My first sandals were really cheap, weird looking ones, really wide, like snowshoes. They were at least 1 inch wider than the rest of my foot, all round, which offered great protection from the usual uglies that can be found on the beach. They were great for sailing and general running around on the beach, and I even hiked 5 miles of the road between North Beach and Masset in the Queen Charlottes in them. They had a sole like a deck shoe, with lots of little slits, so they had great grip on wet logs, rocks and fiberglass. They would be not be great for kayaking, due to the foot entrapment problem. Of course, they cannot be found anywhere now. Second pair of cheapies were not as good. The sole was very slick, and they were not very wide, so they offered little protection from rocks, barnacles, glass etc.. I wound up with a serious barnacle slash wearing them. On my third pair. They wrap around the foot really well, to protect it, almost half a shoe, and the strap design should not pose a trapping hazard in the kayak. However, the sole is a pseudo-hiker style, which has poor grip on wet logs and rocks, and the strap material is very hard on the feet. I won't be doing any major hikes in these ones. I have never tried the expensive sandals, but the soles do not inspire me with confidence. They are too much like hiking boot soles, which are about the worst possible for slick wet surfaces. Good soft rubber might help, but I would prefer to get a deckshoe style of sole on my next pair. So, whatever kind you get, look for good foot protection, particularly on the sides, straps that won't hang up in the kayak, and a sole that will stick to wet logs, not dry rock faces. Rob. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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