Bindings & Boots Guide

How to choose wakeboard boots and bindings: open vs closed toe, sizing, flex and setup

By Chris O'Shea and Anna Nikstad, Welcome Board Store, Mornington Peninsula

Your boots are the only thing connecting you to your wakeboard, and they make a bigger difference to how you ride than most people expect. A boot that's too loose, too stiff or the wrong style for how you ride will hold you back on any board. This guide covers the difference between open toe and closed toe bindings, how to size them, what the flex ratings mean, how to match boots to your board, how to set them up, and our picks from first timers through to advanced riders.

Quick answer: If you're learning or the boots will be shared, get a soft, adjustable open toe boot like the Ronix Divide or Liquid Force Transit 6X. Once you're jumping the wake or riding cable regularly, and the boots are yours alone, move to a closed toe boot in your shoe size. Pick a softer flex for park riding and learning, and a stiffer, more responsive boot for bigger boat riding. Almost all current boots and boards use the same 6 inch insert spacing and M6 bolts, so they'll fit together.

Open toe vs closed toe wakeboard bindings

This is the first decision, and it mostly comes down to who's riding and how far you want to push it.

Open toe boots are the right call for most beginners. Your toes can poke out the end, so one pair can fit a few different riders. That's why so many boats keep a pair on the swim platform for whoever's next. They're usually softer too, which is forgiving when you're still learning to land.

Closed toe boots wrap your whole foot, so there's less movement between your foot and the board. Your edge changes are quicker and your landings feel more locked in. The trade-off is they only fit you properly, and they need to be sized carefully.

Wakeboard boot size chart

Wakeboard boots are almost always sized in US shoe sizes. Here's Liquid Force's official conversion chart for their 6X closed toe bindings, which is a handy guide across most brands. Mondopoint (Mondo) is your foot length in centimetres, which is the most accurate way to compare.

For women's boots in US women's sizing, Liquid Force list W5-7 as EU 35.5-38 (Mondo 21-23), W7-9 as EU 38-40.5 (Mondo 23-25) and W9-11 as EU 40.5-43 (Mondo 25-28).

Australian men's shoe sizes generally line up with UK sizes, so if you wear an AU 9, you're usually around a US 10. Sizing does vary a little by brand and model, so check the size chart on each product page, or measure your foot length in centimetres and use the Mondo column.

How to pick your size

• Open toe: each boot covers a range, for example the Ronix Divide comes in 5-8.5, 7.5-11.5 and 10.5-14.5. Where two ranges overlap, take the smaller pair if the boots are only for you, or the larger if they'll be shared.
• Closed toe: go with your normal shoe size. Closed toe boots fit closer than open toe, so if you're between sizes, come in and try both.
• Kids: open toe kids' boots give the most room to grow. Don't buy adult boots three sizes too big, because their heel will lift and they'll lose control.

How should wakeboard boots fit?

• Heel locked down. When you lean forward, your heel shouldn't lift. Heel lift is the number one thing that costs you control.
• Snug, not painful. Like a firm hug around your foot and ankle, with no pressure points.
• Toes: in a closed toe boot your toes should just touch the end. In an open toe boot your toes can sit at or just past the end.
• New boots break in. Liners pack out a little over the first few sessions. Some boots, like the Ronix One with its heat mouldable Intuition liner, can be moulded to your foot.

If you can, try boots on in the shop. Boots are a lot like ski or snowboard boots: the brand and model that suits your foot shape matters as much as the number.

What do wakeboard boot flex ratings mean?

Flex is how much the boot lets your ankle bend. Ronix rate their boots out of 10 for flex (stiffness) and responsiveness (how fast your movement transfers to the board).

Here's where the current Ronix boots on our wall sit, using Ronix's own ratings:

Liquid Force and Hyperlite describe flex in words rather than numbers. For example, the Liquid Force Rival 6X is soft to medium with a medium to wide fit, the Liquid Force Terra 6X is medium to firm, and the Liquid Force Tao 6X is deliberately soft for a tweak and press style.

Matching your boots to your board

Will these boots fit my board?

Almost certainly. Current boots from Ronix, Liquid Force and Hyperlite use the industry standard 6 inch insert spacing and M6 bolts, which is what current wakeboards are drilled for. Liquid Force boots also fit their FlexTrack boards. If you're putting new boots on an older board, bring it in and we'll check.

Boat or cable?

• Boat riders generally want more support and response for wake jumps and hard edging, so medium to stiff boots like the Ronix Supreme BOA, One or Liquid Force Terra 6X suit progressing boat riders.
• Cable riders usually prefer softer, more flexible boots for presses, rails and landing off-axis, and walkable soles for getting around the park. The Ronix Footprint EXP and Kinetik Project EXP have walkable liners built for the cable, and the Liquid Force Tao 6X is a cable park favourite.

Match the flex

A soft, flexy park board pairs best with a softer boot, while a stiff boat board feels best with a more responsive boot. Pairing a very stiff boot with a very soft board, or the other way round, can make a setup feel unpredictable. Brands often design boards and boots as pairs. Ronix, for example, pair the Vault with the Divide or District, and the Krush with the Luxe. If you're not sure, ask us.

For board sizing, see our wakeboard size guide.

Packages: the easy option for beginners

A package gives you a board and boots that are designed to work together, already matched, in one buy. For most first timers, it's the simplest way to get set up.

• Ronix Vault package: the Vault with Divide boots, plus smaller sizes with Vision kids' boots.
• Ronix Krush package: the women's Krush with Luxe or Divide boots, plus a 125 cm with August boots.
• Kids: Ronix Vision package and Ronix August package, the 120 cm board with soft kids' boots.
• Raptor Hazard 124 package and Raptor Sunrise 124 package for smaller riders.

