After a long, very cold Swedish winter, here are my thoughts on the range of wetsuit boots for cold water available from Solite Boots.
Solite Boots Cold Water Range - Custom 2.0 5mm, 8mm and 8mm FIRE
I have 4 pairs of Solite Boots; years ago, I bought a pair of 3mm boots to help me get a good fit for my feet, like many people, I have one foot that is ever so slightly longer than the other. Not a problem with shoes on land, but noticeable with traditional neoprene boots, one foot was always not quite right.
Then I found Solite Boots, with their heat-moldable soles, which seemed to solve that problem, so I tried a pair, moulded them, and they worked!
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| 5mm, 8mm and 8mm Fire boots from Solite |
I approached SoliteBoots Europe at the start of Autumn 2025 and, much to my surprise, they sent me 3 pairs of boots! The 5mm, 8mm and 8mm Fire Custom 2.0 boots with socks and liners to match the boots.
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| My NSP Carolina Evo covered in ice at -14°C. Perfect conditions to test boots |
These three pairs of boots are all from the Solite ‘Cold Water’ range and are advertised for use from 0°C to 10°C; needless to say, I have pushed them far past that temperature range in the last 6 months through the coldest, longest winter in SW Sweden in the last decade.
Temperatures at my house dropped past -22°C, in one week the highest temperature was -10,5°C. My training lake had over 30cm of ice on it, and someone drove a car on it. The sea along the coast froze enough for skaters to enjoy it. It has been cold.
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| Winter SUP Racing in Denmark with warm feet |
Paddling with Solite Boots
I used the Custom 2.0 5mm pair of boots through October and November, as water temperatures started to drop, then switched to the Custom 2.0 8mm boots when winter arrived in December, and the first ice started to form on my training lake.
I then changed to the Custom 2.0 8mm Fire boots when it was really cold, and the sea started to freeze. My coldest session of the season was at -14°C in the Kattegat, the stretch of water separating the SW Swedish coast from Denmark, picking my way through the sea ice.
My feet have been warm all winter for paddles up to 2 hours; I rarely paddle for longer than that in really cold weather. Having said that, I am confident that for longer sessions, these boots will work.
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| Solite Custom 2.0 5mm Boots |
5mm Custom 2.0 Boots
I published a quick review of these at the start of October 2025, and you can find that here
My opinion has not changed since then:
"In conclusion, these are well designed, very well made, comfortable, warm, grippy and most importantly, they have a great, customisable fit."
One addition to that review, one pair of Custom 2.0 5mm boots weighs 478g
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| Solite Custom 2.0 8mm Boots |
8mm Custom 2.0 Boots
The 8mm boots feel heavier than the 5mm when you pick them up, and my scales confirm this, with one pair weighing 622g, an increase of 144g over the 5mm boots.
Once on, they feel just as good as their thinner siblings. They are a little harder to get on and to take off, but once you get used to them, they are absolutely fine.
Here is a video from Solite that will help new owners when removing them for the first time. It can be a struggle, be aware that the surfer in this video makes it look easy!
That close fit means that these boots work exceptionally well in the cold, and minimal water gets in through the cuff. I would like to say that no water gets in, but this depends on the user and their clothing choice. When paired with a drysuit that has neoprene ankle seals, my feet stayed dry; when used with a drysuit with latex ankle seals, there was some water ingress. This is entirely down to the way the seals function; latex results in some creases in the seal that act as a conduit for water ingress.
The 8mm Custom 2,0 boots come with a pair of insulated neoprene boot liners that are 1mm thick; these make it much easier to get the boots on and off and provide extra warmth. I like these a lot and have started to use them with the 5mm boots as well.
The sole feels no thicker than the 5mm boots, mobility on the board is excellent, and the sole is as grippy as the thinner boot. These are fantastic boots, and I think they are suitable for most winter paddlers. 10/10 from me
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| Solite Custom 2.0 8mm Fire Boots |
8mm Fire Custom 2.0 Boots
These are the warmest boots in the Solite range and, oh my! These are warm!
Is it possible to have feet that are too warm?
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| Solite Custom 2.0 8mm Fire snow shoes! |
These boots are more difficult to put on and far more difficult to get off than the thinner pairs from Solite the first time you use them, but they are worth it if you paddle in really cold water. And you get accustomed to the struggle after the first time, just after you consider driving home in them to get some help taking them off!
The 8mm Fire boots also have an upgraded liner. Like the 8mm boots, they come with a 1mm neoprene sock, but this pair are have more of the Thermal Rebound Lining material in them, the ones made with material from the sun! If these liner socks were longer, I would wear them in my winter walking boots; they are lovely! When worn inside the 8mm Fire boots, they combine to make your feet warmer, all the time.
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| Solite Custom 2.0 8mm Fire boots. Check that lining! |
Joking aside, paddling at -14°C in these was a revelation. The water temp was ‘hard’, which is not a normal value used to indicate a temperature range, but when salt water is frozen, and thick enough in many areas for skaters to play ice hockey, then you know it is cold. And the 8mm Fire boots just laugh at the conditions.
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| Solite Custom 2.0 8mm Fire ice breakers |
These boots are incredible.
I have the same observations on the cuff as the other pairs; it is excellent when paired with neoprene seals (or wetsuit), and no water gets past the cuff. With a latex seal, I found some water got into the boot, but that quickly warmed up. This is entirely down to the combination of the design of a latex 'bottle' seal and my skinny ankles.
Sizing and Heat Moulding
The Custom 2.0 5mm boots are the easiest to get on and off and I needed to use the heat moulding process to get them just right. Using hot water to mould the boot is very easy, as long as you are careful with hot water, use some common sense and a bit of caution. With the 5mm boots, you could probably follow the Solite advice and go down half a size if you are between sizes.
Solite have a blog post and video on heat moulding here
The Custom 2.0 8mm boots are a closer fit, and I suggest that you get your normal shoe size for these boots and use the heat moulding to dial in the fit.
The Custom 2.0 8mm Fire boots are the closest-fitting boots of the three, and these are a little snug on one of my feet. I used heat moulding for one foot, the longer one, to get the fit just right.
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| Warm Feet = Big grin |
Conclusion
I am very, very happy with these boots from Solite; they have made a huge positive impact to my cold water paddling and are a huge upgrade from the multiple layers I have been using in previous winters.
These are highly recommended from this cold water paddler.
Affliated
I have a discount code for Solite EU; CJONES5. This gives paddlers 5% off using this link https://soliteboots.eu/?sca_ref=9734013.vMSpPg564i98IHHd
Using that link also gives me a reward, which will be appreciated when I need new gloves!
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| Extreme Boot Testing |