Footwear

I've searched the forums, here and elsewhere, for opinions on footwear for pedaling.

Aplach, you still wearing those wading boots?

Yesterday I tried pairing water shoes with NRS Hydroskin socks. They were very comfy until I got them wet - then they didn't provide enough insulation.

Earlier I'd tried dive booties. They were warm, but didn't fit well in the straps and had a tendency to slip.

Barefoot is great, very comfortable, but impractical when the water temp is in the low 50s.

Suggestions? I plan to retain the pedal straps. When I kayak, my feet are always wet from dunking them over the side. I'll probably try another dive booty design or two. Any thoughts on the sole types that grip best?

I find Windsurfing boots are ideal. They keep your feet walm and obviously have a good grip on the soles.

For the colder months I wear a pair of Warmers brand Aqua Purge boots I bought at REI. They're very warm and comfortable and unlike wetsuit booties they have textured rubber soles so wading on rough surfaces is no problem. One feature I particularly like is the drain holes at the heel so your feet don't soak in water all day.

I also use a Warmers product, their neoprene, rubber soled Delta Boot. They are quite comfortable, grip the pedals well and have a tough enough sole to permit a bit of walking on land. I got them on sale at KayakFishingStuff.com for $19.99, but I see they've now gone up.

http://kayakfishingstuff.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=WMRS-DeltaBoot&Category_Code=fwr

Hi All;
I find that my feet get sore after a long pedal. I am currently using my surfing booties - just soft neoprene throughout. Do any of you use a bootie with a stiff sole? More like a sneaker? I also need to wear something warm (cold Nothern California waters).
Thanks

I love reef walkers when the water is warm, but in the winter neoprene booties work best (I get cramps with cold feet).

However, I like the idea of a drain hole at the heel! You can't simply lift you leg all the way up to drain the booties or the water drains all the way down your leg, so the drain hole sounds like a great idea.

I'll be looking for a sale on these Warmers.

Hey PAL,
Yep still wearing those World Wide Sportsman flats boots that you see below. However, I don't find them in any of the catalogs now-probably because they are not “coolâ€

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Hay guys, Thanks.

I've been looking for something with sturdier soles than my O'neil booties. I completly forgot about my flats booties. I've only used them a couple of times on vacation.

I'll have to dig them out and try them.