Good Water Shoes?

[laidback4sho]

Hey guys, I got an unusual question here I'm hoping someone will be able to help me with.

Anyone know of some good water shoes to wear while panning in a shallow river or stream?

The reason I'm asking is because these rocks up here in NH are hell on bare feet. Not to mention how slippery they are from the algae. I'm needing something for protection as well as something with a little traction. And i feel a little clumsy with good old fashioned rubber boots.

What do you guys use out in the field?

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[Terry Soloman]

Korkers RockTrax Plus Fishing Cleat | DICK'S Sporting Goods

 

[arizau]

What Terry said above looks good to me. Felt soled wading boots may be ok too but I have found mine still slip on algae covered rocks. There are screw in metal cleats to modify felt soles available in flyfishing shops.

 

[Goldwasher]

whatever big 5 carries for 40 to 70 dollars

 

[Goldwasher]

your never always in the water or on the land. your looking for durable and fast drying. Something that can go through numerous wet dry cycles. over shoes are not practical and you never have proper purchase from shoe to overshoe...it matters a lot. Trip hazard and slick on rocks. you want soft rubber contact. The harder your sole surface the higher your chances of slipping are.
when i dredged everyday it as in a pair of new balance cross trainer shoes. pull the insoles at the end of the day and your relatively dry the next day.
when it comes to shoes and boots and prospecting the term 'waterproof" is pointless. your concern should be strength and traction when wet, sort of like a good.......oh nevermind

 

[Dallasb84]

Cowboy boots. Minimal protection from snakes and when wearing boot cut jeans rocks and debris won't get in your shoes. Believe it or not I would prefer to hike and backcountry prospect all day in a set of boots than hiking shoes. They give ankle reinforcement and usually have a strong heel you can dig in with on steep grades.

 

[kcm]

Cowboy boots?!?!? ACK! They're slick-soled leather and can be very slippery when wet. If you're in the water a lot, then get a shoe/boot that is also meant to be in water a lot.

 

[Dallasb84]

Lol. You must not know your boots! There are a couple types of boots for different things. Leather slick soles are for dancing and dressing up. I'd be cautious to ride any horse wearing those. I buy the boots that have sport soles and have heels. They have served me well. Waterproof, comfy and above all else... Demand respect! Lol try that in some crocs! Lmao

 

[Dallasb84]

Double post

 

[NeoTokyo]

Edit: This is the Walmart number for me shoes, just copy and paste this into their search engine: 46545616


Whelp this is what I do.

I buy several cheap pairs from Wal-Mart and use them until they fall apart.

Usually I will go through 3-4 pairs in a season but this year they started selling the Velcro OP water shoes in my size (13/14) and they have held up very well.
They were $10 if I remember right and the usual felt bottom water slippers I got were about $5.

If I have to hike in somewhere I will wear regular shoes until I am to the water, this saves the sole a lot of wear.

The OP water shoes that I have now are on sale (At least on their website) for $5 bux now.
They are the best of their water shoes that I have used.

The sole is a rubber sole with a grabby felt like material in the middle.

As for ankle support, there is none.
How it handles while walking slippery rocks, it doesn't.
How it handles on dry or non slipper rocks, very well.

They are comfortable, cheap and last a white.

If you lose the insert its not that big of a deal and is still comfortable enough to use.


For $5 bux, it would be worth picking them up even if you pick up better quality ones.

 

[kcm]

Lol. You must not know your boots! There are a couple types of boots for different things. Leather slick soles are for dancing and dressing up. I'd be cautious to ride any horse wearing those. I buy the boots that have sport soles and have heels. They have served me well. Waterproof, comfy and above all else... Demand respect! Lol try that in some crocs! Lmao

I don't consider cowboy boots as having those "other" soles.

 

[russau]

Felt bottom shoes are BANNED in some states. check the laws on these BEFORE buying/using them! I had to get rid of my felt bottom shoes 5 years ago because of it. The fish & "games" people say that the felt bottoms keep some living stuff in it and is spread to other lake/streams by using them.

 

[nh.nugget]

Like NEO say's $20.00 pair of Wal-mart sneakers been using them for years.

 

[juneaupanner]

Pretty simple use rubber boots....

 

[rick.ther]

I use hard sole diving booties, work great

 

[Goldwasher]

Pretty simple use rubber boots....

I do as long as theres deep water or mostly shovel work...if your sampling or sniping....muck boots get water in them...then you are wearing buckets of water on your feet. you can wear cheap shoes and go through them often. Sometime i might bush wack for an hour to get into a spot then bush wack out a different way. The last thing I want to worry about is my disposable shoe showing what its weakest link is...I have scored close toed river sandals that held up great.wore them all summer like look at my funny tan and whats that smell dad kind of foot time and they made it if they have them again ill get them.
there are a lot of fun things to do in cowboy boots walking on rocks and cobble does not sound like one of them...I would go for some of those leather pull up square toe boots like Pa Ingall's wears if I was in a dry environment. Down on the creek or sniping jaunts....then I would have leather buckets.
I do have a pair of newer corcharan desert combat boots they are like jungle boots and have those little vents. they were a yard sale score. great ankle support I can blouse my pants to keep ticks out. Now that its warm i just walk in and out of the water and they drain. I can walk all day in them once wet no problem.

 

[laidback4sho]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone. I've been reading and comparing non-stop for days now and I think I'm gonna go with these. They're the Keen Men's Clearwater CNX sandals. They seem to have good grip, will protect the toes, are lightweight, and will dry quickly for the ride home. And you can throw them in the washer, according to a few reviews.

Also, these are just for when I get to the water. For the hike in, I use nothing but my Red Wing work boots. Plenty of ankle support there.

We'll see how they fare...

Thanks again for the ideas.

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[kcm]

For the hiking-in part, I'd also recommend the Bates Delta-II Boots:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QEBO6A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Or similar boots, but get quality ones. For all-day comfort on hard surfaces, I like the Georgia G6152 Boots.

I don't get in the water much...unless the water is coming to me! (ie: flooding)

 

[Goldwasher]

Lol on my feet right now...like I said the water proof tag on the boots is b.s. they get wet inside with immersion above where the rubber meets the leather...I tried to keep them dry as long as I could...it's just a few areas I hiked into had more water than I expected and couldn't avoid it.

But for detecting there's no metal.they are super comfy....the only issue I have is the crease on the side zipper...

 

[Bonaro]

Those walmart water shoes (watersocks) and the dive booties are two steps away from useless and less effective than sneakers. The problem is they have no arch support. You step on a pointy rock and you drop everything and start hopping around, it hurts really fricken bad.

Felt sold fishing boots is what I wear 90% of the time. Do not buy expensive ones because they only last one season no matter how much you pay. The rocks will abrade the exposed stitching and they fall apart. You can extend life by coating the stitches with 5200 BEFORE they get worn out. Try and find one that has a molded rubber lower and they will last for years. Look for under $50 and occasionally at thrift stores for much less.

Second best is old hunting or work boots. You can improve the grip by using contact cement to glue a chunk of ribbed carpet to the bottoms. I have never had much luck with metal cleats, they seem to make them more slippery.

Dont wear any of the above barefoot, you will get blisters. Buy a pair of neoprene socks