WHO IT'S FOR
You swim from a beach rather than a pool edge, and the worst part of the swim happens before it starts. Rock, shingle and slipway are hard on bare feet, and standing about on them in the cold is what shortens a session. Boots fix the entry and the exit, which is where a lot of the cold actually gets you.
- Cold-water swimming from rocky, shingle or slipway entries
- Surfing, paddleboarding and board sports
- Sea swimming through the winter
- Long walks in and out where bare feet are the limiting factor
WHERE IT SITS IN THE RANGE
This is the most protective footwear Zone3 makes, with a rubber sole and a reinforced toe box built for ground you have to walk over. The Heat-Tech Swim Socks give thermal-lined warmth without the sole, so take those if you are getting in from sand or a pontoon. The Active-Flex Swim Sock is the lighter and more flexible option again.
KEY BENEFITS
1. You can walk in over anything. A highly durable textured rubber sole grips wet rock, shingle, slipways and the deck of a board, so the ground stops deciding how you get in.
2. Your toes survive the entry. A reinforced toe box takes the knocks that come with rocky entries and handling boards, which is where swim footwear usually gives out first.
3. Your feet stay warm once you are swimming. 4mm neoprene holds warmth without stiffening the foot, supporting natural flex through the ankle during swimming, paddling and surf launches.
4. Cold water is not flushing in at the ankle. A gasket works with the hook-and-loop strap to seal the opening, which is what separates a warm boot from one that only covers the foot.
5. They come off at the end without a fight. A heel pull loop gives you something to pull on, and the boot compresses more easily than a stiffer surf boot, so it moves with the foot rather than resisting it.
WHAT YOU'LL FEEL
The first difference is that you stop looking down. You walk in at the pace you would walk anywhere, over ground you would normally pick your way across. In the water your feet are warm without feeling wrapped up, and your ankles still bend, so your kick is your kick. Coming out is the part you notice on a cold day, standing on shingle in no particular hurry to reach your shoes.
