First Closed-Toe Boot?
 

I am sitting here racking my brain trying to think of the very first closed toe boot. I vaguely remember companies like Nice and Collective Development coming out with some of the very first CT boots (didn't one have a ratchet system across the ankle?) before any of the mainstream brands...but I could be imagining things. Any one else remember some of the early CTs?

Full Tilt Sub rosa
http://www.seisports.com/img/product/large/001012.jpg

I'd love to see some pics of these early CT boots. The first one's I remember were the 2006 Murray boots.

Yep. followed closely by the team then watson

FullTilt was the very first closed toe boot with the aforementioned Sub Rosa. It was terrible and the footbed was the stiffest thing ever, even for those times ('98/99).

I don't believe CD or Nice ever had a closed toe boot. They had a longer toe piece that came down further than others but I don't believe they ever had a full closed toe. The '06 Murray and Shane were the first legitimate closed toe boots.

I'm older. There is TV show/movie named Get Smart that had the namesake character always asking, "would you believe ... ?"

So, would you believe, I own a pair of 2005 CT Murrays? Boa tightening system and all. I've always been worried that the tag ends of those thin little cables would pull out of their sockets or cut through the fake leather belt loops, or just strip the dial from the inside. So I have always been keen on WW threads where people had gotten the busted boas repaired, and, also, where people where offering a pair of those bindings in "like new" condition. (Never in my size.)

However, over all these years, I always felt those posts reinforced my notion that my style of Murray CT binding were 2005. I have no nor have any interest in owning the 'first' closed toe binding. I remember CT bindings were pretty recent in 2006. There was a lot of buzz in those days, back and forth on wakeworld, over which was better. But I thought there were many CT choices back then, not a few.

The 2006 LF Shanes were the first of the modern day closed toe boots. They were the white ones with the gum rubber sole.

The Hyperlyte Murrays were also closed toe in 2006, but it was a half assed attempt to compete with LF. They were the same as the 2005s but had a soft rubber over the toes. It didn't actually have any support or function. Hyperlite's first true closed toe boots were those crazy Murrays and Byerlys that had 1" thick platforms for soles.

were the Hyperlite 3DS's 2006 or 07? My wife still uses those and loves them. They were a legit closed toe

I remember them being the Shanes, they were so ugly it looked like just capped off a open toe boot. They looked Huge on the board.

I thought the 3DS's were 2006?

I remember the year both the Murray's and Shanes came out the same year. Comin from snowboarding I wanted some immediately, even with all the talk of "broken toes" lol.

the 3DS were the first ones i went into, never looked back

You guys are going to leave it at that?!?!

The bindings were Subrosa XTCs circa 1998. Subrosa was Fulltilts binding brand.

They were actually very comfortable for the time and no one wanted to use them because we were afraid you wouldn't come out of them. Oh how things have changed!!!

Any pics of these old bindings?

I donated a pair of Subrosa XTCs to Ronix a few years ago (2011 or so). They were desperately looking for a pair.

disclaimer. I looked at the WW history file on boards and bindings by year. My board then was 2005 murray - as the shop told me - but the bindings were 2006.

Click my link....

Thanks A-dub. Those are almost a cross between closed toes and Systems.

I remember demoing the Sub Rosa XTCs when they first came out. At the time I was riding a Full Tilt MW Function 55 with Sub Rosa mid wrap bindings. Those mid wraps were probably the most dangerous things I could have ever put my feet in. It seemed like every time I tried something new, one foot would eject from the binding as soon as I left the wake and the other one would stay locked in. That always seemed like the perfect recipe for disaster. So I actually didn't mind the fact that the XTCs wouldn't release. The really negative thing that I remember is that the bindings wouldn't drain out the water, so they would get really heavy and water would slosh around all over your feet.

SO true, I would rather stay in my bindings any day than come out. Thats how legs break and knees pop with the dreaded old one foot in one foot out.

It was the Shanes for 06. The Watson's had them as well that year, but I believe Shane's dropped first. Hyperlite had two closed toe offerings for 06, 3DS and Murray, neither one was constructed at the level of the Shane as far as really committing to a closed toe design. LF won that race.