Yak Boots/Shoes or Whatever

I gotta say, I never thought I'd be part of a forum where a bunch of guys talked about shoes for literally 10 years! 
On a more serious note, I've never understood the idea of the NRS boundary boots paired with a drysuit. All I can think about it all of that extra fabric on fabric action slowly wearing teeny little holes in the Goretex on my suit. The Boundary boot makes a ton of sense if you're wading in salt flats in Texas during the winter (sans drysuit or waders and just trying to keep your feet warm and dry), but what's the point in wearing something that keeps your dry up to your knees when you're wearing something that keeps you dry up to your chin under it?
I've been wearing Astral Loyaks for years with my drysuit when it's not literally freezing outside (just thick wool socks inside of my drysuit provides all the insulation), and then a pair of regular NRS booties if it's absolutely arctic out there. Going back and forth between the two has really highlighted how much better the grip is on the Astrals, and I've come to prefer the fact that they drain as opposed to water pooling in them like it always does in neoprene boots. At this point I'm considering just wearing Astrals year round and adding a pair of neoprene socks outside of my drysuits for extra insulation on the coldest days.

Well, I can only speak for myself, but the scheme you described would absolutely not be sufficient for me to stay fishing in the kayak in winter for more than an hour or so. It's great it works for you. I have always had trouble keeping my feet warm in the winter - poor circulation, I suppose.

My plan with the boundary boot in situations where I need to get deep to launch is to launch in sandals and then put the boots on once I'm in the kayak. That way the only water inside the boot will be residual dampness and not my feet having to keep a couple cups of water warm all day. If I can launch shallow then I'll just wear the boots. I don't know if it will work, but that's what I'm going to try first.

Regarding wear on your drysuit - I suspect Goretex is tougher than you think it is.

Regarding wear on your drysuit - I suspect Goretex is tougher than you think it is.

I guess I should be a little more specific: Goretex + Sand + Friction = guaranteed pinholes. This is a known in the paddling industry. Goretex suits come through the shop all the time with tons of pinholes in them; my own Goretex suit that’s only about 2 years old has roughly 30 pinhole patches (not an exaggeration) from the knee down. Goretex is a great fabric, don’t get me wrong, but in the realm of high-end drysuits, it’s the most prone to pinholes via the sand + friction deal.
All that said, I’m genuinely not wishing anyone ill on the suit + boundary boot combo. I’ve just seen it becoming a more and more common theme, and after a decade of working in the paddling industry my mind always goes straight to the, “what might go wrong.” I do hope it helps with your circulation/foot warmth. I have the same issue with my hands, it’s been a long battle..

Interesting. I wonder how the durability of Goretex stacks up with Tropos from Kokatat. My 5 year old (? if memory serves) drysuit has definitely has a few patches (less than 10) and I have mostly been wearing mid-calf high boots made for flats wading over the feet. I dump out tons of sand every time I come back in from the ocean, and haven't noticed any excessive wear on the feet area. In fact, I'm not sure I have any patches on the feet - maybe one on an ankle. Most of my patches are from rockfish spines. I fish sandy launches 8-12x/yr.

Not arguing; I appreciate the information. It just doesn't match my experience. But then again I don't have a Goretex drysuit. Hopefully I get less sand inside the boot with a higher, sealed boot, I don't know.