Please let this thread just be about shoes, and socks.
Do the Astral Brewers have room in them for socks or should I order a 1/2 size up?
I ask because last summer I bought some cheap water shoes and they fit me like a glove, but when I tried wearing socks with them, they didn’t have room. Upon reflection, water shoes are probably not usually designed to be worn with socks. Without socks, those water shoes trapped sand against my skin and caused blisters (even in crystal clear water), and I’m hoping socks will prevent that.
I use thin nylon socks in my old Adias water shoes and my plastic Sperry boat shoes. It does help considerably but sometimes stuff can still become irritating. I like them because they dry quickly. I also use the thicker dry socks which work very well as they are thicker, but they take longer to dry out.
I always try on shoes before buying. I don’t mail order. A long time ago I was told that if there are several pairs in your size to try them all on as they will often differ a bit in size. I have found that I can mix and match to find the best fit for each individual foot that way.
I always try it on with thick socks – you can always add an insole to shoes of any kind if you want to go barefoot or wear thinner socks). But if you don’t have the option to try on footwear you want to buy in person, order them from the better on-line retailers like Outdoorplay , Backcountry, REI who have easy exchange and return policies.