Barefoot Shorts

Undershorts and standalone barefoot shorts

Barefoot skiing is one of the few towed sports where water-entry protection isn’t a nice-to-have. At 60+ kph, on bare feet, deep-water starts and the inevitable falls send high-pressure water against the body with real force. Barefoot shorts are the padded layer built to absorb that. Two different products. Barefoot shorts come in two distinct types, and they’re not interchangeable. Get the wrong one and you either won’t fit your suit over the top or you won’t have the protection where you need it. Full-wrap undershorts. The Barefoot International Iron Full Wrap, Wing Full Wrap and Sands Barefoot Shorts are designed to be worn under a barefoot suit or buoyancy suit. They’re cut closer to the body with full-wrap padding around the seat, hips and thighs — the layer of impact protection that sits between you and the suit. If you’re skiing in a barefoot suit, this is what you want. Standalone barefoot shorts. The Wing Mens Barefoot Shorts are the standalone option here — worn on their own, without a suit over the top. Cut and finished to be the outer layer, with the padding built for direct use. Suits casual barefoot sessions, boom-bar coaching or skiers who run hot and don’t want a full suit. Which do you need? If you wear a barefoot or buoyancy suit, you want undershorts — the Iron Full Wrap, Wing Full Wrap or Sands. If you ski in shorts alone, you want the Wing Mens standalone. Don’t try to use undershorts on their own — they’re cut and finished to be a layer, not the layer. Fit. Snug — the padding has to stay in place on impact, not shift on the seat. A loose pair lets the padding bunch and doesn’t protect properly. Undershorts in particular need to be snug under your suit, not bunched. Neoprene shorts for other sports. Barefoot shorts are built for the brutal impact zones of barefoot — overkill for wakeboarding, skiing or jet ski. For general water-entry protection in those sports, see the Wetsuit Pants collection. Brands. Wing covers both undershort and standalone cuts. Sands brings undershorts cut for Australian barefoot conditions. Barefoot International (Fly High) makes the Iron Full Wrap undershort for serious barefoot riders. Care. Rinse in fresh water after every session and dry flat out of direct sun — padding lasts well when it’s not baked in the boat.