The Vans Surf Boot Hi 5mm Product Review, Tested Southside Huntington Beach Pier, CA, January 2020
We tested these, and we now I only wear these; Rip Curl booties tossed into the old gear container.
If you SUP Surf on a high-performance carbon fiber SUP surfboard such as the line put out by Dave at Infinity SUP (Infinity SUP – Love their Boards!), and if booties not filled with water, not sloshing and not slipping, not weighing you down, etc., if that lack of performance is not for you, then you need to buy a set of these!
5-Stars!
I was out in the water for a Casual Friday (1/25/2020) dawn patrol session, Southside, one of the SUP Surfers I surf with out there asked me about the Vans Surf Boot Hi that I was wearing and he asked how they were. But before he did he told me how much he dislikes his Rip Curl Surf Booties. Filled with water, sloshing here and there, feet slipping in the booties, booties slipping on the board.
I told him that these are the best booties I have ever worn, definitely 5-Stars, and that when I step into that 55+ degree water, my feet are warm and toasty and there is almost no water in there, they really keep the water out and the Boot Hi “snug” to your foot, absolutely no slippage.
The new Vans Surf Boot Hi.
If you surf, you most likely have seen the strong connection between Vans and the Surf world (Not just the surf contests neither, much much more). Originally known for their awesome skate gear as far back as the early 70’s, when I got my first custom pair in the 5th grade, since then they are now also becoming known for their cutting edge surf gear.
They have a new design for board shorts, with the drawstring someplace other than the front, where you lay on your board. Now they have several versions of the Vans Surf Boot (Boot Hi, Boot Mid) released and I am guessing more on the way. I do like these; I really like these.
I tried out a new pair the for a super cold dawn-patrol session on the first Saturday of January 2020 on the Southside of Huntington Beach pier. The air for the dawn patrol session was 46 degrees, the flags above the Dwight’s snack and rental shop were limp and the water was 59. Later in the day the variable and off-shores began to flow, so windchill picked up. So yeah, that was a chilly morning, so I was not sure how these would compare to the 5mm Rip Curl booties I wear in the colder months, but I was committed to putting them on and given them a go.
But to be honest, and I really hate to say it, as I love Rip Curl products, the Rip Curl booties never worked so well, no matter the pair I bought. So when I saw the commercials for the Vans new Surf Boot Hi, I was definitely interested; they looked like they would work better, due to their impressive design. I first saw them online, then I saw them on a guy on the southside wearing them, and they looked liked they were well made, so I took the plunge and I bought a pair.
Anyhow, back to the story, so I put on my New Vans Surf Boot Hi and my also put on a brand new Rip Curl Heat Seeker 3/2 E5 Zip Free full-suit my wife picked up for me at the winter Rip Curl Warehouse sale where I got 6, count them, 6 new Rip Curl wet-suits, Short-Johns, Springs, Fulls. (You have got to go to their two annual sales, seriously, see review on that. Man, what a wet-suit! (That is another review). When I hit the water in the new gear, I was like are you f in kidding me, I have been freezing my ass off for to long, this new gear feels amazing in 55 degree water, 45 degree air, with offshore breeze, no sun. That 3/2 felt like a 4/3, but as flexible as a 3/2, and it comes off like butter. Toasty, flexible, sure footed. Both products did exactly what they claim, as such they are well worth the hefty price.
Both are 5-Star products that should be considered for your top of the line high performance gear.
Sweet New Products – Vans and Rip Curl have upped their game and the result is your having a warmer, let’s say even toasty time in the lineup on those blistering cold January/February days, on those days where you ask yourself as you get out of your car to strip down and gear up, “why am I out here” days.
Well Vans and Rip Curl make those days a thing of the past if you can pay up the high prices for this literally top of the line high-performance surf gear. Personally, when it comes to my warmth, comfort and performance cost is not a factor for this type of surf gear.
- Vans Surf Boot Hi – Surf Bootie (Review below)
- Rip Curl Heat Seeker wet-suit – their top of the line wave gear (Review pending)
(Here is what Vans says on their website, with the link to their post.)
Vans Surf Boot Hi Product Overview
My review is what follows:
That sounds pretty good to me, but is it true, or just marketing? Well I do not know about all of the technical/manufacturing details and such that they mentioned above, but what I do know is that these are now my favorite surf booties (Vans Surf Boot Hi), hands down, period, end of statement. Given how much I LOVE these, I am guessing that my next set of Surf Booties will also most likely be Vans. They feel so good on my feet, so amazingly comfortable, no sloshing, no slippage inside the Surf Boot Hi, not to mention that they STICK like glue to the board.
Up until this review I wore Rip Curl surf booties, wearing many different versions over the past three decades. They always felt like something was lacking, durability and performance and comfort. My feet would move in the bootie at times, they always felt like they might fall apart. They never lasted more than two years. So when I first stepped into the water in the new Vans Surf Boot Hi I instantly noticed I did not feel the cold water seep in, not a drop, I did not feel the coldness of the water. For that entire 5-hour session that I first wore these, the booties stayed nice and toasty and felt like an extension of my skin rather than a sloppy bootie. They were extremely comfortable and the grip, second to none. I do not know how you can give these anything less than 5-Stars.
And the purchase with Vans, they instantly make you feel like you are one of the family and that you matter. Masters of surf contests, high-performance foot-gear, and marketing/branding.
It will be interesting to see just how far Vans takes the Surf Boot concept, and even more so, what other gear for the surf world will they create in the next decade. Personally, I will try out as much of their gear that looks solid, as possible, strictly based on the success of their classic shoes and now this top of the line Surf Boot Hi.
And the new Vans Surf Boot Mid. I guess a Vans Surf Boot Low is on the way?
Vans is the brand, literally, “the brand” for those active in two or more of the Skate, Snow, Surf, and/or BMX sports as seen below.
The new Vans Surf Boot Hi, high-performance surf gear truly delivers. If you want the best cold water surf gear for your feet in those freezing winter months, look no further than the Vans Surf Boot Hi as they will definitely exceed your expectations as they did mine, and as such I give Vans 5-Stars.
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