Boat shoe/boot alternatives

[goldenglory18]

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.

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

[ful-rac]

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

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

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by ful-rac

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

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...

[ful-rac]

They fit just fine.

[Cronus]

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.

[makobob]

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

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.

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

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.

[LJ H2Oman]

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.

[MITCHELL]

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

[MITCHELL]

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

[ProfessorLongArms]

+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.

[ctfphoto]

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

[Mr. NiceGuy]

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:

[YakDout]

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