Canyoneering shoe

[John S.]

I may be headed to the Zion Virgin Narrows in July and need opinions on footwear for an overnighter there. Would you wear regular trailrunners that will be wet most of the time or would you get some more specialized water shoe? I have Salomon Tech Amphibians and Montrail Vitesse already. Thanks.

A search mentions Teva X-1’s and Timberland Delerion Pros.

[Vick Hines]

Something to consider: Not only will your feet be wet most of the time, but you will be getting sand and gravel in your shoes constantly. Any shoe that lets grit in will tend to keep it in – even sandals. The Delerion has an integral gaiter system and is likely to be the most grit free shoe you can find unless you attach DirtyGirl’s stretch gaiters with Velcro to your shoe of choice.

You can also search this forum for some testing of water absorbtion and drying times from several shoe brands.

[John Brown]

Shoes were my most frustrating gear issue on a recent Esclante trip, I found that my Montrail Hardrocks dried quickly enough. However, all kinds of sand came in through the mesh toes, not just at the ankle. I just let the shoe fill till I couldn’t take it anymore, stop, empty, repeat.

It seems to me there’s a dilemma. Any shoe w/ enough mesh to dry quick is going to let in tons of sand. But if you do an all leather, or denser fabric shoe, to keep out sand, then you lose drying time in a big way. Any thoughts on this?

[John S.]

Did you see the talk about the Timberland Delerion Pro shoe? It seems to have a tight weaved “mesh” that was said to keep out sand fairly well. I don’t have the link handy.

[Anonymous]

John,

I’ve seen the mesh you are talking about on two other shoes. The Inov-8 Mudroc 280 and the Nike Orizaba. The Nike has an integrated gaiter too, but it isn’t as refined compared to the Delerion.

[Colleen Clemens]

i hiked it in Chaco’s last time and they were just fine, although i should have worn some kind of sock since by the end the straps were cutting into my very soggy skin. the Narrows won’t have many places where you’ll be walking in wet sand – it will mostly be dry and hard-baked soil and then pebbly or rocky river walking. DEFINITELY carry a sturdy hiking pole, as some riverwalking sections are very rocky and the rocks also tend to be slippery.

you can rent actual canyoneering shoes from a couple of outfitters in whatever that town is right outside the entrance to Zion (sorry i’m blanking out on the name). the shoe is by five-ten, and it’s called the Canyoneer, oddly enough.

if you want to know a place to camp for free outside the park, contact me privately. tarbubble aaaa tttt yahoo dot you-know-what.

[Paul Cronshaw]

I am jumping in here to ask about lightweight shoes that can be also used not only for canyoneering trips but also for extensive river/creek crossings.

Can shoes such as Crocs, “surf socs” be used for canyoneering expeditions also?

I remember reading in one of these threads about some inexpensive LW shoes with a mesh top that could be worn for wet crossings. I would like to know that resource.

[Craig Shelley]

These are the best shoe for these conditions that I know of. The problem may be finding a pair since Timberland seems to have discontinued them. I did a test where I acquired fine sand/dirt from the desert near Grand Junction CO and tried to get into into the side of the Delerion and other shoes. The Delerion does an excellent job of keeping it out and has the tight fitting gaitor too.

Craig Shelley

[Joshua Scholnick]

Like Colleen wrote, why not rent a pair of 5.10 Canyoneer shoes from the Zion Adventure Company when you get there?

[T. Sedlak]

I have a pair of Teva X-1 I am planning to take to Zion. I have forded a couple of local rivers in them. They dry slower than classic water shoes, but are much more sturdy and suitable for hiking. The mesh is very fine. I think grit is more likely to enter through the tops/sides of the shoe than the mesh. I am planning to couple these with waterproof socks in the river.

FOLLOW-UP: The Teva X-1 performed well on Canyoneer trips (Zion Narrows, Zion Subway). They shed water very well but took overnight to fully lose the damp feeling. Very versatile and did well on land, going 2000 ft down to the Subway or 1500 ft up Angels Landing.

The water socks (Sealskins water blocker) did not fare so well. They allow water in through the top if totally submerged. If you do not go below ankle deep in the water they are fine. They are somewhat fragile too, but the manufacturer, Danalco, was cool about replacing my pair gratis. In the future, if I am going to be submerged I would suggest quick-drying thin synthetic socks or neoprene socks if the water is very cold.

[Anonymous]

The Nike Free Trail is lined with a ripstop nylon which keeps out sand. No sand in the shoes when I walked on the beach yesterday, but I was going slowly enough that sand wasn’t coming over the top.

It’s a great all around shoe. Protective, stable, COMFORTABLE, looks to be very durable with the one piece synthetic leather upper (like a moccassin). It feels good on my feet. I like the flexibility, and how it allows you to flatten your toes on the ground like nature intended… I don’t think I will be able to stand shoes with a lot of toe spring (the toe up profile most shoes have) anymore in the future. It’s the pretty much the only footwear that I’ve used since I got them a couple of weeks ago. I wear them for all my running (~80 miles per week), hiking, general walking around, wear them to work, etc.

[Dale Wambaugh]

The cheap shoes for wading or fording were from Sprint Aquatics.

http://www.sprintaquatics.com/prodinfo.asp?number=901

They won’t hold up for canyoneering. I would expect to get no more than a season from them and I wouldn’t use them for fast/cold water fords. They are great for camp shoes and easier fords or wading.

[John S.]

Tarbubble, I emailed about that campsite but didn’t hear back.

[Colleen Clemens]

oh, crud, i have my response saved in Draft and forgot all about it. i wanted to check the place names before i wrote back – i can drive there from memory, but need to make sure i give you correct names! thanks for the ping, i’ll get the map out today.

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