Water Shoes Types: How to Choose the Right Pair
If you have plans to get into water any soon, a perfect pair of aqua footwear will make your experience more enjoyable and safer. Water shoes types range from boots, socks, barefoot and close-toes shoes. Following are details plus a guide on how to choose the right pair.
Barefoot Water Shoes
Barefoot shoes share a lot with closed-feet shoes. Barefoot shoes have a partition for each individual toe as an alternative of encasing all your toes inside a shoe. These water shoes are flexible, lightweight, durable and comfortable.
Booties
Booties is a type of aqua foot wear that, in addition to protecting your feet, keeps you warm in deep cold waters. Some can be worn on their own while others are worn with adjustable fins.
Your can actually wear any aqua booties including those expensive types for divers but the best for light water activities such as swimming and snorkeling are the cheap and lightweight swim or surf booties . A good number of swim boots come with ankle and shin straps for warmth and additional stability.
Socks
Just like the other beach foot wear, aqua socks also make life at beach more comfortable. They are basically lightweight foot protection wear that is made of neoprene. Some can be worn on their own while others are with aqua shoes or fins.
They come in a variety of designs some featuring minor tread while others are made of thick rubber soles that offer substantial traction.
If you’re intending to indulge in calm, light and short-term beach activities, these socks are enough.
Closed Toe Water Shoes
These are the normal shoes, with or without laces, we all know except know except that they designed to worn in or around water. They are the best for all around use. They come with a proper lacing system, a mesh lining and a padded collar. Some also come with excellent ventilation and drainage.
Compared to the other types of water shoes these closed toe foot wear provides the best support and protection from both sun, sand and sharp rocks. However, some are pricey as well as not lightweight.
Active Water Shoes
These are designed to handle multiple vigorous activities such as beach running, hiking, backpacking among others.
They have been made out of materials that are specially created to be lightweight while letting water to easily drain through them.
Flip Flops/Slippers
Also known as thong sandals or slippers, flip flops are affordable and super light aqua footwear that consists of a flat sole that is held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap that passes between the big toe and the second toe to the sides of the foot. This They are usually made of rubber but other materials can also be used.
This option is good especially when walking along the beach on the hot sand during summer. Generally, best for light beach activities such as short distance walking after or before a snorkeling tour.
Flip flops do not secure the ankles meaning that their comfort and stability level is quite low.
Sandals
These category of water shoes consist of a sole that is held firmly on the foot by straps or thongs that pass over the instep and are secured at the ankles. A sandal may have flat soles or it may have heels.
They are better than flip flops but are also meant for lightweight beach activities like walking.
Buy Guide
When buying booties or socks, you will find two kinds; a one-size fits all tube design and a fitted version with a thin sole underneath. The tube design is usually made out of stretchable Lycra while the booties use thin nylon laminate neoprene which adds insulation.
