I dive in the tropics with thin socks and a Pathos foot pocket.
The Mirage fold out lever is very easy on the foot. But since one of my mods will be to make a more regularly angled handle, I wont be needing the flip-out lever.
I hate to see that beautifully shaped handle go, but I just couldn't make it work for me. I shot high every time I had to take a fast shot. If I lived near the ocean and dived often, I think I would get used to it. But I don't, so I need to go with a handle that is more in line with the "natural grip angle" of my wrist/arm.
The Mirage's claim to fame is that it is actually easier to load than a traditional gun since the loading effort gets divide up into smaller segments. So, again, this means less force onto your foot.
A Mirage has a smaller diameter (less force on its piston) loading barre situated under the shooting barrel. When loading, you first insert the spear into the loading barrel and pump five times. This will move most of the air from the tank into the front reservoir, so when you move the spear back up into the regular shooting barrel your final loading effort is very manageable.
This is the reason a Mirage can be loaded to 40 bars by hand.
But the extra barrel inside the gun makes the gun a tad heavier - and I don't even know if it makes sense to shoot a 7mm spear at high pressures. We might start having precision issues.
Also, a lot of the "performance" parts made in the past few years (lighter, smoother pistons, new shock absorbers) can't actually stand the increased pressure.
For now, I am thinking my long version Mirage might be equipped with a 7.5mm spear, but I will test it with 7mm, too. I'll likely be running the gun somewhere around 30 bar.
I am into the Mirage cuz the nerd in me like the idea of having the most powerful pneumatic gun with a technology not used in about 20 years and not surpassed since.
Also, one thing that I think the gun has going for it, is that if you have any issues with your strength, you can actually still load this gun. Like KC(?) who had to switch to CO2 guns cuz of busted shoulders. A functioning Mirage could be a very viable alternative there.