I dont want to trigger anyone. That’s contrary to my intent. I actually started deleting more, but the forum limits how much the author can delete in a given period. I had to wait several days, afyer a few deletes, so I gave up. Too much like work.
For sure!
Again, we I presented this query I knew that it would be akin to oil and spark plug recommendations on an automotive forum!
Ok…
You guys are making me dizzy!
Getting back to (more focused) the topic - I picked up the Columbia Drainmaker XTR shoes.
They are in a word and ATMO (According To My Opinion), EXCELLENT! YMMV.
My criteria has evolved a bit with all of this feedback - that’s for sure! Thank you!
It is the case that I need, and want, to have shoes on in the boat. There is too much weird, sharp stuff in my waters. If I have to get out in a surf landing, I do not want to have to put shoes on first.
If I’m practicing rolls, practicing rescues and generally farting about i’ll wear some type of NRS / dive style bootie. But, for club paddles where there is lunch and exploring and for multi-day trips I’ve been looking for something better than neoprene.
The Columbia’s check a lot of my boxes. And, have some features that I was not expecting.
The bad :
Heel / Sole stack height. Going into these shoes I knew from pictures that this would be an issue. Fortunately my feet are not too large and space in my boats is not much of an issue. With that said, I did have to move foot rests one notch forward. While I have not paddled in them yet, butt-in-boat-time tells me that my body geometry will work (no need to change custom internal foam outfitting).
The unexpected:
These shoes are very comfortable. lightweight but seem to be very well constructed - unlike my Amazon water shoe experiment earlier. I feel that I will be able trust these on multi day spring / summer / fall trips (I can put on socks if needed for warmth).
The soles are stiff-ish. While they do conform to rocks, etc,. my feet are well protected. The tread is grippy with lugs but, they are more “cleat like” than tread like - they will not grab much dirt and mud on the way into the boat.
The drain system seems to be very well thought out. There is a sock like gusset around my foot and the shoes tongue that looks like it will keep a lot of debris out of the shoes. The shoes are mostly mesh that is a very tight weave. None of the shoes upper materials seem like they will absorb water. And then, there is a heavily perforated removable insole. Below the insole are large drain holes (see pictures)
that are covered by a mesh screen so that stuff does not come into the shoes from the outside (soles).
And again, they are very comfortable.
2 Likes
This post is in the Advice section and is tagged “Other gear”.
The title of this thread is: “Paddling Foot Wear”. Perhaps you should start a new thread?
Why did you ask then?
1 Like
I’m curious why so much attention on how to pick a shoe for paddling.
I need a replacement for my Adias water shoes, and these look good for wade fishing too. Thanks for posting your choice.
1 Like
One man’s curiosity is another man’s advice.
And probably because for a lot of folks its too cold to paddle a lot.
You should have seen the post that I made on food for paddling…
It’s not easy being me.
You are all you got.
Thats the way I look at it.
You better.
Ok, here’s my issue. For years I have worn Kokatat Nomad paddling boots (Mukluks). These are basically a neoprene shoe with an attached breathable gaiter that extends to below the knee. As I dislike having wet feet in cool weather, this has been the best solution I’ve found as it was waterproof but still somewhat breathable. I still change socks after a few hours. I had tried two pair of NRS boots but both leaked badly and were returned.
After many years of use, the seams on the Kokatats are beginning to fail. When I tried to replace them, they had been discontinued. Chota apparently made something similar…also discontinued. Best I can find are Palm Nova kayak boots but at nearly $200 with shipping they are quite pricey.
Are there any other waterproof breathable, knee-high options that I’m missing? This is only for cold water. I wear Columbia water shoes in warm conditions. Thanks all.
NRS Boundary boots?
Just learned about the Astral TR1 Mesh 2.9 shoes that are great for paddling and also for trail running on dry and wet ground. These are sold by REI and I bought a pair from them.
In addition to going to a kayak launch location I often hike where I need to cross small creeks and it will be nice to be able to do this without needing two pairs of shoes or over-boots.
1 Like