River Shoes

Finding the best shoes for rafting is probably one of the most daunting tasks boaters face. People have tons of different needs for shoes so finding the right one can be a lifelong quest for a boater. So what should you be looking for in your next pair of shoes? If you are trying to understand what is out on the market we have a helpful buyer’s guide at the bottom of the page otherwise you can find more info about impact protection below.

Top Recommendations for River Shoes

What to look for in river shoes

While comfort is a top priority for boaters it is not the only thing you should look for, in fact since all boaters spend so little time on our feet this is not the top of the list for us. To take an example from another sport, climbing shoes are not the most comfortable or attractive things in the world for one reason; they are built from the ground up for function. Similarly boating shoes must address a wide range of factors to squeeze the maximum performance from the shoe. Here is our list of the top features you should be looking for in a general purpose river shoe:

• Traction

• Toe Protection

• Tough sole

• Ankle protection

• Fast draining

• Comfort

The one caveat to our list would be warmth and when the weather turns bitterly cold switching over to an insulated shoe as your top priority can be extremely helpful, though if you are layering properly with a drysuit this may be less of a priority.

Traction

Traction is your most important factor when determining a shoe. Over the years there have been a lot of rubber designs on the market. Shoe rubber comes in many varieties and tread patterns to aid with traction, but Phillip Curry from Astral Designs contributed these thoughts on how they design shoes from a traction standpoint:

RM: How does astral rate and evaluate shoe traction? 

Astral: We perform lab tests for wet and dry grip on granite tile. When we achieve our goals there, we move to field testing , specifically on river rocks in various geologic zones.

RM: I'm curious if you can help me out with what astral's sole technology is like and what Astral keeps in mind as the most critical element for traction? 

Astral: Firstly, it's important to distinguish between traction and grip, both of which are very important getting into river gorges and along the riverbed.  Traction is a measure of the shoe's ability to grab and hold on to the ground when in motion, such as during the hike into a river or around rapids. Grip is a measure of the "holding power" of the shoe on a rock.. think of walking along bare rocks at river's edge. Great traction is mostly a function of geometry (the shape, size, and spacing of lugs). Great grip is mostly a function of friction (more is better), chemistry (ours is secret), and a multitude of edges (siping).

RM: What is Astral's design choice as far as traction vs longevity of the shoe rubber, given the assumption that softer stickier rubber will wear out faster? 

Astral: Compound chemistry has advanced a lot in the last decade. It is now possible to build outsoles that are extremely sticky and also very durable. That being said.. we do have 2 standard compounds. G.ss offers 15% more wet grip than G15, while G.15 is about 15% more abrasion resistant. For all but the most discerning users, the two compounds wear and perform very similarly.

Toe Protection

This element should be a top priority for rafters. The very nature of how we boat requires that rafters be in and out of our boats, but more importantly have our forward toe squished most of the day. Most boaters use either thwarts or foot cups to lock themselves into the raft and that constant downward pressure can lead to a condition climbers call toe bang. This is typically observed as a purplish bruise under the toenail or losing your toenail completely. Toe bang also occurs from banging your toe on a rock, hence the name, which is easy to do while we basically boulder on shore all day.

There are a couple of schools of thought on this one. It is tempting to go with the classic sandal solution, which drain fast, and is probably adequate if you are only running summer class II-III on the regular. If you do elect for this option selecting a sandal with a good toe cap will help a lot on the river. The problem is that your friends will buy you some knee high socks to help protect you from the sun and fill out your dad sandals. Seriously though, it is a better option to select something with a hard toe cap to avoid damaging your toes.

If you are running a lot of harder whitewater in the class IV – V range then toe protection becomes even more important. Most folks wouldn’t run class IV or harder without a helmet so why would you treat your toes like that? Breaking or even just injuring a toe on the river can create some serious logistical issues for boaters. The best option is to select shoes that can take an impact and help support you on the water. Shoes like the La Sportiva TX-3 have a strong toe cap that will help prevent injury on the water.

Tough Sole

As rafters we have different priorities from our friends in kayaking, but unfortunately kayaking has dominated the direction of river shoes for some time now. Many shoes are designed to be a bit softer and more flexible to allow you to fit into the cockpit of a kayak.

As rafters though having a hard sole is critical since it can help you brace more efficiently. Flexible and floppy soles prevent you from allowing your whole foot to engage in your braces by molding to thwarts and soft surfaces of rafts.

On top of that a soft sole can cause more foot issues when scouting. It is a double edged sword since traction is a function of surface area touching the rock. The more your shoe can mold to the surface, the more rubber you have grabbing the rock. If the sole is too soft though rocks can injury your foot when you take a hard step. A slip or a fall onto a jagged flake or an odd piece of gravel can easily bruise a paddler’s foot especially in a rescue situation where getting to your boating buddy is super important.

