Lightweight and low-cut waterproof shoes in size 15

Edit: Sorry for the lecture, I assumed that you were new to backpacking and didn't understand the downsides to waterproof shoes.

Look, I anticipated (well-intentioned) lectures like this. I have plenty of hiking experience that says otherwise. Wet feet for days that get really smashed, and heavy, soggy shoes that can't dry where I walk if it's wet (I walk in rainforest at 1000m plus, and when it's wet, it's wet). On the contrary, in my Goretex lined shoes my feet stay warm and dry and get…not so smashed. I wear waterproof mini gaiters over the top, and, if necessary, dry pants over the the tops of those. And I don't walk in puddles, period. Works well for me.

So, if anyone's able to point me to low-cut shoes that will fit my flippers and even claim to be waterproof, that'd be much appreciated.

Happy hunting. It's a curse, big feet. I too wear a 15,

http://www.zappos.com/brooks-ghost-gore-tex-lava-black-shadow?zfcTest=fcl%3A0

http://www.zappos.com/patagonia-drifter-a-c-coriander-cork?zfcTest=fcl%3A0

Hi Matt,

I've owned a couple pairs of the Keen Targhee II and they have been fine for me. The sole is similar to a hiking boot's so they work great with gaiters. They are waterproof, provide good ankle support, great traction, and I get a lot of mileage out of them.

REI shows that they are available in size 15.

http://www.rei.com/product/772933/keen-targhee-ii-cross-training-shoes-mens

Wow that's some big feet

I had a friend with feet your size and he said the only companies that he ever found to truly fit his feet were New Balance and Keen. So I second the Keen recommendation. I'm sure they'll have a model for you. Not the lightest of brands but no shoe is particularly light in size 15 haha. Keens do, generally, have very strong and durable soles that will fit your needs.

> If the upper is all mesh and lacking leather or "leather" sections, all the better.
> be waterproof and low-cut.
?????
Total contradiction in terms.
Yes, there may be some out there, but they will be made for the 'novice must have GTX' market rather than being really useful.

Cheers

Thanks for the suggestions. The Brooks sound great, except I think that I've tried those ones before and a section of the sole delaminated after only one trip.

The Keens look good, except they look relatively heavy and I think they have a plate in them. I'm not exactly Mr Agile, so I need all the lightness and flexibility in a shoe I can get. Big heavy size 15 shoes are a dangerous threat to small furry animals underfoot at the best of times.

Roger, I think you might have missed part of what I was asking for: a shoe with a mostly mesh upper, that is waterproof on account of having something like a Gore-tex liner. That is not a contradiction, I don't regard myself as a novice, and I have found such shoes very helpful. It's just that I haven't been able to find one with a more robust sole.

He wants non-leather Gore-tex or equivalent shoes. How is that a contradiction?

Hi Matt

What will the GTX liner achieve? If you walk through a creek the water will come in through the big hole at the top. If you are walking through wet grass, your socks will get wet. If it is raining, the water will run down your trousers into your socks.

But so what? Wet feet won't hurt you: we walk through rivers all the time. The mesh lets the water drain out quickly; GTX would keep your feet very wet.

Sorry, but the idea of 'a shoe with a mostly mesh upper, that is waterproof' is just not realistic imho. All the GTX liner will do is give you 'prune feet' in hot weather.

Cheers

I'm not Matt, but I do wear waterproof footwear ten months of the year, or more. Depending on terrain.

Roger asked: "What will the GTX liner achieve?" It will keep feet dry, warm, and unmacerated. "If you walk through a creek the water will come in through the big hole at the top." Not if you wear something else, or nothing, to cross the creek. "If you are walking through wet grass, your socks will get wet." Not if you wear gaiters, or high cut boots with low socks. "If it is raining, the water will run down your trousers into your socks." Not if you wear rain pants or chaps that come over the tops of your gaiters or boots.

"But so what? Wet feet won't hurt you: we walk through rivers all the time. The mesh lets the water drain out quickly; GTX would keep your feet very wet."

This, I respectfully offer, is not necessarily true in environments unlike Roger's. In waterlogged moss, squelchy bog and grassy marshes, water will certainly not drain out. 'Quick dry' mesh shoes will not be drying, ever. This leads to a day spent with macerated feet, never mind the silt and mud entering through the mesh to chafe the softened skin. Even without considering the temperature, none of this is comfortable in the long term. Should the resulting cracks and blisters end up infected (bog and marshwater, remember) it could be worse than uncomfortable.

"Sorry, but the idea of 'a shoe with a mostly mesh upper, that is waterproof' is just not realistic imho. All the GTX liner will do is give you 'prune feet' in hot weather."

Maybe my feet just don't sweat much? Maybe my wool socks mitigate the pruning? All I know is I can be guaranteed pruned feet WITHOUT the waterproof footwear. Because of the environment I walk in. If I was walking dry trails with occasional water crossings followed by more dry trail, different story.

OP, btw, I have enjoyed the Keen Gypsum Mids, which I think are pretty light for a higher-cut boot. The sole is quite flexible, with good traction. The membrane has never wet through, and there is a fairly substantial amount of mesh compared to some other Keens. In fact, they actually do 'breathe', circumstances permitting, and I finish even a 20+ Celsius day with socks no more than slightly damp from sweat.

