I've have two suits with oversized boots.
The first one was two sizes too big but I was able to use a felt liner (like from a sorrel winter boot) as my undergarment bootie. Worked very well. Snug, managed the gas, and extremely comfortable. But it required me to get xxl fins.
The second one was sized right for me based upon the width of my foot, but was so sloppy that I couldn't walk, literally. Every step the foot slipped around inside and was hazardous. I ended up wearing a 3mm slip-on bootie covered in a fleece sock (to allow me to slide it into the suit) and that solved that problem quite nicely as well. This one required an xxl fin and was never guaranteed not to pop a fin off, that is until the end of the dive and it wouldn't let me pull the fin off to save my life, lol.
But... this year when I sent the first one in for its annual service I had them replace the oversize boots with neo socks so I can wear my regular 5mm booties over them. There will be no more fighting with the felt liner, and instead of rockboots I plan on using use my 5mm booties and regular fins.
I expect it back from DUI this week and will give it a full workout over the weekend. If it goes as well as I hope then when I send the second one in for its annual I'll have the socks installed on that one too.
Bottom line is you can build up the layers to make them work. Just have to be creative But you will be much, much better off if you replace them with ones that fit.
The first one was two sizes too big but I was able to use a felt liner (like from a sorrel winter boot) as my undergarment bootie. Worked very well. Snug, managed the gas, and extremely comfortable. But it required me to get xxl fins.
The second one was sized right for me based upon the width of my foot, but was so sloppy that I couldn't walk, literally. Every step the foot slipped around inside and was hazardous. I ended up wearing a 3mm slip-on bootie covered in a fleece sock (to allow me to slide it into the suit) and that solved that problem quite nicely as well. This one required an xxl fin and was never guaranteed not to pop a fin off, that is until the end of the dive and it wouldn't let me pull the fin off to save my life, lol.
But... this year when I sent the first one in for its annual service I had them replace the oversize boots with neo socks so I can wear my regular 5mm booties over them. There will be no more fighting with the felt liner, and instead of rockboots I plan on using use my 5mm booties and regular fins.
I expect it back from DUI this week and will give it a full workout over the weekend. If it goes as well as I hope then when I send the second one in for its annual I'll have the socks installed on that one too.
Bottom line is you can build up the layers to make them work. Just have to be creative But you will be much, much better off if you replace them with ones that fit.
