Rooster Wear Protection Deck Shorts
Mens Gill Zenlite 2.0 Long John Skiff Suit
Zhik Deckbeater X Padded Dinghy Sailing Shorts
Dinghy Sailing Boots
Cold feet end a winter race long before the wind does, and a boot that slips in the toestraps costs you every time you hike. These are the dinghy sailing boots we wear ourselves, from Gill, Rooster and Zhik, in adult and junior sizes.
Our view: choose by how you sail, not by price. If you hike hard, go for a laced boot with a stiff sole. If you want to be on the water quickly, a zip boot is easier to live with. For winter, add a pair of sailing socks underneath.
Go laced if you hike or trapeze, zip if you mostly want something quick to pull on. Laces let you tighten the boot across the top of your foot, so it stays put under the toestraps. A zip boot like the Gill Aero is easier with cold hands and suits club sailing and training. We sail in laced boots most weekends.
Pick a boot with a stiff sole and grip across the top of the foot. The Gill Edge has the stiffest sole Gill makes and a raised instep shaped for toestraps, and the Zhik Hiking X is built around the same job. A soft, flexible boot will let your foot fold over the strap. See the rest of our hiking kit too.
Snug, with no heel lift when you walk. A loose boot fills with water and moves around when you hike. Each brand sizes differently, so use the size chart on the product page instead of your shoe size. If you are between sizes and sail through winter, take the larger one to leave room for a sock. You have 90 days to return a pair that does not fit.
No, in most cases we would keep the same boots and change what goes inside them. A neoprene or thermal sailing sock under your usual boot does more for warmth than a second pair of boots. What matters is that the boot is not so tight with the sock in that it cuts off circulation, because that makes your feet colder.
Start with a zip boot, because small cold hands struggle with laces on a slipway. We stock junior versions of the Gill Aero, Edge and Aquatech. Buy the size that fits now with a thin sock, not two sizes up, as a loose boot comes off in a capsize. There is more in our kids dinghy sailing clothing.
