20 Best Water Shoes For River (2023 Updated)

Really like these water shoes. Wore them on a hike to a lake. Kept them on for swimming, rock jumping, paddle boarding, etc. Really comfortable and effective. They do a good job of keeping sand and little rocks out, and they drain quickly after getting out of the water.

Soles have a good grip so I wasn’t slipping on large rocks. Perfect shoes for me.

I wore these for white water rafting and general walking activities near water and they worked great. Drained water well and felt comfortable. My biggest complaint is the design. You might notice there’s a white label in the inner lining of the shoe, it’s not supppeerr noticeable but enough that I tried removing it, had no luck, and was planning to return it.

The blue sole is also a bit more noticeable IRL than it is in the photos which makes the white a bit less prominent.

I’ve owned 3 pairs of Brewer 2. 0s and have a pair of Rasslers. I’ve used them to commercially guide, run class V, done mutli-week trips in them, etc. I have a love/hate relationship with Astral shoes.

They are super functional, are comfy, grip fairly well in wet conditions, dry pretty fast, can be worn without socks, can be slid into like a slipper, etc. Feature wise I don’t really have any complaints.

I’d argue there is nothing on the market as good as Astral shoes for whitewater now that 5. 10 stopped making water shoes. My one qualm is their durability. They don’t last that long. My bedrocks sandals last 5-10 times as long as my Brewers in similar conditions.

They just fall apart at certain seems. I had a friend get his reinforced by a local shoe repair place in Ecuador. After reinforcement they looked like they’d last way longer. Astral really needs to make a version that has reinforcement for commercial/rigorous use.

Until something better comes on the market I’ll continue to buy Astrals. But I do wish they’d last longer. If you plan to run serious whitewater I’d recommend the Rasslers. They stay on a bit better due to their height.

They are a bit stiffer though so can be a bit harder to fit into tight boats in comparison to the Brewers.

I’ve worn every version of the Brewer since the original launch in 2012, which was certainly made easy because I work at Astral. However, despite my affiliation, I can truly say “THIS IS THE BEST SNEAKER EVER” at least for 3 seasons of the year.

anyways, some things I love about the Brewer. 1. Street ready. I wear them daily as a causal shoe. Lightweight, breathable, stylish. 2. They are completely ready to play in the water with all the attributes of a great river shoe (specifically grip, quick dry) 3.

Padded interior on the Brewer 2. 0 was a great upgrade. In summer I rock them without socks everyday. Polygiene treatment keeps the odor and funk down. Add socks for extra warmth or comfort. 4. Fold down heel is not a gimmick y’all, its truly amazing.

The Brewer doubles as a slipper for quick entry. As far as sizing I am a 12. 5 and find the 13’s to be spot on. The wide toe box and narrow mid section and heel fits my foot absolutely perfectly. As far as durability they hold up great as my daily driver.

After kayaking in Brewers for many years I recently switched to Hiyaks for a lower profile fit in the boat, and more ankle support. But I still find my Brewers the go-to when I am not sitting inside a whitewater boat (ie canoe, fishing kayak, or inflatables) and daily life off the river.

If I was forced to pick one shoe to wear the rest of my life, the BREWER is that shoe. No question.

I was looking for appropriate footwear for a 2 week October rafting trip in the Grand Canyon. By the time I was confirmed for the trip, it was late summer/early fall, and every place I looked was out of stock on most options except for Moosejaw.

A week before I left, an experienced raft guide strongly encouraged me to try this shoe. Moosejaw delivered in time and I decided to go with the Astrals. BEST MOVE EVER! They’re lightweight, dry fast, super comfortable, and I never experienced any issues in slippery conditions.

Other guests on the trip wearing Chacos, Tevas and Keens had cold feet, blisters, cracked heels and other assorted foot issues, but not me. I wore the Astrals every day in the water, on hiking trails, through mud and endless sand and they still look great.