Browse all wakeboard packages, and see our best wakeboards for beginners guide for more on first setups.

Our boot picks, beginner to advanced

First timers and shared boats (open toe)

• Ronix Divide: Ronix's softest adult boot, three size ranges from US 5 to 14.5.
• Ronix Luxe: the women's version, soft and light.
• Liquid Force Index 6R: three sizes cover shoe sizes 5 to 15, built for people just getting into wakeboarding.
• Liquid Force Transit 6X: an open toe boot on Liquid Force's 6X chassis, four sizes from 6 to 14.
• Hyperlite Remix: three adjustable sizes cover shoe sizes 4 to 14.
• Liquid Force Plush 6R and Hyperlite Jinx: comfortable women's boots for riders starting out (the Jinx is open toe).

Progressing (more support, or your first closed toe)

• Ronix District and Ronix Anthem BOA: firmer open toe boots, with the Anthem's BOA dial for quick adjustment.
• Ronix Parks and Ronix Footprint EXP: closed toe boots in the 5 to 6 flex range.
• Liquid Force Rival 6X: Liquid Force's step up from a beginner binding, seven sizes from 6 to 15.
• Raptor Process: a closed toe lace up for beginner to intermediate riders.

Intermediate to advanced

• Ronix Supreme BOA and Ronix Rise (women's).
• Ronix Utopia, Ronix's one boot for boat, cable and winch, and the Ronix RXT, which is deliberately loose through the toe for tweaked grabs.
• Liquid Force Hook 6X, Liquid Force Women's Hook 6X, Liquid Force Vertex 6X and Liquid Force Terra 6X.
• Hyperlite Arc and the women's Hyperlite Ora.

Advanced

• Ronix One: 8/10 flex, 10/10 response, heat mouldable Intuition liner.
• Ronix Kinetik Project EXP: the stiffest boot Ronix make, built for park and winch.
• Liquid Force Aero 6X: a lightweight boot for advanced riders.

Kids

• Beginners: Ronix Vision kids, Ronix August kids, Liquid Force Dream 6R and the adjustable Hyperlite Remix Junior.
• Progressing groms ready for closed toe: Ronix Parks kids, Liquid Force Rant 6R and Raptor Process Kids.

Browse all wakeboard boots and bindings.

Setting up your bindings

1. Work out your stance. Regular is left foot forward, goofy is right foot forward. If you're not sure, try both.
2. Start centred. Mount both boots in the middle inserts so your stance is centred on the board, about shoulder width or a little wider.
3. Set your angles. A gentle duck stance with both feet angled out a little, somewhere around 6 to 12 degrees, is a comfortable place to start. Adjust a notch at a time once you know what you like.
4. Tighten everything, and check your bolts before every session, because they can work loose.

Looking after your boots

Rinse your boots in fresh water after riding, especially after salt water in the bay, and let them dry out of direct sun. Take the liners out if they're removable so they dry properly, and check the bolts and hardware regularly.

Wakeboard bindings FAQs

Should I get open toe or closed toe wakeboard bindings?

Get open toe if you're learning, buying for kids, or sharing boots between riders, because they cover a range of sizes and are softer and easier to get on. Get closed toe once you're progressing and the boots are just for you, for a more precise, responsive fit.

What size wakeboard bindings do I need?

Wakeboard boots are sized in US shoe sizes. Australian men's sizes usually line up with UK sizes, so an AU 9 is roughly a US 10. Closed toe boots should match your shoe size, and open toe boots cover a range. Measuring your foot length and using the Mondo size is the most accurate way.

How tight should wakeboard bindings be?

Snug, with your heel locked down so it doesn't lift when you lean forward, but with no painful pressure points. Liners pack out a little over the first few sessions.

Do all wakeboard bindings fit all boards?

Most current boots and boards use the same 6 inch insert spacing and M6 bolts, so they're cross compatible across Ronix, Liquid Force and Hyperlite. Liquid Force boots also fit FlexTrack boards. Older boards are worth checking with us.

What flex wakeboard boot should I get?

Beginners and park riders suit soft boots, rated around 3 to 5 out of 10 on Ronix's scale. Most all round riders suit medium boots around 5 to 7, and advanced boat riders who want maximum support suit stiff boots around 8 to 10.

Are cable boots different from boat boots?

Cable boots are often softer for presses and rail tricks, with walkable soles for getting around the park. Boat boots tend to be more supportive for wake jumps. Plenty of boots are designed to cross over, like the Ronix Utopia, which Ronix built for boat, cable and winch.

What wakeboard boots should kids get?

Most kids should start in soft, open toe kids' boots like the Ronix Vision or August, which cover a range of sizes and are easy to get on. Once they're riding well, a closed toe kids' boot like the Ronix Parks kids gives better control.

Should I buy a wakeboard package?

For most beginners, yes. A package matches the board and boots for you in one buy, like the Ronix Vault package with Divide boots. Buy separates if you want a specific boot fit or already own a board.

More buyer guides from our riders

• Best wakeboards for beginners: our first setup shortlist
• Wakeboard size guide: kg charts for boat, cable and kids' boards
• Wetsuit guide for Victoria: what to wear on the bay, season by season
• Surfboard volume guide and snowboard size guide

Ask us

The best way to find the right boot is to try a few on, so come and see us at 207 Mornington-Tyabb Rd, Mornington. You can also email support@welcomeboardstore.com.au or DM us on Instagram @welcomeboardstore. Tell us your shoe size, the board you ride, whether you're on the boat or at the cable, and who else will be using the boots, and we'll help you find the right fit.