Best Surfing Booties in 2023

Xcel Drylock 3mm Split Toe Boots

The Xcel Drylock Split Toe Boots are the perfect all-around surf booties as they offer both foot protection while also ensuring your feet stay warm when cold water surfing too.

Built from 3 mm neoprene, these surf booties can be used in almost all water temperatures from tropical to cold, but in the freezing cold waters of Canada or Norway in the winter. This makes them the perfect all-around wetsuit booties you can take almost anywhere.

The surf booties feature a dry lock ankle section that stops water from flushing in while you are surfing and ensures your feet don’t get cold. The bottom is covered with excellent grip and the split toe construction gives you a lot of balance on your surfboard. The overall board feel is excellent too!

The sizing can be a little off with these but when you find the right size they are incredibly comfortable and come with an arch strap so you can secure them tightly. Slipping them on and off is easy with the heel straps, and once you have surfed they dry out super quickly too.

O'Neill Superfreak 2mm Tropical Split Toe Booties

The O’Neill Superfreak Tropical Split Toe Booties are designed for use in warm water conditions around the equator like in Costa Rica or the Maldives. They are more designed to protect your feet than make your toes warm, but they do have some insulating properties as well!

Built from 2 mm neoprene, these are perfect for warmer climates as your feet will not overheat but will remain protected from reefs and rocks if you fall off your surfboard. The soles are thick and textured to ensure that nothing gets through while also providing a better board feel too.

This means you will feel connected to your board rather than separate from it, which is a big bonus! The split-toe booties feel great when it comes to balancing too.

These surf booties don’t quite come above your ankles so they are very lightweight and the ankle strap plus the arch strap ensure they stay in place when you’re surfing. They are very comfy surf booties too that are built to last and are one of the most affordable set of surf booties in the article too.

XCEL Infiniti Round Toe Boot 8mm

If you like to surf in freezing conditions then the XCEL Infiniti Round Toe Booties are the ones for you as they are designed to provide warmth and comfort in the coldest water temps around.

The reason these surf booties provide more warmth than others comes down to three things. Firstly, they are made from 8 mm neoprene which provides a lot of insulation against frigid waters, this does make them thicker booties, but you need it in colder conditions.

These wetsuit booties also have a thermal lining that keeps you warm and being a round-toe bootie keeps your toes warmer as all your toes are together, keeping each other warm.

You also get an adjustable strap around the arch on this surf bootie for a secure fit and the ankle will prevent water from flushing down them. There is also an ankle strap that makes putting these wetsuit boots on and taking them off a breeze.

To top it all off, the sole of the wetsuit boots has excellent grip and feel so you are connected to your board on a wave and you have good foot protection too. The sizing runs a bit small though so order half or a full size up!

Patagonia R5 Yulex Round Toe Booties

The Patagonia R5 Yulex Round Toe Booties are a pair of booties that are made for the coldest conditions. These surf boots can handle different water temperatures between 32°–38° F which is close to freezing. If you surf in winter in North America or northern Europe, check these out!

Made by Patagonia, each surf boot is made with 68% recycled materials and are Fair Trade Certified, which is always great to support plus they come with a lifetime guarantee.

They are made with 7 mm neoprene with a thermal lining and round toes so that you always have toasty toes no matter how cold it gets. The top of the surf boot also stops excess water from entering so you don’t get flushed with freezing water while you are surfing.

These come with rubber soles that provide great grip and feel while surfing and the heel loop makes it easy to slip them on and off. There is also an adjustable strap which means you can get a snug fit.

While these are some of the best wetsuit booties for the cold around they are super expensive, so may not fit everyone’s budget.

O'Neill Psycho Tech 3/2mm Split Toe Booties

The O’Neill Psycho Tech Split Toe Booties are another durable bootie that are great for all-around use. The 3/2 mm design means you can use them in most temperatures from tropical destinations to colder ones like Portugal in the winter.

Their lightweight construction with great fit means they are comfortable to wear and provide a good feel when on your board. The cuff seals water out nicely while the midfoot strap keeps them secure and the split toe gives you excellent balance.

The sole is grippy and the textured protection comes up around the edges to provide ankle protection too! Overall they provide excellent durability, are great to surf with, and are perfect for all-around use.

Vissla 2mm 7 Seas Reef Wetsuit Boots

The Vissla 7 Seas Reef Wetsuit Boots have all the features for use in warm water around the equator plus they are super affordable with good durability too!

Their low profile and light design make them a pleasure to wear and ensure your feet don’t overheat either. There is a heel strap to block water coming in and an arch strap to keep them secure plus the split toe gives you good balance when surfing.

The sole is textured for grip and protection but it is not too thick meaning you can feel your board nicely when up and cruising down a wave.

Overall, they are a very affordable option for anyone who wants a dedicated pair of booties to protect their feet in tropical surf spots.

Rip Curl 5mm Flashbomb Round Toe Boots

The Rip Curl Flashbomb Round Toe Boots are made for use in cold but not freezing seas as they come with 5 mm of insulation, not 7/8 mm – so think France or UK in winter.

They are built to be fast drying which is great as wearing wet, cold booties the next day is never very nice! You will find they have a round-toe design so your toes heat each other up and are some of the most comfortable booties around.

There is a cuff strap at the top to block cold water coming in and a midfoot strap to ensure they stay secure on your feet. The sole is covered for grip and foot protection too so they are great to surf in.

Their issues lie with durability as they don’t last as long as the other booties featured and their sizing is a bit off too!

Solite 8mm Custom Fire Wetsuit Boots

Solite boots are more high-tech than other brands and their Custom Fire Wetsuit Boots are some of the warmest booties you can find on the market.

These boots come in two pieces, a 1 mm thermal heat booster sock which you then wear inside an 8 mm boot with a thermal rebound internal lining, so if your feet are always freezing, these are the boots you need for winter!

While having all this extra insulation, they feel light on your feet, are very comfortable, offer good protection, grip, and feel – everything a surfer needs in a pair of booties. Their fit is also a bang on to boot and they stay put even in big surf!

Overall, these are great surf boots for freezing cold breaks but they are a little expensive as you would expect.

O'Neill Heat 3mm Split Toe Booties

If you are looking for a solid pair of boots on a budget, the O’Neill Heat Split Toe Booties might be right up your street.

Their split toe is great for board balance, they are very comfortable, fit well, and you can feel your board beautifully too! With 3 mm of insulation and an anti-flush shim strap too, they are great for use in cold temperatures around 14 degrees celsius up to around 20 degrees celsius or more.

Getting these on and off is as easy as it gets plus they dry very fast so you won’t have to wear cold soggy morning boots again. They do let some water in through the top though and there is no strap around the arch, so they can slip and slide.

Billabong 5mm Absolute Internal Split Toe Wetsuit Boots

The Billabong Absolute Split Toe Wetsuit Boots are great for cold water but they are missing some features which make them a little worse than others featured, more on that later.

Built from recycled materials with 5 mm of neoprene insulation, they are made to keep your feet warm in most cold areas. They are also very light which makes them a pleasure to surf in and gives you a good connection to your board too.

What’s missing are straps. There is no arch strap and no shin/cuff strap meaning water is likely to come in and they might move around a bit on your feet in big waves too!