footwear

[Mamawburger]

As I mentioned before, I am going to start checking out low river and creek swimming holes. Pondering what kind of shoes I should wear. I have regular water shoes but my concern is slipping on rocks.

Any suggestions would be appreciated...

 

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[pulltaboo]

Occasionally falling in water is part of the fun. However, if you're falling too often, or have a constitution of Humpty Dumpty, spiked shoes are your best bet. And I mean metal spikes, nothing vanilla. When you slip in the stream, it's usually on the layer of algae or weeds, not on the rock itself. So your only chance not to slip in these situations is to reach through and get a solid footing on the rock… hence the spikes.

 

[Ocean7]

I would consider ice creepers or cleats that you can wear over your shoes or sneakers. They sell on Amazon for as low as $9. After a close call in the middle of a small creek years ago, I know algae on boulders can be slippery as ice. And if you watch Aquachigger's latest video on 'Jet Kayaking And Metal Detecting Slime River' - you'll get an idea of how bad algae can get.

 

[Mamawburger]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I actually have a pair of the kind that are held in place with elastic. Now......Remembering where they are

 

[Mamawburger]

Had 2 of my grandkids at a creek a few weeks ago. Got into a spot that was shin deep with a little current. Turned to go back up stream and took a face plant!! Quite gracefully, I might add. The 8 year old boy said " Mamaw, I didn't think you liked swimming" It was just one of those moments...

 

[crashbandicoot]

Lots of fly fishermen use felt soles on their waders.Never used them myself so can,t personally comment on how well they work,just a FYI.

 

[cudamark]

I haven't found anything that works good on slimy rocks. Has anyone here actually bought and used something that works? I use some Mares hard soled dive booties that have a fairly coarse sole pattern, but, even those will slip on the real thickly slimed rocks. I do a lot of two stepping......take a step, test the next one before putting any weight on it, take a step, and repeat.

 

[pulltaboo]

Has anyone here actually bought and used something that works?

I practice what I preach, so yeah… metal spikes. Not "pavement friendly" ones for city walks, but a seriously sharp ones, made of hardened steel.
It also largely depends on your rocks – you want these spikes long enough to penetrate the layer of weeds and/or algae, and you want them to be able to make a serious dent on underlying rocks.
For example, if you're only dealing with slimy rocks, something like this will suffice. But if you've to also penetrate a thick layer of weeds, you've to go big.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Water shoes sold for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing work great.

 

[cudamark]

I practice what I preach, so yeah… metal spikes. Not "pavement friendly" ones for city walks, but a seriously sharp ones, made of hardened steel.
It also largely depends on your rocks – you want these spikes long enough to penetrate the layer of weeds and/or algae, and you want them to be able to make a serious dent on underlying rocks.
For example, if you're only dealing with slimy rocks, something like this will suffice. But if you've to also penetrate a thick layer of weeds, you've to go big.

I didn't realize anyone made a shoe like that for the water. Do you have a brand and/or model that you use?

 

[pulltaboo]

I didn't realize anyone made a shoe like that for the water. Do you have a brand and/or model that you use?

The ones I linked are not shoes, but rather attachments that you can add to any shoe or boot, even waders.

 

[Mamawburger]

Thanks. The suggestions are very helpful.
I ordered water shoes with supposedly " Non-Slip"
We'll see how they work out.