Water shoes

[gerald]

Finding good shoes to wear while paddling has always been a problem for me. I've probably got a dozen. Didn't really like any of them thought the $4 moccasin kind and the $35 Columbia sandals weren't bad. I needed a shoe that covered my entire foot--to protect against the rocks, stumps, stobs, sticks, etc. I encounter when doing some of the weird paddling I do. I definitely wasn't going to spend $70 or $100 on a pair of shoes I couldn't try on. So--I kept looking. Just before the Great Castell River Race I found some water shoes at Academy for just under $15. Tredz is what they are called. I wanted to try them out before I recommended them. Well, now I have some miles on them and they are great. Better than many I've seen for more than $50. I don't know if they still have them at Academy but I certainly recommend them.

http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=c ... 00519-1994" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm gonna go get another pair.

[Coastal Country]

Those are nice but I had a pair how do you keep little bit's of shell and sand out of them? My feet weren't rubbed raw by the shoe but what the shoe held inside of it.

[5moreminutes]

I really enjoy my Keen's. I believe Acdemy just started selling them. Last time I did a store locator only Fast Feet or Fleet Feet came up as vendors.

[gerald]

Those are nice but I had a pair how do you keep little bit's of shell and sand out of them? My feet weren't rubbed raw by the shoe but what the shoe held inside of it.

Actually I wear thin white nylon socks for sun and sand/gravel protection. These particular shoes have a removable inner sole that is easily cleaned. I guess water shoes are a problem for all of us.

[Tradercj]

I bought a pair of socks that are intended to be worn in the winter under winter socks to wick the moisture away from your skin. They are light and thin and dry fast and seems to help with the sand that gets into your water shoes.

[Cajunkayaker]

I've just recently been fighting this same battle. I've been using Teva sandles or tennis shoe type water shoes and the biggest problem I have besides stuff getting in them is, when I have to pull the yak across or into the marsh these shoes just get pulled right off my feet. That is no fun when you're trying to trudge across the tundra mile after mile. So I just went to Academy and bought their cheapest pair of wading boots but I can already tell I don't really think I'm going to like them. I do however really want something that's going to keep the sun off my feet. I'd sure like to find the best solution.

[Night Wing]

I just use plain old "sneakers". Cheap and very comfy.

[gerald]

I've also been using $30 sneakers from Walmart, but these $14 water shoes are better for that purpose. I went back to Academy to buy two more pair but they only had one more that was my size. I did see sizes up to 14 so don't assume because the internet said only 5 to 10 that they don't have bigger ones.

[FishingSETX]

FYI,

Gander mountain has all their water shoes and sandals on sale for 40% off. This includes keens and tredz. They also have all their summer headgear including Tilly hats at 40% off.

[Randy]

For me I ended up with a pair of those felt bottom wading boots, from Academy, They still drain pretty good without bringing a ton of water in to my kayak everytime I get in, and they give me really good footing when having to walk on the rocks,
I have tried those inexpensive water shoes, and they left black scuff marks on the kayak, and allowed tons of stuff to get in, sand, shell, grit, mud and miserable feet...

[gerald]

I wonder if expensive water shoes keep gravel and sand out. I doubt it. I have no doubt that the expensive water shoes are better than the inexpensive ones but I'm not going to put out that kind of money for something I can't try on. The inexpensive water shoes at Academy that I'm talking about have been the best of all that I've tried in some years of paddling. They also have kind of a felt bottom. Non slip--and so far they seem to work fine. For winter time I have some pretty good waterproof, insullated wading boots.

[Randy]

I did splurge on these, they were $19.88 last year at Academy...

[gerald]

Randy: I'm surprised that you're not coming on the little Neches River Paddle. It'll be interesting.

[Randy]

I thought that trip was in June.........

[bowgarguide]

Come on Randy we are going to have a ball.
Ron

[gerald]

I thought that trip was in June.........

This coming saturday! Did I put the date wrong? I'll have to look.

Ah...I did post it in June, but the day of the paddle is July 25th.