I just got NRS Kicker Remix model to replace decade old version of the same. The new ones got modified as old with drain holes around sole’s periphery. I just heated a fat nail in propane torch and stunk up the outdoor bench.
My NRS booties would be perfect if they were water tight. I hate how they fill up with water. Is there a way to make them seal better against your lower calves?
@NotThePainter said:
My NRS booties would be perfect if they were water tight. I hate how they fill up with water. Is there a way to make them seal better against your lower calves?
You could make them submergible, or any shoe/sandal for that matter by adding a pair of Hanz Submerge Socks. Albeit a bit warmer.
https://www.the-river-connection.us/products/hanz-submerge-breathable-waterproof-socks
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
Do they really work? I’ve been intrigued by them.
Sure, the Brewers drain well. BUT do they dry out inside? Or, are you stuck with damp feet all day?
I’ve been using my Kokatat Nomad knee-high boots for 7 years now – bought them to use with my drysuit and in cooler weather but ended up liking them so much I now wear them even during the summer in warm water. The shafts are breathable fabric gaiters that cinch below the knee. They are tall enough and snug enough that I almost never get any water inside them when launching, and certainly never enough for sloshing. Once I am in the boat I can shove the gaiter down around my ankles to keep my legs from getting overly warm. It’s been mighty handy to be able to wade ashore or climb out to drag the boat over shallows on gravelly rivers and not get my feet wet,
The only time I ever had significant water in them was during Greenland kayak camp, when we spent hours in the shallows often standing in chest-deep water (or swimming after a wet exit precipitated by a failed roll). I wore neoprene socks inside them then, so though the sloshing was a little annoying it wasn’t desperately so. I’ve worn Smartwool sox inside them too, which helps with comfort and sweat absorption.
They don’t have drain holes and I doubt I would make any. My rationale for this is that for a while I used a pair of Chota synthetic felt-soled wader boots, which were made like standard ankle high dive booties but the whole neoprene body was perforated with a mesh liner to keep out gravel while draining water. Yes, they drained beautifully , but they also let in water constantly so my feet were ALWAYS wet from the moment that I launched even though there was no sloshing. With the Kokatats there is a little perspiration but my feet are never soaked as they would be if the boots allowed water in as well as out.
As to the athlete’s foot problem, it’s important to rinse out and dry your booties after any use – if you have trouble with recurring foot fungus I would use anti-fungal foot spray or dump foot powder in them (and on my feet) after use. (I use baby powder in mine to make them easier to get on and off when I wear them. ) It isn’t the dampness that causes the infection, it’s the spores from the fungus.
I use McNett’s enzymatic wet suit wash, about a teaspoon in a pint of water (a ricotta container I keep in the bathroom at home or in the car on a trip) and rinse them with that, then roll up newspaper to stuff inside loosely to keep them upright and allow moisture to wick out OR stick them upside down over a boot rack to air out.
Notthepainter,
I won’t guarantee dry feet for long vigorous swimming but for the stomp into deeper than knee high water, wet weather hiking, spring mtn. biking, etc. yes they work quite well. I wouldn’t carry them otherwise.
See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
@willowleaf said:
I’ve been using my Kokatat Nomad knee-high boots for 7 years now – bought them to use with my drysuit and in cooler weather but ended up liking them so much I now wear them even during the summer in warm water. The shafts are breathable fabric gaiters that cinch below the knee. They are tall enough and snug enough that I almost never get any water inside them when launching, and certainly never enough for sloshing. Once I am in the boat I can shove the gaiter down around my ankles to keep my legs from getting overly warm. It’s been mighty handy to be able to wade ashore or climb out to drag the boat over shallows on gravelly rivers and not get my feet wet,
You make a good point, willowleaf. I have the same Kokatat boots, but I only wear them in the winter when I wear my drysuit.
I never considered just pushing them down to stay cooler!
What works for me are Teva universals, the cheapest ones they sell. Despite the modest tread pattern, they take me pretty much anywhere.
Sand and gravel? I get some of that walking out into the water to get in the boat. Mud, most commonly. I just lift my feet off the bottom and swish them around before sitting down in the boat. Everything rinses out quickly. The straps don’t hold much water and dry out pretty quickly.
I do notice something peculiar about them: after getting submerged, they seem to loosen up a little until after they’re dry. That, and they leave distinctive tan lines on you.
I gave up a long time ago looking for a good water shoe that keeps sand, grit and pebbles out and also drains well, so I modified some wally world trail running shoes to do the job and they are working perfectly.