Previous reviews suggested ordering half a size up, and I was glad I did. These will be my go-to shoes for any paddle sport and maybe for general travel too.

I own/ed two pairs one size 39 and 38. The 39 feels like my second skin when I wear them. I don’t use socks. It took me over one month to break them in (a little pinkie toe socket felt a bit thighter) and thinking of buying the second pair.

Use them mostly as casual shoes but ran 5k in them on an athletics track 👣 and it was great. My size is 38. So I would recommend to buy one size bigger. The label on the box says 24cm in the case of 39.

My feet length is 24. 4cm. The size 38. I tried to break them in but my pinkie toe was in constant pain and curled. The sizing according to the box is 23cm in 38. I found a new owner for them.

I bought these specifically for a whitewater rafting trip. Dick’s delivered them in plenty of time. The size was correct and the shoes are comfortable. They grip and don’t slip. They do not feel heavy or soggy when they get wet.

They dry in a reasonable amount of time. I am happy with my purchase.

I was looking for lightweight shoes for travel and water crossings while backpacking, and bought these on a whim while walking through REI. I haven’t seen the gray ones, but the blue look really, really good in any casual setting and are very comfortable.

They are flexible deck shoes, so they don’t offer a lot of support while walking and have significantly grippy soles. They are light and pack down small so they’ll be great for travel. The reviews all say go up a half size, but be mindful that if you plan to wear these barefoot most of the time you won’t want too much extra room without socks.

I’m normally 11. 5-12 men’s and went with an 11. Barefoot or while wearing thin socks they fit PERFECTLY, although I wore them working out the other day and my toes do touch the ends when doing pushups and things like that.

If you are between sizes like me and aren’t able to try them in store, I’d suggest ordering the size above and below and returning the other one when you decide. I was surprised to end up with a size smaller than my normal shoe.

These are what I expected from reviews and product description. A low profile, lightweight shoe great for water and land alike. I got these for paddle boarding after cutting my foot on a rock, they go in and out of the water quickly and drain well.

The shoe fits snug and my feet don’t slide around but I have plenty of room for my toes to spread and my feet to feel the way I’d like them to for balance. The only con I’ve noticed so far is in really sandy put ins, when you get sand in the shoes it doesn’t rinse out super well when the water drains.

I think this is the case with almost, if not all, water shoes though that aren’t’ sandals. And I’m pretty sure I’ve only noticed it because I am very particular about sand in my shoes. Overall a great shoe, I look forward to use for water activities, camping and traveling.

Durability seems good so far (though I’ve only used them for a few weeks now).

I’ve tried a lot of water shoes and found them all lacking in the “keep the grit out” arena. However, these shoes. perfect! The sole is thick enough that you don’t feel sharp rocks in the creek and lose your balance and they have a good grip.

They are also comfortable walking in the park. I wouldn’t do strenuous hiking in them, but they are great when walking my dogs in the woods. I usually wear an 8. 5 and ordered a 9 as suggested. It was a bit of a squeeze to get them on and they were snug, but not uncomfortably tight.

Which is the point of a water shoe. I have worn them with (thin) socks and without and either way there was barely any gravel that sneaked inside. These are worth every penny and more. Plus, they came with two pairs of laces!.

Really happy with these. I bought them to go with my drysuit, and they accommodate drysuit socks very well. Very comfy and low profile, despite the fact that I bought a size up because that was all that was available at the time.

Great for white water SUP, or for getting in and out from under canoe seats when kneeling. I feel confident they wouldn’t hang up when exiting out of most canoes and kayaks. Definitely light and low profile! They feel like wearing moccasins.

You feel every rock and root. This is great for nimbleness when scouting, as they are also reliably grippy, but if you needed to portage or hike out over rocks for a long time, you would long for something beefier.

These river shoes are some of my most trusted and favorite gear. I?ve worn them on overnight kayaking expeditions for days as my only foot gear. They double well when you are packing minimal for hiking/canyoning on a kayak trip.

