sorry about the small picture, but I am ill equiped to function in this modern digital world. 

Keen makes super water sandals and shoes.  what I like about them is the toe guard.  whilst stumbling about in the water, the sharp rocks that poke your toes in the others do not get though in the Keens.  comfy too. 

I’ve been working on the river for 8 seasons now. I’ve tried Teva Gamma shoes (*I’ll get back to these), Teva Hurricane sandles, cheap Wal-Mart sandles, and the Chacos. To me, James is right. There is no better shoe for the gravel bed streams in this area. I’ve got 3 pair now; my old worn out ZX2s, a new pair of Z1s, and a pair of Z1s with the Diamond Stealth (now called “guide”) soles. The guide sole is a very soft, VERY grippy sole for wet conditions. I can say that I’ve used them rock hopping along the Saint Francis near Millstream Gardens on many occassions and they make a huge difference due to the amazing traction boost the soles give you.

The standard soles are great, too; grippy in mud and sandy conditions. The strapping is really tough but still comfy. They are great to adjust on the fly. A quick flick of the buckle and they loosen up…a brisk shake of the foot and out comes all that pesky river gravel that other shoes hold on to so well (an important feature when your loading 40 or fifty canoes on any given Saturday, and rafts, and kayaks, and…). I wear them from the fist bird chirp of spring until the last goose has flown south in the fall.

I was worried that the quality would drop significantly when they sent production to China last summer (like Vasque and the Sundowners). So far, I haven’t seen that from my new pair. Repairs and restrapping/resoling still happens in Colorado. There are more options from the repair department as far as colors go, and repair is the only way to get the ZX style anymore. One guy I work with swears by the Chaco shoes, but I haven’t tried them myself. * I still use the Teva Gammas when I paddle my WW kayak. They’re small enough to fit, but supportive for my frequent portages and river bed scrambles after a long swim!

Lee and I attended the ACA Instructor course wearing our Chacos. Some of the hard core whitewater guys pointed out that sandals increase the likelihood of foot entrapments. 

So, as an Adventure Canoe public service announcement…use caution and judgement when choosing your river running footwear.

We’re a keen family.  All four of us (wife and two kids) have a pair.  The only thing I don’t like about them is once little rocks get in there they are a pain to get out.  Love the toe guard though, and the footbed feels like it has a lot more arch support than any other sandal I’ve worn.  Lots of traction on the soles as well. 

As for open toe sandals, my canoe instructors frowned on them because we mostly kneel on knee pads while paddling, and all it takes is a little sand between uncovered toes and the bottom of the canoe to really grind them up after a long day.  Out of the canoe and around camp, nothing but Rainbow brand flip-flop style sandals.

OzThongs introducing different types of beautiful Sandals. These Sandals have a bright, vibrant look and feel to set of your personality.

If there is anything you would like OzThongs to carry please email us and we will definitely look into it. We love our job and your feet will love our products.

canoeguys – 3 months ago  » 
I always feel that sandals should be for camp and proper shoes for the canoe.  We use Salomon XA Pro or XA Comp but  similar cross trainers and runners with a mesh work well too.  I prefer the ankle support for portages and no rocks get into those shoes.  I have been snagged on rocks in rivers with Sandal so i dont recomend.  I got in a little trouble on the Hayes system because my sandal got snagged when i was track and lining a rapid (scary stuff).   http://www.canoeguys.ca 

Never thought about what would happen if sandals got snagged in rocks. Definitely scary stuff…will get proper shoes for the kids next time we go canoeing.

paddleplacid – 6 days ago  »  By far the best footwear for riverwalking (hauling a canoe, lining, just walking in the water) are Croc-style in two or three sizes oversize, with the strap not holding the heel.  People drown in fast currents when feet get stuck between rocks, and the oversize Croc style can be slipped out of easily .. and they float for retrieval .. a bright colour is best for locating them.  Croc style offers toe protection and their soles are thick .. when ashore their great for general duty.  I use rubber boots (Wellingtons) for portaging as portages are often wet, and cold, wet feet are not a thing a person should be stuck with on a canoe trip.  A lightweight pair of cloth runners or hikers round out my Tripping footwear, for those hikes up the secret trails.

Walking in the water with a pair of “Crocs” on that are 3 sizes to big? This is supposed to be a safety tip?  It sounds like a good way to end up barefoot.

 I’d have to get a pair of size 15′s…lol…they would be like wearing flippers, they’d be so buoyant that they’d just float right off my feet whenever I lifted my foot to take a step.  I did try Crocs once on the river and found them to be sloppy and slippery, and they felt like little foot sauna’s- I am not a fan.  But what ever works for you.  Just my opinion