I am looking for some new paddling shoes
My specs in order of importance are
- super light weight
- water drains out easy
- Must have a big bold tread for portaging up long steep slippery grades
What have you got ?
https://www.astraldesigns.com/shop/footwear/mens/water
Check out the Brewer. I wear the women’s version, the Brewess. Terrific shoe.
I have a couple of different models from Astral. All very comfortable and I wouldn’t hesitate to just walk around in them. Different models have different soles, some fairly aggressive and generally with sticky rubber for good traction. Water drains pretty well. Unfortunately, as with all shoes other than neoprene booties, sand and grit do get in pretty quickly.
Thanks, I guess I’ have to get to an outfitter or REI and actually feel their heft and look at the treads
I bought a pair of Astral Brewers this winter. Only have had them out twice - both times in the kayak. So far I can say that they are quite light and drain well. I launch & land wet foot and they have not held water like my booties will. I can’t speak to the traction … yet. I might be able to after tomorrow’s paddle on the Looking Glass.
One issue that I’ve had is that the heel seems to be a bit low for my foot. The left heel slipped off the first time I wore them in the kayak. I paid more attention to the heels the second time. Note that both of these were over dry suit booties.
I have several pairs of Merrell Maipo water shoes… Got three pairs at a good price some years ago. The Maipo 2 is the currently advertised shoe… The only misgiving is the laces will cut through the fabric supports over time… I used them in the Canadian Shield and the Adirondacks with lots of portaging… They do not slip on wet black lichen… the nemesis of getting out of a boat in Shield country.
Never used Astrals… Never even seen them… I don’t think they would be stiff enough nor with a good enough sole for portaging say in Algonquin where you may spend six miles a day with a load.
Bass Pro Shop shoe department.
Check out Keen shoes. Company from Oregon-- some imports, many assembled here and I believe the more expensive shoes/boots are pretty much a US product.
I think this was the pair I tried on and will probably buy when spring finally gets here.
The 2-3 styles of water shoes that we have at a local retailor have an pretty bold tread and what I like is the wide toe box.
Keens are our go to shoes for most any shoe we need now.
@Yooper16 said:
Check out Keen shoes. Company from Oregon-- some imports, many assembled here and I believe the more expensive shoes/boots are pretty much a US product.
I think this was the pair I tried on and will probably buy when spring finally gets here.The 2-3 styles of water shoes that we have at a local retailor have an pretty bold tread and what I like is the wide toe box.
Keens are our go to shoes for most any shoe we need now.
Thanks,
But they would let in too much mud, sand and pebbles
Heres another Keen–
they call it a fully enclosed water shoe. I really like their large rounded toe box on most of their shoes. Not certain about drainage tho. With as “blocky” looking that their shoes are, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of weight.
https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/M-RIVERPORT.html?dwvar_M-RIVERPORT_color=1020872&cgid=activity_water
Looks like their H2 with mesh instead of open areas. I’ve worn out 3 pair (one was a hiking boot). Great, durable shoes and sandals.
No really slippery mud today on the Looking Glass. Two log jam portages but both had pretty decent landings. They are very light & don’t retain water. Better than booties for a long portage but not as good as hiking shoes. Here is the sole:
@Yooper16 said:
Heres another Keen–
they call it a fully enclosed water shoe. I really like their large rounded toe box on most of their shoes. Not certain about drainage tho. With as “blocky” looking that their shoes are, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of weight.
https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/M-RIVERPORT.html?dwvar_M-RIVERPORT_color=1020872&cgid=activity_water
A shoe store where I bought my umpteenth pair of Keens said they were the top seller in the PNW “because in our wet area we have web feet.”
The roomy toebox is GRRRRRRREAT!
I had really good luck with a pair of Solomons. The had grippy soles with good comfort on the trail. However, they had a crazy heel cup separated from the rest of the shoe with a slot that ran almost down to the sole. That slot was like a vacuum for sand and gravel, which once under foot was painful and hard to wash out. The Solomons lasted through hundreds of uses but the stones underfoot cost them 2 points. I’d give them an 8 out of 10.
I replaced the Solomons with Astrals, which I’ve used for around a year. I like the Astrals a lot. Very comfortable and while the tread on the soles is not aggressive, they’ll hold when you get in slippery stuff. I like the drain holes just above sole level–jets of water squirt out the drain holes for the first few steps out of the water. I do wish they had drains in the heel of the shoe, too, for those times you plant your butt in the seat but leave your feet over the gunwale to drain. The fabric is quick to drain and dry, but not quick enough when your feet are over the gunwale . The laces stay tied, but I’d prefer a snag-resistant closure such as the Solomons had over the regular bow knot I use with these shoes. I give the Astrals an 8 out of 10.
~~Chip
I’ve used 2 pair of water shoes for many years.
In brief: one gets me to the kayak, one is used while paddling.
Reasons:
in kayak: foot, heal comfort; able to remove & put back on w/out popping skirt
to kayak: holds on through deep mud, keeps feet safe walking on oyster beds, walking through soft (deep) sand crossing beach.
I use Mion Ebb Tides in kayak (thick, stiff heal, easily removable) (long since out of business)
Currently my ‘getting to kayak’ is Sperry Maritime H2O Bungee Sneaker, but have used Keens in the past, pretty good, but small stones, shells get inside while walking.
If spending more than 2 or 3 hours at a time in the kayak, I think foot comfort is a big deal.
You can replace shoelaces with kevlar laces and use cordlocks instead of tying. Google Lock laces. The Techphibians wore out for me quickly in Canada. ( six weeks of daily use doing portage maintenance) The heel cup was also too shallow.
Astral Brewer is a good shoe, pretty light, grippy sole, drains well, very good support, strong enough to walk on oysters, they don’t pull off easily in muck. They finally added a “heel-pull” to make them easier to put them on. One issue that I have is that with all the sand around here (central Florida), just walking a few steps in the water at the put-in, gets enough sand inside to abrade my toes on very long trips/races.
Other than taking them off and rinsing while in the kayak, what works for me is to wear some lycra sand socks with the shoes (socks worn inside-out for more comfort). Feet stay sand and blister free, even for long races like the EC 300. These socks are often sold for use with fins, and there are a bunch of similar brands. I use these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026PHGRC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Greg
Except for #3 (portaging)…Crocs! Add a set of straps for better portaging?
@pikabike said:
Except for #3 (portaging)…Crocs! Add a set of straps for better portaging?
Crocs? Portaging in Crocs in the wilderness is an invitation to death when solo… Carry a PLB… They suck in the mud too… Have you ever lost one in the mud! Everglades? Look for a green one at Highland Beach somewhere.
“Highland Beach” -memories?
One year we pulled into the nice sandy firm beach at high tide, set up our tent and enjoyed the peaceful wilderness a gazillion miles from civilization. The next morning the tide was low, and it was time to move along to our next camp site. It looked like the tide had gone out a hundred yards. We started pulling the kayaks through a inch of water covering 6" of mud. Fifty feet later there was still an inch of water and the mud was about 10" deep. Another fifty feet and there was still an inch of water and the mud was knee deep. Then the water just became a skim, and in order to move the yaks we had to get in front of them and with our backs to off shore had to lean back and pull on the grab handles. This would move them a foot, and then we would have to try and release our stuck feet and repeat the process. After what seemed like an eternity, we gained an inch of water and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I yelled that my yak was finally floating, and my wife gave one last hard pull. Her boat yanked free at the same time and she did a nice backwards prat fall into the mud. If it was me, there would have been much cursing, but she sat there laughing.
When finally in the boats, we checked and it had taken us one full hour from the time we started till the time we were in the boats