Shoes vs booties

[The Chairman]

I presume warm water where you don't care about thermal protection?

They do make neoprene socks. I wear OTBs and shoes all the time in 70^oF spring water all the time without the need, though. I don't even wear a wet or dry suit, either.

 

[The Chairman]

This is the first I've heard of shoes in my 19 years diving! I have always used booties and rarely find that they are uncomfortable walking over rough terrain.

Yah, but they don't drain, either. Wet feet prune up and start having issues after a few days on a live-a-board. I wear nylon socks and quick draining shoes or boots.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yah, but they don't drain, either. Wet feet prune up and start having issues after a few days on a live-a-board. I wear nylon socks and quick draining shoes or boots.

I see. I've not done a liveaboard. I assume taking them off right after each dive doesn't keep feet from pruning.

 

[CakeEater]

Check these out.

Maritime - Mid

Our Altama® Maritime Assault Boot is made for all tactical water operations. With a fin friendly fit, this boot will fit just about any dive fin used by Militaries worldwide. Style #: 333000 | 333001 | 333003

originalfootwear.com

I’ve used Botach with good results. Got my first set to test out and bought another two as future replacements.

Botach

 

[Pearlman]

100$ shoes that will degrade and won’t drain vs $40 shoes made for diving in water… your call… there’s also barefoot trail shoes with mesh fabric or watersports shoes with tiny holes in the soles for less than $40…

 

[MB NZ]

I've been wearing knock-off Chuck Taylor boots for years. Initially over the top of neoprene dry socks, then had an epiphany and realised I could wear them over neoprene wet socks too. I don't think they'd be very comfortable without a sock. The ocean is no challenge for something designed to withstand teenage boys.

 

[submergenarcosis]

Not for that price. The instructor who certified me for OW wore something like this.

 

[The Chairman]

I see. I've not done a liveaboard. I assume taking them off right after each dive doesn't keep feet from pruning.

Many choose not to. Before I started wearing boots, however, I learned to wear thin nylon socks to protect my feet. I've been on a dozen or so liveaboards, and feet issues are common. I only had them on my first one. We stayed wet and it was wonderful, in spite of my feet. They were even more enjoyable when I switched to OTB boots and those thin nylon socks. The shoes drain before I get back on the mother ship and are barely damp. Within 30-45 minutes, they are dry and so are my feet. In places like Bonaire, they really helped to handle those rocky, rocky entrances and exits. There, when you get out of the water, you towel off, get in the truck and go! If you bring extra footwear, there's a good chance they won't be there after the dive.

OTBs are getting harder to find since they were bought out. OTB stands for "Over the Beach" and they were designed for Navy Seals to transition from ocean to land without having to change footwear. They went from bottom drains to side drains and both worked well. Don't wear cotton socks, as cotton retains moisture. Thin nylon socks or "boot liners" are what I prefer. I usually fold them over my laces to prevent any snagging. I've tried a few sets of tennis shoes and have a pair that I'm going to slip in the OTB liners and burn some holes in the sole to aid draining. I usually got 500 dives or 3 years out of a set of OTBs. The only drawback is that they look like I'm wearing "army boots". They automatically label you as an aggressive diver. Yes, I wear a tie-dye shirt for the fish, but the two items that draw comments more often than any other part of my kit are my OTB boots. I'm hoping that blue tennies will allow me to go unnoticed.

 

[chapman_164]

Here's what I use over my drysuit neoprene socks (with wool socks underneath). Been using them almost a year now and they've been holding up great. Basically Shoes for Crews version of Chuck Taylors. If you've never heard of them, Shoes for Crews are a shoe line that's made for restaurant workers and have great non-slip soles for slippery restaurant floor conditions (very helpful on wet docks and boat decks). I also liked that they're lace-up to help control air into my feet in my drysuit (got them to replace zip-up neoprene boots as I felt like my feet were getting too floaty).

 

[autrichon gris]

I have these Poseidon "Chuck Taylor" like booties in red for 5 years and like them, use them in warm waters, probably 200 dives now, without any single problem at that time including insole.