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Paddling Footwear - Let the debate begin

Rodnak Kayak

Rodnak Kayak

Paddler
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
546
Location
Victoria, BC
Hot summer weather is coming, and I start to rethink what I put on my feet on a trip or day paddle for that matter, unless I am in the Caribbean, with soft whit sand, I need protection, yet my tootsies still yearn to be free :wink: 99% of the time I wear big neoprene diving boots, l like the ankle support and I have never been bitten by an oyster. They can, though, cook your feet. Wanting that little bit of extra freedom and coolness, I have tried Teva style water shoes, limited success, as they seem to gather pebbles and so forth. I have never had a cold foot problem paddling, and probably do most in the summer months, so what do most of ya'll wear?
:popcorn:
 
I used to wear Keen Newport H2, but found them too bulky for my size 12/13 feet in most kayaks (ymmv). They are super comfortable, and have great grip. I wear them all the time in the summer; I've even worn them on (albeit fairly easy) hikes. They dry quickly, and they don't develop a stink like other sandals.

Because of my foot size, I've started wearing a pair of Deep See neoprene boots. I can't remember the model, but I bought them at Deep Cove Outdoors last year. They provide enough support and traction for walking on the west coast shoreline (mud - sand - pebbles - rocks), and enough protection (so far) for my drysuit feet. I haven't found my feet getting too hot either. WAY lower profile than my Keens; I can fit now in many of the boats that I couldn't before.
 
I noticed Deal Extreme is now selling the Vibram FiveFingers pretty cheap. May pick up a pair just to check them out. Otherwise I'm happy using either Keen H2's or Nike AquaSox as my summertime paddling footwear. In the winter it's knee high neoprene boots!

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.39549
 
I find they drain well, they fit tight enough that they do not fill with grit or rocks and other assorted beach crud.
Mine are the neoprene version, they take a while to dry, but they are comfortable to wear around camp anyway.
The soles are really tough, so you can walk over barnacles and rocks with no problem.
I love them for tubing trips down the river too.
Sizing is funny, I wear a 45 or 45.5 shoe and in these I bought a 43.
MEC carries them as well.
 
Some years ago I tried a shoe I found in the Lands End catalog (landsend.com) called a "Men's watershoe." It's like a sneaker with a firmish mesh upper. Like Keen sandals, there's toe-bump protection, a nice sturdy sole and being mesh it drains and dries very quickly. They're very lightweight. I bought several pair, and use them for warm weather paddling. The mesh is fine enough to keep gravel and junk out, and the sole is firm enough for good support walking on rocky beaches. :D
 
Jurfie, do you have wide feet too? That is my biggest problem is finding footwear wide enough. For the last ten years I have worn nothing but New Balance shoes and Dunham boots(same manufacturer). The Wife and I bought some NRS Kicker Wetshoe. They seem to be actually wide enough for my size 13 4E feet! The wife wears size 11 women's but regular width and she was quite comfortable too.

Has anybody seen wide width in water shoes? I am not talking sandals, but something like the Wetshoe wear your foot is protected from gravel getting in!
 
I've used Salomon Techamphibian shoes for the last couple years. They let some sand/debris in through the mesh, but I'll trade that for some pretty good traction on wet, slippery & slimey rocks that they provide. Good for doing short hikes/walks too without having to change into 'real' shoes.
Kind of pricey, but if you keep an eye out you can get some good deals on older models. I got mine on steapandcheap.com for about $30.
 
bring something to the table now i use to be all about the Hydro skin boots but now in the warmer summer months when all you have to worry about is walking around " if need" and rocky beach landing i am using Vibram Five Finger shoes any they work great.
 
there is no debate to be had - all watersports footwear sucks. there is no effective solution to comfort in our water-filled activities, only compromise solutions.

that being said, i prefer NRS Desperado sock and/or Desperado Shoe. never felt comfy in those 5 finger deals.
 
Dion said:
bring something to the table now i use to be all about the Hydro skin boots but now in the warmer summer months when all you have to worry about is walking around " if need" and rocky beach landing i am using Vibram Five Finger shoes any they work great.
Click to expand...

I use these as well, for all sorts of activities from watersports to hiking. They are quite comfortable. However, there are a few caveats when using them for kayaking. One is they don't work with a drysuit that has booties. Since getting my drysuit, I haven't been using them for kayaking. The other problem is that after putting some mileage on my kayak while wearing these, I've noticed that the strap on the heel (and other parts of the heel) have started to wear out from me rubbing them on the inside of the kayak when pushing with my legs. Part of my strap actually looks like it has started to melt.
 
I have NRS paddle shoes in high and low tops, find that sand can get into the low tops, if I spend too much time on the beach, though not much... the high tops zipper tend to jamb with sand unless you can blow it out with a hose, it's almost impossible to open them. Next try will probably be the desperado shoes, which are high top, but stretchy enough to not need a zipper... and, I just noticed are on sale! Gotta go!...
 
I used to wear Teva sandals. Good, except there is a tendancy to get grit between the sole of the foot and the bed of the sandal.

When my first pair of Tevas wore out I wasn't able to find an equivalent replacement. (note to self; when you buy something that works well buy 6 because they won't be available at replacement time) I started using Salomon techamphibians. It solves most of the grit problem. A new problem is that the shoe takes longer to dry than the Tevas so feet stay wet and associated problems result. I am getting around that problem launching and landing with the shoes on. After launching I take them off and paddle bare foot allowing my feet to dry.

A piece of blue ensolite under the heels helps prevent friction with the hull and provides insulation from the cold.

The drysuit socks don't fit in the Salomon shoes. I am concerned about the grit wearing holes in the socks so I don't use Tevas with the drysuit either. So I wear ankle high neoprene boots. They fit loose and are soft though the sole of the boot is somewhat stiff. I don't like it as much as paddling barefoot; another reason for not wearing a drysuit.
 
I have a small fortune in gear but I love the dollar store foam water shoes (crocs type material). They keep my feet warm because the foam is insulating but doesn't hold the water, they're grippy on rocks and logs, they don't get stinky, and they're flexible for getting into and out of the cockpit. You do get a bit of sand and rocks in there but my drysuit is five years old and hasn't had a hole poked in it yet. All this for about $7.
 
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