Boat shoe/boot alternatives
 

All,

I'm curious on what you all are wearing out on the water for boat/water shoes. Xtratuf seem to be the go-to for boats, but would be too clunky for yaks. SoftScience seem to be coming up, but man they are hideous AF. :D

Anyone ever tried the Sperry alternatives? Columbia, Merrell, any other options floating around out there?

This is what I use...I like'm!

https://www.xtratuf.com/xtratuf-mens...xoC46oQAvD_BwE


https://www.xtratuf.com/pub/media/ca...blk-070_xt.jpg

Soft Science, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, COMFORT you feel. And if you are serious about your fishing, comfort is important. Tight Lines amigo.

NICE!

How do they fit (size wise) to a Nike or other athletic brand?

That's pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Something that is comfortable, washable, and doesnt make me look like a doofus. I wore a pair of Vans low-cut classics to death on boats years ago. They stuck to the deck like glue, but they never really came "clean." Get enough death on those things and the wife wont even let me back into the zipcode.

Sperry has a few similar shoes out but I question the durability of them on a fishing boat...

They fit just fine.

I use the NRS water shoes. The top seals to your leg and my feet never get wet even if they get completely submerged. Can feel the rocks under the feet with no hard soul but I really like them.

My wetsuit booties that I use when surfing double just fine for kayak fishing. They keep my feet warm in winter. In the summer, if my feet ever start feeling warm, I just dip them into the water to cool off.

Probably the most used footwear I've ever owned....
 

Been on the Yukon in la Jolla canyon and to many kayak trips to remember.....

Can't beat the insulation
 

Great for walking on Rocky bottoms...rubber boot sole dive booty.

+1 on the nrs water shoes. They also fit perfectly over my frog togs. I wish they drained a little bit better, but I like having a high top. I always tend to wear ripstop, quick dry pants rather than shorts, so it pretty much makes it so I don’t have to wear any sunscreen. I was wearing some low top surf shoes for a while, and I would get a 1 inch strip of sunburned ankles, which was great.

I have worn everything. My favorite if I can keep them dry are HIKING boots .....

I splurged and bought NRS Kickers in a kayak store on an impulse once, $45.

Bad choice for kayaking, IMHO.

Too rigid and the low tops are uncomfortable when I peddle, especially if my feet get sunburned. Water sloshes around inside like wearing plastic bags and they will not drain. That makes them stink, so they need to be washed after every use.

Next time I buy wetshoes, I'll shop for lightweight, soft, high top and flexible. It would be nice if water runs out and the shoes dry quickly by themselves without having to turn them upside down and hanging them at just the right angle to drain and eventually air dry.

Soles are tough with a good grip, and protective for walking on sharp rocks, broken bottles, scrap metal or other unseen debris under the water. That part is good as a safety feature.

I normally wear a size 10.5 in most shoes. My NRS are size 11 and too tight. Maybe they are intentionally undersized to hold them snugly in place. Not sure about that, but bigger would have been more comfortable in my kayak. The elasticity of the materials is too much and they have not loosened with use.

What I would NOT recommend:

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=h...etshoe.jpg&f=1

Softscience are the best and most comfortable water and off water shoes I have ever used. The owners are the former CEOs of Reebok and Crocs.

If you use my code: CaptainLowe you will get 10% off and free shipping on all orders over $49.99.

Vans..........Pros:D

Dude, I'm leaning that direction!!!

There are a few vans look-a-likes that are out there but nothing is tougher than that canvas upper!

Don't care what niceguy says, I love my NRS kickers. Will use those if I am rocking my boardshots. He is correct about them getting smelly, I rinse w/ freshwater and let them sit out in the sun to dry.


If I am using waders I use a stocking foot type wader with some sandals over them for protection.

I throw mine in the washing machine with the rest of my fishy clothes every time I use them. No problem at all. They are very durable. Then hang them out to drain and air dry.


I'm still a NiceGuy. I just don't care for my NRS Kickers.

