Footstraps vs Boots
A common conception newer kiteboarder’s have is that their feet will be locked into the board like a snowboard or wakeboard. Most kiteboarders, from beginner to advanced, wear footsteps. Footstraps are like sandals on the board that a rider’s feet can slip in and out of. This article will go over the difference between footsteps vs boots.
What Are Footstraps
Footstraps are like sandals for a kiteboard. They make it easy to get on and off. Different brands have different types of footstraps. These different types will feel and fit different. How they secure a foot down will also vary depending on the materials the brand uses. The main idea with footstraps is that the board is not permanently attached to the rider. In a situation where a rider crashes, the board can be kicked or pushed off.
The ability to more easily get the board on or off makes footstraps better than boots for beginner riders. There is no point in trying to make kiteboarding more difficult than it needs to be. Beginners should stick with footstraps until they are comfortable with the kite and figure out their desired style of riding. Beyond a beginner getting benefits from footstraps, the ability to get the board on or off has its perks for advanced riders. Boardoffs, where the rider takes the board off mid air and puts it back on before landing, is a fun style of riding. Footstraps offer creativity for kiteboarders who are looking to do more than freestyle or wakestyle tricks.
Why Boots
Boots for kiteboarding are the same as boots for wakeboarding. They lock a rider’s foot into the board. Depending on the level of riding from the rider, boots could be more or less dangerous than footstraps. A beginner kiteboarder will put themselves in more danger using boots. A beginner will struggle to maneuver the kite after crashing with a board still attached to them. It is much easier to kick a board off, water relaunch the kite, and then reset. Advanced riders will find boots safer as it locks their feet in. On hard landings from unhooked tricks, boots offer more security than footstraps. Landing hard with one foot in can cause ankle or knee injuries to the rider. Boots are more likely to keep both feet secure on landings.
Overall Footstraps vs Boots
Footstraps offer forgiveness to newer riders and creativity to more experienced riders. Boots provide comfort, support, and security to more advanced riders. It ultimately depends on the desired style of riding from the rider. If a rider is looking to push unhooked freestyle or wakestyle, then boots are the way to go. Boots make it much easier and safer to learn and practice handlepass maneuvers. Footstraps offer riders the creativity of doing different type of boardoff maneuvers. Both footstraps and boots are fun. They offer their own diversity to kiteboarding.
Still contemplating between footstraps vs boots? Send us a message and we can come up with a gameplan as to which one makes the most sense for your style of riding.
