You take less damage in the legs, so you can armor your legs accordingly (ie wear less of it).
I don't suggest going bootless though or it's going to become your Achilles' heel AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
But seriously, wear some armor down there, you just don't need to stack it.
Hand armor = body armor, where every little bit helps. Wearing good gloves will go a long way towards protecting you but gloves are expensive and heavy so you'll have to take that into account.