Another consideration that we often have as boaters that other sports do not is that we can’t always see where we are stepping. Muddy water, loose gravel, and bushes can all hide metal, sharp rocks, and debris which can penetrate weak foot beds. Phillip also contributed some thoughts on sole toughness below:

RM: Many paddlers have commented on Astral shoes being a softer shoe in general compared to say a chaco sandal or a more traditional shoe. Can you comment on the choice behind that design choice? Is the shoe optimized for entry into a kayak or was there another overall design choice that led the development of the current line of shoes? 

Astral: Astral outsoles are intentionally soft. The softer rubber allows the outsole to conforms to the very irregular surfaces of river rocks, thus increasing friction which makes for much better grip.

RM: How thick is the footbed of an astral shoe and how well does the sole of the shoe dissipate the energy of an impact? 

Astral: We have several different options for footbed thickness and hardness because different users appreciate more more or less support, flexibility, and/or impact resistance. We publish the "ground to foot" distance which ranges from 12mm to 21mm. We consider this range of thicknesses to adequately support and/or protect the foot.

Ankle Protection

The popularity of kayaking has driven many of the designs of river shoes have been adapted to ease entry and exit for a kayak cockpit like soft soles. This has weakened the ankle support of shoes progressively over the years. As a rafter it is a good idea to have solid ankle support for several reasons:

• Prevent rolling an ankle

• Provide additional joint support in a raft

• Support the paddler while they carry heavy loads

• Prevent damage to a drysuit

In rafting our ankles are subject to a lot of rotational forces that can cause injury and discomfort. Many of these issues can be addressed by some solid ankle support. Unfortunately there is a bit of difficulty finding a good high top on the market at the moment.

Fast draining

Having shoes that fill with water is not your friend. Needless to say a bootie filled with water is heavy to walk in and uncomfortable to swim in, but if you are adding a couple pounds of water to each foot you are just making more work for yourself.

Some tips to avoid this is to buy shoes that are more true to size if possible, however if you can only afford 1 pair of shoes and you need shoes for multiple seasons you may be stuck with only one option. Typically boaters who buy a pair of shoes to use with their dry suit in the winter it will size up to accommodate both warm socks and their drysuit booties.

If this situation applies to you the best option when it warms up is to pick up a pair of wetsuit socks to help fill out some of that space in your shoes. In the spring when the water is colder or you aren’t wearing a drysuit it can feel fantastic to keep your feet warm and keep water from filling up your shoes.

In warmer conditions a lot of boaters opt for the classic pair of sandals which certainly fit the bill for fast draining and can be a great option on easy runs if they are built with some of the above principals in mind. Ultimately though if you are getting an actual shoe, it is best to look for mesh uppers whenever possible.

Another good point on the fast draining topic is the idea of sediment filled water and sandy beaches. These can make actual shoes very uncomfortable by filling them with small rocks and sand which can be highly abrasive to your feet especially on long multi day trips. If it is left unaddressed rashes, blisters, and abrasions can be a serious issue. In general the easier the whitewater the more likely you will have to contend with abrasive sand.

Comfort

Comfort is an important point since shoes that don’t fit your feet are the worst feeling in the world. In cold weather a tight fit can constrict blood flow and make your feet feel colder or worse, cause cold related illness. Ill-fitting shoes can also cause blisters and rashes especially with the volume of fine sand we are exposed to on the water.

Why proper footwear is important

Team paddler Nathan Stayrook Hobbs offered his thoughts on why proper footwear is important by sharing part of his story: When I left Kansas after High School, I was hell bent on being a Mountaineer and Rock Climber. Little did I know, as a paddler, when things go wrong those would be the skills that I would fall back on. 

I hardly remember what sparked my interest in climbing, but I remember my oldest sister receiving a copy of John Long's “How to Rock Climb!” and reading it cover to cover at least a dozen times before I was a freshman. That book, along with accounts of various mountain expeditions, solidified my belief that on vertical rock was where I wanted to be. In college I took several climbing classes that taught safe climbing practices and rescue techniques. We learned how to build anchors using gear and natural features; how to escape a belay and ascend a rope to rescue an injured partner.

The rope work and gear were secondary to movement; how to ascend, descend, and traverse using your fingers and toes and subtle shifts in body position. I found myself obsessed with figuring out how to jam my fingers into cracks and smear toes onto the tiniest of crystals. My senior year I found myself at one of the local crags four days a week, believing that if one focused and trained hard enough, a good pair of shoes was the only thing you needed to take up on the wall with you. 