The sticky soles work well for portaging rocky river banks. I sized up for wearing over drysuit socks in the winter, but with lacing I can wear them in the summer as well. They dry/drain well-no river funk.

This is my second pair- after 6 years, the sole was a little worn and a few seams opened but they were still wearable. Super good value.

I bought the size 11s before I bought the size 10s and have to say they make it very easy to swap the sizes. (they are an extremely polite bunch) 11 too big. 10 marginal – but that’s just my feet. The shoe though – EXCELLENT.

Perhaps not the easiest to put on but very secure and snug once laced up offering a solid feel and secure footing in most settings. I’ve carried a heavy kayak over stony ground – and I weigh a bit myself! – and they are supportive and offer decent protection from stones.

And I’ve also walked over a mile in them – effortless. I’ve splashed around in self-rescues, swam a bit in them, and find them great in the water. The drainage holes in the front are effective at draining water but I did get quite a lot of sand in them.

So far NO SMELLS. a huge improvement from my rank and disgusting neoprene booties!! I think I’ll get the 11s back too as they offer more room with a drysuit booties and a sock while not being too long for my sea kayak.

Highly recommended!.

My son says these are the most comfortable water shoes he has ever had. He wears them on the boat, at the beach and at the jetties. They are very durable and dry fast!

I am on the third pair of this exact style. Wore out the first pair after three years of daily use in Arizona and traveling. Wearing the second pair over the past year and they are going strong however the soles are worn.

The third pair is worn sparingly for “special occasions”. I tried on Keens, Tevas and others and found the arch was to high of not in the right place for me. It’s going to be hard to replace this model.

I hope I don’t have too anytime soon.

Picked these up for use out at the rivers. They are Perfect! I use to use regular water shoes. But my feet would always hurt from walking on the river rocks. These shoes I could tell the difference immediately.

The soles are thick and add plenty of cushion when walking over river rocks. The best part is the Toe protection bumper. It covers all the toes. The other water shoes I was looking at it didn’t offer the toe protection that this one did.

When the water isn’t clear and you can’t see what you’re walking on the toe protection really helps!.

This is actually my second pair of these water shoes. The prior pair stunk horribly after getting wet launching my boat in the Florida Everglades where I’d do some bass fishing. I even tried rinsing them with fresh water after an outing but they would just STINK bad where I’d have to throw them out.

I gave it a 4 because, other than that issue, they really were very comfortable after a day of fishing on the boat.

EXCELLENT WATER SHOES!!! We recently went to Mexico and purchased these for our excursion day to Tulum, zip lining, centoes swimming, and ATV riding. They held up GREAT! They are true to size. My husband liked how comfortable they were and how they fit.

I wish they had women’s sizing. I ordered the smallest size available for myself and while they fit, they were just a little wide for my feet. Overall excellent purchase.

Tracking order was Excellent until package arrived in the USA. Thereafter, no tracking available through USA distribution channels. The item is of excellent quality and design. However, a better fit would be a 10.

5 size since the water shoes have much flexibility and give to the material used making the 11 size I ordered a bit large. However, too much effort to return. Overall, very satisfied. Would order from CALCEUS again.

These were great. I bought them for our Hawaii vacation and they were comfortable and saved my feet from the harsh ocean bottom. I wore them in the pool also. Yes, they do collect quite a bit of sand.

A quick rinse usually takes care of the sand. They look like normal shoes and can be worn most places afterwards. So glad I picked these up before our trip. They held up better than expected also.

These are the perfect thing for surf ski. You want something on your feet to walk on rocks or reef if necessary, but it’s got to be flexible enough to feel the rudder pedals. I like them so much I got a pair for my brother too.

They would be great in any type of kayak as well, ocean or WW. I’m size 10. 5 and their 11 fits well. He is 12. 5 and their 13 is perfect for him. I’m in them straight 4 days a week 8 months of the year.

