NRS Men's Paddle Wetshoes

I have been using the women's version of this wetshoe for at least 8 years and must say that it's the absolute best. I've tried others, but none can compare. It's ideal for paddling all-day long distances (both kayak and SUP) because of the soft interior, firm rubber supports on the heel, and padded ankle protection. It's equally ideal outside of my kayak, providing ideal protection on rocky shores. It's a joke in my house that I would wear them all the time if I could! Note that they intentionally run slightly small, which is ideal when placing pressure on your heel while sitting properly in a kayak. If you're between sizes, order up.

The NRS paddle shoe is one of my go to pieces of paddling equipment. When I paddle for any length of time without them my heal gets sore without the cushioning effect of the neoprene, Additionally, the sole is substantial enough that they allow me to walk around on uneven ground as I move my kayak from place to place or walk back and forth from my car to kayak as I load it. Great shoe and great design. The only downside to the paddle shoes is they get pretty stinky when I'm doing a trip and I have them on my feet for days at a time, and the zipper of one them has gotten a little finicky; it still works fine, it just takes a bit to finally get it to unzip from time to time.

As a plus size paddler, I have difficulty getting my big feet into and out of my kayak. As such, using bulky water shoes is a no go for me. So, my only options are, go barefoot, or wear my dive boots. However, walking around barefoot in the D.C. area water shed is a non-starter(eww!) so, dive boots were really all I had.

Using my regular dive boots revealed that the soles were too flimsy and as such did not perform well on shore or in the boat. On shore, the deficiency was obvious as I could feel the pebbles in the parking lot digging into my heels. In the boat, the thin soles reared their ugly head after just a few hours working the rudder, as the pressure on my foot through the thin sole actually began to make my toes fall asleep.

Enter the NRS Paddle boot. These boots have a sole somewhere between a dive boot and a hard rubber soled wet shoe. Which proved to be the perfect balance. They allowed good feel on the rudder pedals while not being too thin.

Also, I could walk around the parking lot at Occoquan Regional park without exclaiming ouch from the gravel digging into my heels. The padding from the thick neoprene on the bottom proved extremely comfortable and, so far, my toes have remained awake.

A true judge of a product though, is in the companies attention to detail. NRS did not disappoint with these boots though. From the velcro tab that keeps the zipper up, and the very soft, almost fabric like liner, to the rubberized material at the top that keeps water from dripping into the boot. NRS has made a very good product, and I will likely buy more from them in the near future.

This is a great, functional paddling shoe. They feel true to size. They're warm enough for colder temps, but not so warm you can't wear them in moderate temps. There comfy for paddling in temps below 60 F degrees.[In warm temps I usually go barefoot.]

They're durable and comfortable enough to walk around in. I'm puzzled at the previous reviewer's criticism that they don't offer arch-support. This is a paddling shoe, not a running or hiking shoe. While I wouldn't go hiking in them, they're perfectly comfortable for walking around the shore, in water, and setting up camp.

A paddle shoe is a simple, but but essential accessory for walking on wet, rough/rocky terrain, either on shore or in the water. These shoes perform this simple function as perfectly as can be expected.