Roger,
More and more, they are putting mesh over the GTX or other WPB liners.
So there must be a demand for them.

But with a lot of testing, I found that serious prolonged rain comes right through the mesh and penetrates the WPB liners. And long distance trekking almost always means serious prolonged rain.

People buy these shoes and use them for short hikes without too much problem.
You can even use them for fording, swab them out, and be back home by dark.

But after a few weeks of continuous trekking, the Keens and others will fall apart. I don't use the Keens for fording, and still have to buy a new pair every 6-12 months. They are just so darn comfortable, though, I keep buying them.

At this point I am carrying EVA sandals and thin dive sox anklets for fording, and using GTX shortie gaitors to keep sun, mud and rain from destroying the Keens before the end of their short lifespans. A lot of folks could not do this, as the double WPB layer would smother their feet. I bet you are one of those – LOL.

Hi Sam

> So there must be a demand for them.
Oh, sure, but that is the purpose of 'marketing'. Doesn't mean the idea is useful though, just that you can sell it.

> as the double WPB layer would smother their feet. I bet you are one of those
Dunno. We just don't bother trying to keep our feet dry. We sometimes travel IN the rivers as the scrub on the sides is 'not good'.
See the photo half way down
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/nb_mt1110gt_review.html
titled 'Walking across the Coxs River'. When we have to cross a river like this every half hour, we just keep walking.

Cheers

"Dunno. We just don't bother trying to keep our feet dry. We sometimes travel IN the rivers as the scrub on the sides is 'not good'."

Yup, I do the same thing on creek bushwacking adventures. My feet are wet all day long. My avatar was taken on a week long creekwhacking trip where my feet were wet all day, every day. And it was below 40 degrees the entire time. It wasn't a problem.

I second what Bogs and Bergs wrote, as his situation mirrors mine pretty closely.

@Samuel. In my experience I've worn both Nike and Brook GTX runners through 4 days of continual exposure to water (the mesh never dried out) and they (and my feet) have both been fine. Problem for both shoes was the soles start falling apart.

@ Justin: "My feet are wet all day long…week long creekwhacking trip where my feet were wet all day, every day…below 40 degrees the entire time. It wasn't a problem"

Wish I were you! My feet fall to pieces.

Something I've wondered is whether I could use shoes like this, coupled with socks for insulation and a plastic bag as a vapour barrier:

http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/product/shoes/men/waterfront/mckenzie/brindle!mandarin%20red

Any thoughts?

@ Bogs and Bergs. Thanks for the Keen Gypsum tip. I'm a bit bewildered by the number of Keen shoes with membranes. Trying to work out what the difference is among them (they don't give too many details).

Just read this thread that mentioned neoprene booties. Maybe they could work as socks – waterproof and insulating and cushioning.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=75742

You could try Seal Skinz socks. They feel a bit like neoprene but are apparently breathable to some extent. They make them in a few different thicknesses/warmths.

Roger and Justin, again I think we are talking about different circumstances. If the water is clear and clean, having your feet in it all day is not going to be anything like having your feet swimming in the silty, gritty black water of a bog or marsh. It's the combination of friction from this dirt, macerated skin, plus bacteria-laden water, that causes trouble.

Matt, I have considered trying goretex or neoprene socks, but went with the one-piece solution of boots I know to be comfortable. Wasn't sure how the socks would hold up given the silt and mud, wasn't sure I wanted more seams around my feet. I have in the past used tough freezer bags as socks, but found the sweatiness greatly increased, the expected physiological response to airlessness I guess. Works well short-term, though.

For dayhiking (and I know this will shock and appal) I sometimes wear rubber boots! Baffin Boots makes a tall boot of extremely soft and flexible proprietary rubber, with a removable wool liner and a laced nylon cuff to close the top as required. That felted wool liner kills sweatiness, but carry a spare liner, spare socks and a square of shamwow towel and you're guaranteed instantly dry feet even if you've just gone knee-deep in the marsh. Best traction of any footwear I've ever had, too, which is wonderful when you're going from algae-covered rocks to slick black mud and back again.

Can't believe I just praised full-on rubber boots on BPL. Doubt you've seen THAT before. :)

B&B, Thanks for the tip about the Baffin boots. I avoid that kind of terrain now, but if that ever changes, I'll know where to look. NEterners have been wearing Beans and Sorel boots with rubber bottoms for years to deal with mushy terrain.

Roger, But what about those crocodiles who live in Oz. Read in Wild magazine that they are far more aggressive than the lazy alligators here. Pop right out of the big swampy and pull you in by the foot. Thrash, splash, gulp … burp.

> what about those crocodiles who live in Oz. Read in Wild magazine that they are far
> more aggressive than the lazy alligators here. Pop right out of the big swampy and
> pull you in by the foot.

Why do you think we wear very low-cut joggers? So we can get our feet out of them very quickly while the crocs are tasting the rubber soles!

Anyhow, the Drop Bears are much more dangerous.

Cheers