O'neill Mutant 5/4/3mm Split Toe Boot

O'Neill Mutant boots

Posted by Dan 24-7 on 3rd Jan 2012

My current favorite winter boots! Not had cold feet yet, but the water is still 8 degrees - I'll update as it gets colder.

They go on easily with a velcro flap at the top of the ankle & a pull tag over the heal. Not sure how strong the tag is but mine hasn't broken yet...

Having no strap over the instep is great for kiting as that invariably interferes with the footstraps on the board. The split toe divider is nice & narrow & barely noticeable. It just stops the boot rolling around on your foot - good for strapless kiting in particular.

If you do use straps these are one of the most grippy boots I've tried. It makes them a bit of a mission to get into tight straps, but when you're in the grip makes up for the loss of feel over bare feet. They work with the Cabrinha Sync straps better than my Atan boots, which slip out too easily because of the smooth skin finish.

Actually the feel in these is pretty good. The sole is relatively thin & the whole boot is pretty soft, supple & flexible. The sole sticks to wax & grip pads with no worries.