There was a post on here last week called "who hates closed toe"...and I chimed in saying I was going to get some Murray's soon because I had pushed my foot through the front of two other sets of bindings that I own a couple of times. Well...went to the shop Saturday and they were out of XL Murray's and I wasn't digging that BOA deal anyway after seeing it up close. I bought the 3DS boots, and......damn! You have no idea how good they feel, and how much MORE control I have now, especially with surface moves...switch, 360's, etc. There's a part of the boot touching everything from my shins down, and nothing is too tight or too loose. My feet don't go numb or slip around on hard landings. I rode for longer than I ever have, and never got tired, and today I have NOTHING sore....$359 well spent!

Congrats, it's always a great feeling to get something you are completely happy with <IMG SRC="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0>

I demo'd the 3DS's and found them to be really stiff, plus, I was in really cold water and didn't play with them very much before I got in so I had a pretty hard time getting out of them (couldn't find the end of the velcro strap on top of the ankle. But, I do have the new Murray's and love them, I think everyone should at least try a pair of closed toe bindings once and see the difference. Congrats on the purchase and hope you enjoy them! <BR> <BR>Dave

I've got a pair and I likes em! Careful though inside the boot where the neoprene meets the fabric, the seam comes apart if you're not careful. I've already had mine replaced.

I rode a pair of 3DS is a clinic I took today and didn't really care for them. I couldn't even tell a difference in my edging/control with the closed toe; the only plus for me was keeping my toes a tiny bit warmer. They KILLED my ankles, even when they weren't cinched down extremely tight, and the instructor said his feet felt the same way after he rode them. Also, the footbed on my Torq's is way softer and more comfortable than the 3DS. <BR> <BR>To each their own, but after riding them personally I don't see closed toe bindings as a necessity. Maybe the Murrays are better....?

UpNoRtH, I also did not like the new 3DS mostly because of the stiffness. The Murrays fit about the same but were way more comfortable for me. <BR> <BR>I also don't care for the boa system, but once you've figured out how to fix'em they're no big deal. I always bring at least 1 extra boa with just in case.

I think the range of experiences people are having with closed toe boots is remarkable. I guess that's true for anything, but I'm still amazed. <BR> <BR>Based on a assumption that a closed toe wakeboard binding would be superiour to an open toe binding in the same way that a closed toe athletic shoe is is superiour to an open toe shoe for any sort of athletic activity, I've been wanting to get a pair of closed boots. I finally got my LTD Shanes and rode them last weekend. <BR> <BR>They're everything I had hoped for in terms of perfomance. My HS and TS edging and pop were better, the board felt more responsive carving around, pulling the board up for grabs was easier. Love the magneto lace holders and how much the boot opens for lubeless entry/exit. On one set I didn't tighten the bottom laces as much as I should have and my foot would slide forward a tad on some landings, however, not enough to be a problem. I'm only dissapointed with their weight; they're lighter than my '05 Sphynx, but not by that much so my board (Team 143) is still a tank to haul around..

well chad sharpe designed them with having more stiffness like a snowboard boot so its just preference, i liked em, some people like looserness (lol, I R a music student). just thought id throw in my 2 cents

i bought some at the kansas city boat show last january, and jamie from sitzmark hooked me up w/ the new 3ds for 300 dollars... they are the best boots ive ever ridden. one bad thing is they broke the first time i took them out but i took them to jamie and he set me right up w/ some new ones. they are awesome, i would never sell or trade them.

yeah you do have to watch out for the seams on them. i replaced my 3ds boots once already cause the seam inside busted. now the top seam on the tongue is coming undone, but that is just cosmetic, no big deal.

WOW so it appears that HL is having troubles with their new bindings just about as much as LF is having....I love my new shanes and was worried about the breaks and tears i have been hearing about. Luckily, I have a really good local shop to take care of my warranty issues (GnP).

I really hope I don't have any issues with them. They feel awesome, and after more riding this week....I'll never go back to open toe. Did they escalate my trick list?....No. But they did escalate my control, ride time, and confidence a ton. Even the moments when I get squirley and almost bust feel more controled.