Water shoes (not the crappy mesh/rubber ones)

fiddypal

Adventurer
Thanks for the feedback DD, i ended up getting a pair of them should be here for the weekend to test out swimming :) I was thinking the high tops would be better for keeping stones and stuff out of the shoe but i really only plan on using these exclusively in the water so if i am going to be hiking i can just change over to my salomon for that.

Amazon is good about returns so if i dont like them can always return and get the high tops. I'll be doing a review on them as i started a blog to review all the mil gear i have been acquiring that does not have much info on it out there (or is scatterd all across the net and hard to compile) and had to take a chance on, hopefully i can help some other people make some informed choices before they buy.
 

fiddypal

Adventurer
Got my Altama OTB low cut "boots" today, fit is VERY snug, should have listened to the amazon comments. I ordered my size (11) and they fit like a glove without socks, a very form fitting glove that is. With socks on they are way too tight in the toe box. Even without socks i think they are still too tight because after wearing them around the house for about 20 mins, and then putting my normal shoes back on it felt like i had them jammed in a wooden box, way too much pressure on the front half of the foot. I have a size 12 regular and size 11 wide on the way to see if either of those provides a better fit.... These are perfect materials wise for watershoes though, the sole is solid rubber so they should drain and dry extremely fast. Will update when i finally get to try these out early next week.
 

fiddypal

Adventurer
Thanks for adding your review to the thread stumpy!

So i got the 12 and 11 wide today, and here is the deal.

The 11 wide alleviated the crammed foot issue, but there were some odd issues with it that made me end up choosing the 12's.

For some reason my heel sat much higher in the wide shoe, it was not sitting where all my other shoes do and provided poor grasp around the back of my foot which would lead to blisters since my heel kept popping out ever so slightly when i walked. Also, the in-sole tended to slide around a little if i planted my feet with a wide stance and shifted around like i was moving something heavy, even though i had them laced up snug and they did not feel loose at all. This tells me they are designed to be a tight/snug fitting shoe.

The 12's are a good fit, and i have about a thumbs width from my big toe to the front of the shoe. More slop then i have on my normal pairs of shoes, but not enough to make them uncomfortable or a bad fit, just something i noticed. (this may be personal preference to a degree, all my shoes i like a snug form fitting size, boots i leave a little play in the front to account for larger socks).

So if you are going to get some Altama's go up a size for sure or i can pretty much guarantee you will have width issues on the front half of the foot unless you have a really narrow foot.

Additional review to follow once i get these in the water today!
 

fiddypal

Adventurer
Finally got to test my altama low cuts yesterday. One cool thing i have never seen mentioned is that they float! Even if you fully submerge them, they will float up to the surface! I will say, they let sand in extremely easy, so if that bothers you might not be the best shoe. I have some high tops coming as well, but i don't think thats going to solve the problem. I think the sand/small gravel is getting in through the gaps on the side of the tongue. It was really only an issue when i was runnning around in shallow water on the beach creating a sludge of sandy water. if i took my time and walked out without kicking up a ton of sand they didnt get much in them. They drain extremely well, after walking a few steps pretty much all the water is out of them. Foot protection was great, i hit a few decent size rocks in the water and didnt hurt my foot at all. They are also very comfortable walking out of the water and joggin in them, sole feels very stable like a flat sole boot.
 

dcg141

Adventurer
Canyoneering boots are what I use kayaking. Very stable and will grip on wet rocks. Mine are Adidas Hydro Lace but I think they are discontinued.
 

donmeredith74

New member
Take a look at Astrals. They are amazing in the water. Astrals are very popular with kayakers because of their ability to dry fast and have freakishly good traction on wet, mossy rocks.
 

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