Scuba booties with hard rubber sole for me. It’s more about blocking the sun than keeping dry

wear my crocs or teva sandals till I get onboard then kick them off and go barefoot.

Rugged Shark Captiva water shoes. Less than 12 ounces per pair. Love mine in my Hobie, for beach use, and even around the house. Delightful to wear.



https://www.ruggedshark.com/captiva-p-543.html

I really like my Sperry's boat shoes, plus I like their flip flops. They are so well cushioned, but not too heavy. Sperry makes some clothing too. The other day I bought a Sperry infinity scarf that is navy blue with little white anchors on it. That is a winner for cruises.
__________________________________________________ _____________
It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a man`s life is made up of nothing, but the habits he has accumulated during the first half. All the best,Kayak Coach

Always wanted a pair of.......
 

Blue suede shoes....but not gay:D
$26.99

Fwiw, the NRS Freestyle Wetshoe positively reviewed by Cronus above is on sale right now, 25% off.
https://www.nrs.com/product/30017.04...estyle-wetshoe

I don’t rock shoes on the water, barefoot every time. But if I needed a pair for some reason I’d get the xtra tuffs

Fun toes about 8 bucks EA. Very thin and comfortable. Good for sun protection but no support or protection from rocks, etc..


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Those $25 speedo boat shoes at Costco works quite well.

Barefoot. Year round. Shoes. I don't need no stinkin shoes.

Barefoot is fine.....
 

Untill you step on a broken clam or scallop shell at oex back launch, there like razor blades I no i sliced open my finger moving rocks to launch my canoe in the dark at the last battle of the bays :doh::cheers1:

I bought these wet suit booties to try. They are lightweight and basically as comfortable as bare feet. I wanted them to avoid sunburning my feet. They breathe easily and feel cool and dry. The soles are strong enough for kayak pedals, sandy beaches, launch ramps, etc., but not tough for jagged rocks or walking over broken bottles. They slide on and off easily like socks. Stay in place comfortably. I would call them water socks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Figured I would tap this thread rather than start a new one. I’ve been through like five different approaches on boots and just arrived at one I’m really happy with.

My criteria for boots on a pedal kayak were as follows:

1) ideally high top that would tuck under my pants so I didn’t have to put sunscreen on my ankles all day
2) breathable, mild insulation, drain well. I don’t mind if I get water in the shoes so long as they’re dry in an hour or so.
3) support. Picking over a cliff side with a kayak and landing in the rocks is pretty gnarly. I’ve also found if I don’t have decent arch support, peddling all day my feet start getting really sore.
4) waders don’t apply here.

I’ve tried going barefoot with sunscreen and I don’t understand how people do it.

I started out just using a cheap pair of slip on water shoes... not enough support. Barely better than barefoot. Neo sport makes a cheap neoprene high top dive boot, and those have definitely gotten the job done over the last 2 years... I hoped I could do better and tried NRS water boots.

The big problem with both of those is they have just fair support and they basically hold water. I would come home and my feet would just be pruned up and destroyed, and I would especially start to feel it with a fresh load of water as I’m hauling my kayak up the stairs and realizing The flip-flops in my truck would be a better alternative.

Just recently I bought a pair of Merrell mesh water shoes at REI with a .5mil neoprene sock, and they’re amazing. Super supportive. Really grippy bottoms. The neoprene doesn’t rub at all, and I have 100% UV protection. The mesh seems to keep out anything that would qualify as a hitchhiker in the surf zone, and the neoprene sock seems to keep my feet dry enough.

Links:

https://www.rei.com/product/114954/n...n-05-wet-socks
https://www.rei.com/product/164484/m...ter-shoes-mens

Shoes a bit pricier than I’d like, but hard to beat a good rei sale when those rei dividends are burning hole in yr pocket :)

Andy said Vans years ago so I bought Vans.

Vans are perfect for (almost) any type of fishing.

Thanks for the tip.

But pumps might be good on a kayak, especially if you take on water

:cool:

LOL.... I was going to flag that post for spamming but looks like the moderators already took care of it.