For Lake Michigan in the winter I wear a neoprene sock under my dry suit and these over that!.

I have racing kayaks and surf skis that you need to be able to work the rudder pedals with just your toes as they are small and on top of the foot plate. The foot plate is designed so you can maintain contact with the rest of your foot to keep power in your strokes while operating the rudder pedals with just your toes.

This requires a flexible water shoe and the Kinetic is perfect for this. I have worn them in numerous distance races of 50-72 miles and probably over 5,000 training miles over the last five and a half years.

I also use them during my kayaking classes as we practice a lot open water rescues plus self rescues and spend a lot of time out of the boat working alongside individual students so the lightweight Kinetic is welcome.

I wear the Kicker Remix in my other boats without rudders as I’m usually in a situation where I’ll need traction and a thicker sole to hike around sandbars and other obstacles. I normally wear a 10. 5 and so ordered a 10 first and then went to an 11 as the 11 had the best fit.

I bought this prior to a trip to the OBX, NC for a week of kayak fishing. Wore them every day at least 8 hours a day inshore fishing. Worked great for pedaling my Hobie Outback as well as performing admirably when I had to get out and walk through the flats that included grass, sand, and mud.

They are lightweight and drain quickly. My only complaint is when I bend the toes, the crease puts a lot of pressure on the top of my foot. I wore them with sand socks which probably contributed to the pain from the crease.

Over time, I am sure they will loosen up and be even more comfortable, but you may want to get a half size larger.

These shoes are a very narrow fit. I even made sure to size up. Once these things get wet and then dry. good luck getting them back on your feet. There is no way I can wear socks with them. Also, the construction is just kind of poor.

Stitching and rubber started flaking and tearing up only after a few times wearing them. I would not buy another pair.

I spend a lot of time wet wading for fishing as well as using small rivers/creeks as multi-day hiking trails. These kicks fit the bill perfect. The mid ankle keeps out a lot of silt, sand, and debris and protect my delicate ankle bones from the inevitable underwater rock smash.

Grip is good, foot feel great, combined provide stand up stability. Gotta build up some calluses on my Achilles, though, got major rub there. Slam dunk perfect for all my outdoor water related needs.

Found them a bit expensive at first, but after 3 days of canoe-camping I must say they held off very well. The sole is stiff enough to protect the feet and the shoe felt comfortable.

They are durable and great quality. I could have sized down but still fit great with some room.

Good quality and comfortable. They run a bit big.

I picked up a pair of these about a month ago. I was looking for a slip-on to wear at the beach, that would both protect my feet from the hot sand and could also be worn in the ocean. Well, they never made it to the beach-I started wearing them as summer slippers at home and that’s where they’re staying.

They are well made, lightweight and comfy and are easy to slip on and off. The Velcro strap makes it easy to adjust the width. They’re stretchy enough to wear with socks, but don’t lose their shape. The non-skid soles are also a plus.

And they have a mesh inset so your feet can breathe. True confession: I liked them so much I bought a second pair!.

My new doggy loves our walks and runs on the beach. I couldn’t bear running/walking barefoot and my running shoes couldn’t withstand the water (my puppy loves to take breaks in the water). This shoe with its rubber sole cushions the ground enough for our light runs and walks on the beach (I also wear them the two blocks from our house to the beach on the sidewalk/road).

But even better is that I can leave them on when we play in the water and then rinse them easily. They dry quickly so I don’t have to put on soggy shoes when we go out later that day.

I purchased these shoes as my “weekend shoes” for wearing around the house. They feel like you are barefooted or wearing socks! Yet, you don’t have to worry about getting your feet or socks dirty because they are shoes! I also love to use them for running errands! I get tired of wearing flip flops sometimes, and if it happens to be raining outside this shoe will stay on your foot and not cause you to slip and fall.

Then when you return home, you take them off briefly and in no time they will be dry again!.