After sustaining a severe concussion that caused world-spinning vertigo in a motorcycle crash, I shifted focus. Paddling would be what consumed me and as I progressed I found that my skills as a climber were right at home in those deep river canyons. Every time I stepped out of my boat I was putting my climbing skills to use. Whether it was tying ropes around trees to secure boats, hopping from rock to rock, or scaling a short cliff to start a portage, my foot work and rope craft came into play. 

Of all of these skills, though, I would rank my foot work as the most valuable. Over the years, I have witnessed various accidents caused by slipping on rocks or people losing their footing while portaging. Much worse is when you find yourself without your boat, clinging to a cliff and having to decide whether to jump back in and swim the rest of a set or to climb a crack system leading to safety. This is a place I have found myself a few times, I have to admit, but I survived because I could climb. The most notable was on Upper Cherry Creek R2 paddling with Nate Corona (Nate#1). It was higher water and we were by ourselves, having a pretty successful but stressful run (who wants to be up there alone?). We reached Waterfall Alley, scouted it, and decided it was runnable. We peeled out of the eddy to set up for the first drop, hit our entry point, tipped over the edge, and plugged way too deep. The stern stall cork screw flipped us into an eddy barely big enough for one tube.  We were able to stay with the boat, grabbed the wall beside us, and tried fruitlessly to re-flip the boat without sending it or us into the next drop. We quickly became too scared to continue on that course of action. I began to study the 15-ish foot wall behind us and found a few holds that would get me started, figuring I would sort out the rest as I went along. With a few dicey smears and bomber jug at the top, I made it up. After dropping a rope to Nate, he was able to re-flip the raft and keep it in the eddy. After re-joining him in the raft, we made our way down the rest of Waterfall Alley uneventfully.

You could look at this story and say, “well if you were with someone they could have dropped a rope to you” or “I bet I could have re-flipped the boat in that eddy.” All of this may be true, but the more skills and abilities you have the more options you have. The more self-reliant you are, the more it frees up the group to look out for those who are trying to step up. Climbing is not something we normally consider as part of paddling, but think about those times when you're not in the boat. What skills do you find yourself using or needing? For me it’s good foot work. 

I obviously rely on climbing a fair amount, but I can also say that Nate’s knowledge as a welder and fabricator has helped us as well. His knowledge allowed us to build boats that are much easier to portage and hike in than regular rafts making it feasible to go places with long complex portages or long hike-ins.

Tips for shoe selection

To sum it all up, if you can only afford one pair of river shoes then having one general purpose pair of river shoes will go a lot farther than having several pairs of different shoes. Most importantly though, try to get a pair that best fits the type of river you will be running more that 50% of the time. Additionally if you will be using them with a drysuit often then consider sizing up a little and picking up a pair of neoprene socks that you can wear to help pad them out. High traction and good toe protection should be at the top of your list for what to look for in your next shoe though.

TX-3 Approach Shoe - La Sportiva

Rafting Magazine Wet Traction Rating: 31

MSRP $ 159.00

With a mesh-constructed upper, this approach shoe is designed for breathability and comfort over rough terrain. The “climbing zone” toe, featuring Vibram® Mega-Grip™ Traverse rubber, coupled with the burly Trail Bite™ Heel Platform provides maximum grip in scree and mud.

• SIZES: 38 - 47.5 (half sizes)

• WEIGHT: 12.50 oz (360g) 

• UPPER: PolyMesh / 1.5mm PU TechLite rand / Vibram® rubber toe rand 

• LINING: Non-slip mesh 

• MIDSOLE: Traverse injection MEMlex / STB™ Control System 

• SOLE: Vibram® Mega-Grip™ Traverse with Impact Brake System™

Scuffler - Astral Designs

MSRP $ 125.00

Built on our high performance TR1 chassis, this is our most rugged and versatile trail shoe. TPU overlays fight abrasion while a synthetic suede harness supports and protects the midfoot. Seamless lining and foam provide Cadillac-like comfort for cruising through any terrain.

• Uppers: Quick drying ripstop 2D mesh; protective TPU overlays at heel, toe and quarter; padded collar and tongue; rigid toe and heel counters for protection and support; removable Polygiene® treated insoles combat odor.

• Midsole: Level heel to ball, with Top Shank™ to reduce foot fatigue.

• Outsole: Aggressive 5mm lugs with flex grooves, made from G.15™ high friction Rubber. Non-marking.

• Foot to Ground Distance: 21mm heel, 20mm ball

• Fit: True to size

• Weight: Men’s 9 = 318 g (11.22 oz)