, allowing for greater control. Some split-toe surf booties include a toe guard, a small piece of rubber or nylon that eliminates the problem of leashes catching between the toes.