I have been training all summer long for the three day Adirondack 90 miler using them and just completed it using three pairs (one for each day)
They are "Athletic Works"and are a grayish black with blue trim and blue stretch laces). they have a great sole for rough portage trails and slippery rocks.
I used one of my soldering guns with a small narrow tip and burned/punched three holes up through from the front bottom into the toe box and did the same thing from the lower back of the heel to the interior.
In that way they drain no matter how you enter your canoe or kayak.
They are $19 a pop
I did the same thing for women’s ones for my wife and she is quite happy with hers as well.
@Lillyflowers said:
Sure, the Brewers drain well. BUT do they dry out inside? Or, are you stuck with damp feet all day?
The Brewess is well ventilated and dry very quickly, inside and out. The few times I’ve gone without a sock and drove home while still wearing them, everything was dry by the time I got home.
Feet and shoes are going to be wet at the end of the paddle since you’ve got to get out of your boat (unless you can levitate or exit to a dock). I keep a pair of Keen sandals in my car and change shoes when I unlock my car to dump gear.
Body glove has some decent water shoes. I bought a pair of razors but have only tried them once. They drain quite well and I have a pair of neoprene socks for those two days a year that it is cold here.
I use Body Glove. Not good for walking very far but cheap and keep the pebbles out.
@Marshall said:
Astral Brewers with a pair of ankle high running socks (or equivalent).Dry while on your feet, hold no water, stylish enough to wear terrestrially, Spiderman like grip soles on wet surfaces, don’t stink.
https://www.the-river-connection.us/collections/watershoes-dry-socks
I’m curious what your experience with these are. How comfortable when you are paddling and on ground?
How do these hold up? They seem like they would be durable, but it’s hard to tell the quality of construction and the softness of the rubber on the sole.
These look like a great option, but at $100 they would need to hold up to a couple seasons of adventures for in the boat and camping, plus I tend to wear my water shoes to the bar when I stop for a beer and burger after a weekend on the water so they would see a little non boating use coming and going.
Anything carried at The River Connection is Marshall approved which means it puts up with my near industrial use.
Presentable and comfortable enough for terrestrial use. I’ve run some distance in my Brewers chasing a puppy chasing a squirrel (yeah. A sight) I got the pup but not the squirrel and then realized I had on water shoes and hadn’t speared the soles of my feet on sticks
Depending on size some of those shoes are 40% off for non-en-vogue colors.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
@Rookie said:
@Lillyflowers said:
Sure, the Brewers drain well. BUT do they dry out inside? Or, are you stuck with damp feet all day?The Brewess is well ventilated and dry very quickly, inside and out. The few times I’ve gone without a sock and drove home while still wearing them, everything was dry by the time I got home.
Feet and shoes are going to be wet at the end of the paddle since you’ve got to get out of your boat (unless you can levitate or exit to a dock). I keep a pair of Keen sandals in my car and change shoes when I unlock my car to dump gear.
Yeah that’s good to know. I just hate paddling for hours (like 3 or 4) with wet feet. I also keep a dry pair of Keens in the car to change into when I get back! Keens rock!
My Brewers arrived last night, along with the Stohlquist Bodhi Watershoes someone recommended. Be advised that the Brewers no longer have the heel flaps for drainage; they have one tiny hole molded into the rubber sole, facing backwards. I think this could be a problem, as it’s a very small hole and will easily plug with grit. If this becomes an issue, I may see if I can drill two more holes in that area, for redundancy.
The Stohlquist Bodhi Watershoes seem very well-made. My biggest concern is that the light mesh on the upper goes across my big toe nails; I’ll need to be careful to keep them trimmed or I think it will wear through fairly quickly there.
Maybe consider the Five Ten Eddy. They drain really well and the soles are crazy sticky on rocks. Good footing. My choices in paddling shoes must not have an enclosed heel because I paddle so much in a dry suit. I’ve also got the Teva Churn and Chaco Outcross. I find the sole material lacking on both as it is hard and slippery on slick surfaces.
@Chodups said:
Maybe consider the Five Ten Eddy. !
I miss the 5-10 Nemo, though, I found out that they should have come with an ‘expire date’
After I found out they were discontinued, I bought an extra pair.
Years later, I went to use them, the rubber sole had disintegrated.
(note: I do live in FL, though it is northern FL)
Those are some good-looking shoes, Chodups. Unfortunately, they don’t appear to be available anymore.