Hmm- that is odd. My experience with split-toe boots vs fin socks has been pretty much identical: the socks are just a wee bit smaller than the boots and so the fins fit looser.
See if you can find some split toe boots just like your old ones, I guess, 'cos there’s no other reason that jumps to mind that the fins should fit like that. I have found the sizing in UDTs and in standard Duck Feet to be effectively identical, so what worked for you with one should do in the other. If you were happy with Larges before, in the Duck Feet, you should be happy with the Larges in the UDTs.
So there it is in a nut shell: Old booties are OLD, like 14 years maybe? the join between sole and upper is nearly under the foot and very small (semi soft sole). All the new ones i’ve seen, the joining of sole and upper is wrapped around the side of the foot and even the semi soft soled ones have quite a bit more width total due to much thicker joining and the placement of the weld… The socks of course have no such issue as they are smoooooth all the way around.
Yes, they do have material coming up the sides, but unlike the dive shop boots ( which are typically heavy sole material all the way up and around, not unlike a set of Converse old-school basketball shoes- I have a pair of those in 7mm for winter ) the side stuff is relatively thin and flexy.
Check around, man, I think you’ll be much happier with some better boots.
But do look around - the PF Flyer type boots are not the only game in town. It’s one of those deals where if ya find something right, get a few pairs and stash the extras, 'cos they are sure to be ‘out of production’ sometime soon.
I’m so cheap that it usually is the “next season” before I buy something :-> Which means I need to make a pretty quick judgement on whether I like an item and want to buy two more, because in a month it will surely be unavailable forevermore (or at least for the five year fashion/trend recycling interval).
Yo Doc, went to surf shop today (surf was abysmal) and found RipCurl “Classic round toe” and also “split toe”. (Though the split toe is now just an internal baffel between big and 2nd toes so not sure how much good that will do as no external split to help w/ balance/traction.) Both, esp the “round toe”, fit the bill as far as the sidewall etc but I could not get them into my Large Duck Feets that my ancient O’neils fit fine. Felt like maybe too much gummy traction between fin and boot.
Waddaya think? A bit of fine sandpaper to the outside of the boot a possible fix?
etc but I could not get them into my Large Duck Feets that my ancient O’neils fit fine. Felt like maybe too much gummy traction between fin and boot.
Waddaya think? A bit of fine sandpaper to the outside of the boot a possible fix?
I could barely get my bare feet into brand new Duck Feet at a shop the other day…stickem! Left some weird residue on the Real Feets too; the dogs went nuts when I got home. My thought at the time was that it would be a pain to have to travel with talcum powder to get the fins on - on the other hand that might help with your rubber to rubber friction.
Well, I should have listened to the advice from the beginning. Started out with a set of duckfeet, and she stuck one foot in and said, “oh hell no!”
Evidently they’re not the most comfortable things to have on your feet.
Sent those back and got her the Laguna fins (neofins), she liked them so much she tried to wear them to bed. Now, I’m a bit of a freak, but I must draw the line somewhere…
Started out with a set of duckfeet, and she stuck one foot in and said, “oh hell no!”
Too update my earlier comments…a sporting goods chain near me put Duck Feet on sale and I figured for $20 I ought to check them again. To my surprise the stock this place had all had a bit of buffered edges on the heel straps, which I don’t recall seeing when I checked Duck Feet a week or so earlier at a diffferent place. Old stock vs. new? My normal size, which I thnk was medium, still was a bit hard to get into, so for laughs and cheapness I tried the large on…and they not only weren’t too large, the heel straps rode lower below my ankle bone. Size wise - Medium fits men 7-8, large 8-9. I swear I tried large at the other place too…but?
Anyway, I got the large since they fit with ot without fin socks, and used them sockless in 3-4 foot bodysurfing. They weren’t as comfortable in the foot pockets as my Slashers but they worked fine and to my endless surprise I don’t have any cramping problems despite not having worn those fins for 15 years or so.
One never knows. Glad the Laguna fins worked Shwuz…I kid you not that unhappy feet make the other end unhappy too.
