The excellent Edge Boots from British sailing brand Gill Marine claim to provide all-season, full-foot protection for paddlers and boaters exploring any kind of coastscape, in all sorts of conditions.

They look the real deal, but over the last six months I have been putting them to the test in winter, spring and summer conditions, in the sea and also freshwater surroundings, to see how good they really are.

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Gill Marine Edge Boots: look and feel

The Edge boots resemble and feel pretty much exactly like a pair of tall wetsuit booties, extending well over the ankle to the base of the shin. But, with a full-on fastening system and a substantial outsole with good grip, they are much more than just that.

Like a wetsuit bootie, they are waterproof and they run very warm. If water does get in over the top of the boot, your body heat quickly heats it up, adding to the thermal protection offered by the boot. Once it’s in there, though, the water stays where it is, because there’s no drainage system.

Gill Marine Edge Boots: design and materials

Almost entirely made from 4mm-thick Neoprene, the Edge boots have a very secure double tightening system, comprised of laces and a wide Velcro band that wraps right around the bottom of your leg.

You could get sucked up out of the water and into the air by the world’s most violent cyclone and these boots would still stay on your feet – once on, they ain’t going anywhere. In fact, one of the downsides of these boots is that they’re very hard to get off even when you want to.

And, to be completely honest, I’m a little mystified about why they need quite such a secure system as this. I think either the Velcro band or the laces would be totally sufficient, and to have both is overkill.

The laces are probably more of an aesthetic flourish than a truly necessary practical feature, and they are also far too long – even once done up you have to tuck them under the Velcro to avoid them trailing and becoming a trip hazard.

The stiff rubber outsole provides great levels of grip on even the most slippery surfaces and plenty of protection from puncture wounds, ideal for when you’re stepping off a board or getting in and out of boats.

Gill Marine Edge Boots: performance

I first wore the Gill Marine Edge boots during a stand-up paddleboarding session on a partly frozen lake in London, just past dawn on a savagely shivery winter’s morning. It was a frankly stupid time and place to be doing anything on the water, but it did provide the perfect test conditions to see how a boot that claims to provide all-year protection would perform in the extreme cold.

And, happily, the Edge boots did exactly what they promised they would, and kept my feet very warm. Surprisingly so, to be quite honest, because it really was brutally freezing. In addition, I was more than happy stepping off my board into the dark and murky shallows at the end of my paddle, even in such an urban waterscape where there could have been broken glass or worse on the bottom, secure in the knowledge that the soles of the Edge boots were providing proper protection from puncture wounds.

Since then, I have worn the Gill Marine Edge boots on multiple SUPing, kayaking, gig-rowing and boating escapades, in a wide range of weather conditions, and I have remained impressed by their levels of comfort and protection. The grip is especially amazing, and it has saved me from going over on treacherous slipways on several occasions.

They do get a bit too hot in full summer conditions, so often find myself reaching for an alternative option on very warm days. I also find the lace-and-Velcro fastening system totally over the top, and getting the things off can be a bit of a mission, but if you’re after a watershoe that can keep you protected from the elements and underfoot nasties all year round, and which will last forever, these are a good buy.

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