Wakeboard Bindings (or boots) are one of the two key parts to any wakeboard setup. The bindings are placed and screwed onto the board, enabling you to stay locked in and hit features and obstacles.
When it comes to Wakeboard Boots, it might be hard to choose from. That’s why we’ve written this Buyers Guide to help make that decision easier, and find your yen with your setup!
There are some key differences between the different types of boots on offer, which are all explained below:
One of the biggest differences between the boots is the fit. An Open Toe boot will perform and feel a lot different to a Closed Toe Boot. So what are the differences?
In Wakeboarding, the boots tend to be geared to 3 different types of people, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each of these categories fit different needs, which is why the boots vary a little in price and fit.
At S2AS, we’ve found that the softer bindings tend to be built around the needs for a beginner, with it being more forgiving in riding and comfort, than an Intermediate or Advanced boot. Below are the main differences between these 2 types of boot:
You can use pretty much any binding, anywhere! Unlike boards, Boots and Bindings aren’t specifically designed for boat or cable riding, so you don’t have to fork out and get 2 sets of bindings for different riding styles.
Through testing, at S2AS we’ve found that a Stiffer Binding and a Softer Board makes for the perfect Cable Setup. This is apparent when it comes to features, because you can really press that board as hard as you can but still get the feel out of it. For Boat, we recommend a completely Stiff Setup. Stiffer on the boat is really good for improving edging and will get you feeling a lot more confident than if you had a softer binding. Although, if you did want a bit more cushioning and forgiveness out of your ride you could go for a slightly softer binding as well.
One rule we tend to go to is that a heavier guy might want to go for a stiffer binding to start off with, as opposed to one that’s softer. This is simply because the amount of force needed to flex the binding properly will be much less on a heavier guy than on someone who’s maybe a bit lighter, think of it as compensating for the weight.
With Wakeboard Boots, we tend to go by standard trainer size. We don’t recommend going up or down a size, simply because it won’t fit your foot properly. Especially when going up a size, the amount of response you lose is tremendous (believe me, we’ve tried it). The gap in the boot from where its too big allows for heel lift and toe movement, which fills up with water and makes your foot slide around in the boot.
Going a size smaller isn’t recommended either, due to the boot not being able to give enough to make your riding comfy. One of the common things we see with people that buy smaller bindings is they tend to end up with a cramped toe-box, in turn making them get off the cable or boat due to cramped or un-comfy feet.
See here for a full list of out Wakeboard bindings in store