I bought these water shoes to replace another pair that are older and starting to wear out. I found them on Your site at a VERY REASONABLE price. I wear these type shoes as slippers around the house and I wear them outside IF I need to.

Stylish and comfortable; I bought them for my husband to go kayaking and he loves them. I will buy a few more to have as backups, you can’t beat the price and they are well made.

Perfect for beach strolling and are comfortable to walk on pavement as well. Appreciate the toggle to tighten around the ankle. Sized right.

This is our second pair as he’s outgrown the previous ones. Model has changed since last year: shoes used to close with a scratch but that’s only reserved to the baby version now. It means that the opening is quite narrow (to make sure they stay on in the water!).

It was just fine for our kid but I totally get all the reviews saying their child couldn’t put them on. Was also quite surprised to see they have no insole as previous version (and current baby version) did have them.

For these reasons, new version seems of lower quality. They’re great for walking in rivers and pebbly beach though.

In 1st week Walked miles to and from dive boats in these, great on the beach, in the sea, on the boat. Secure fit good, grip, no cushioning in sole but I don’t need it for what I use these for… they were just so good I found myself using them more than planned.

Got these last minute for kayaking. Fits really well and does the job, keeps feet protected from stones and uneven/sharp flooring. Great price too

I like the leather material because it’s durable, but compared to the cloth version you do loose some sensitivity on the rope. Can’t quite get the same grip strength. That could however resolve itself, hopefully, as the leather breaks in.

I got these to use for kayaking. I mostly kayak in our canal out to the San Francisco Bay, so just needed something basic. They’re great – light, easy on/off, comfy, just enough protection, & even kinda cute!.

These water shoes are comfortable, nice looking, and very easy to get on and off quickly…unlike some other brands that I tried on first

I bought these to wear for my water aerobics class, and they were perfect. Light weight and no slipping on the deck. My friends in class thought they were very cute.

I’m really confused by these water shoes. Shoe-wise, they’re easy to put on, fit well, stay on. I just wore them for the first time and the soles are slippery! Sliding while walking (can’t run. sliding too much) in the pool and slippery walking poolside! I looked at the soles and am shocked to see the nubbly part is like a felt fabric, not rubbery/grippy.

Yep, that explains why I was sliding so much. I don’t know why the slidey fabric was chosen for the soles. Previous Lands End water shoes (different style) didn’t have this sole. Disappointing for sure, can’t wear ’em.

I almost never write reviews but am submitting this one to say: Please don’t ever stop making these water shoes. I have all kinds of problems with shoes fitting, but these are perfect! Easy on, easy off.

My toes aren’t crowded in the toe box and my heel doesn’t slip out. They’re totally, 100% comfortable. I LOVE the color: Fresh Boreal Blue Tile. It’s aesthetically pleasing in a water environment—cheerful and “adult,” not gimmicky—and will be stylish for as long as I own them and more.

I go to rocky, woodland swimming holes where they not only protect my feet from the cobbled streambed bottom, but are tremendously helpful in preventing slipping on the larger, somewhat mossy rocks. The sole is substantial, yet I don’t even feel them on my feet when I’m swimming.

They rinse out easily, including the removable liner. They dry nicely with no stink. They allow me to do something I love with comfort, safety, ease and joy. What a friend! Hence—I repeat—please don’t stop making them (ever).

My husband and I loved how these felt on. Plus the colors and styling are great. But my first day in the pool I discovered them to be quite slippery on the pool bottom, unsuitable for pool walking. (The soles have a fuzzy surface unlike my previous rubbery-bottomed soles on my old water shoes.

) I was dismayed but thought maybe I would let them break in and see if this improved. until I stepped onto the pool ladder. I slipped, in spite of knowing the shoes were slippery and being cautious, and I gashed my shin on the ladder.

I should add that I am an athletic, very active, very fit 57-year-old, in no way unstable or unbalanced–I run, walk, and swim miles a day. I do NOT recommend these for anyone concerned about slipping, which should be pretty much everyone.

Too bad.