I like to picture waterfalls, rivers, and seascapes. Those subjects make up almost 50% of my portfolio. And when photographing those, I need to have appropriate footing to move freely and focus on the subject and structure. So the topic of this article is proper water shoes that I finally found after testing several brands throughout the years.
I understand that this is not the normal devices evaluation you ‘d anticipate here because it’s not about a brand-new camera, some elegant lens, a tripod, or a cam bag. But for me, water shoes likewise fall under the category of essential photography devices. Without those, it would be tough to take a few of the pictures, for which I need to enter into the water.
Take this image of the La Fortuna waterfall in Costa Rica. I was standing right in the middle of the river on a mix of sharp and slippery rocks when I took this photo. I have done such photoshoots barefoot, but it was never ever a pleasant experience. In the end, I ‘d be focused so much on where to put my feet that the images I ‘d take would generally be doing not have.
Requirements for Water Shoes
To discover the best water shoes, I needed to set some requirements:
-
As with all shoes, they ought to be comfortable to wear. It is something where my previous water shoes were doing not have. I used a pair of Vibram FiveFinger shoes with joints inside, which cut into my feet when sand and water entered the shoes.
-
They must be easy to place on and off since I frequently have my water shoes in my backpack when I do a longer walking to a picture spot. Once I’m on location, I don’t wish to be fumbling with my water shoes. I wish to insinuate and head into the water.
-
Water shoes require to sit firm. If the shoes slip off while learning a hurrying river, they’re lost. This requirement stands in contrast to the previous one. Frequently, if shoes are easy to put on, they do not sit particularly firm. For my Vibram shoes, the opposite was true: They sat extremely firm however were a hassle to place on.
-
I want light-weight shoes for my journeys, and I found that barefoot shoes with a thin sole are generally the very best bet with their low weight and small packing size. In the past, I even used socks made from Dyneema product. Those were from FYF and a bit too minimalistic for my taste.
-
Water shoes need to dry quickly. If I put them in a warm room overnight, they need to be dry on the following early morning.
-
A good grip is needed. But there is normally a compromise to be made. Some shoes utilize tough rubber for a robust sole, which lasts for a very long time. Those slip easier on damp surface areas. On the other hand, there are shoes with a softer sole. While such a sole wears away much quicker, it often offers better friction. For me, the sweet spot lies someplace in the middle. Ideally, I can use my water shoes likewise for short to medium walkings, so they require a great profile and resilient sole.
Now that appears like quite a list. Till just recently, I wasn’t sure if I ‘d discover shoes that would fulfill all of those requirements. I bought a number of different shoes for testing, one set fresh from a Kickstarter project. None of them felt right. However after I returned from Costa Rica a number of weeks ago, I lastly discovered an excellent option.
Xero Shoes Aqua X Sport
After some research study, I ended up on the Xero Shoes homepage where I discovered a large selection of barefoot shoes, including the Aqua X Sport, a shoe made for water activities.
What I Like
By opting for the gray version, I now have water shoes, which look like casual shoes. And they are extremely comfy to wear. I wore them throughout a trip to Venice, where I walked more than 10 kilometers every day. In addition to that, I had them on some routes, where they held up nicely.
The shoes have many small holes in the upper fabric to let water drain rapidly. Those holes likewise offer ventilation on warm days when I wear them for activities outside the water.
The elastic laces allow me to put the shoes on and off quickly, and I can protect them appropriately for activities in the water. When the laces are tight, I do not require to fret about losing them to a hurrying river. They likewise stand by around the heel, which offers additional stability. For a great fit, I found that choosing my typical shoe size worked pretty well.
Weighing just 7.5 ounces per shoe for a size 10, the Aqua X Sport is also very light-weight. Hence, bringing them along on my journeys does not include much weight to my luggage.
And what about their quick-dry abilities? They include a removable inner sole that dries rapidly, as does the thin, breathable mesh that makes up the majority of the shoe. Only at the padded heel did I discover the shoes to still be a bit wet after having them sit throughout the night– but a couple of minutes in the sun need to normally fix that.
Now let’s discuss the grip. First of all, the shoes have rather an aggressive sole profile, which provides great traction on trails. But how do they fare on wet rocks? I tested them during a day of waterfall photography with plenty of different surface areas, and they provided me proper footing in a lot of situations. Smooth, damp rocks are troublesome though, and I get more friction when barefoot. As I composed above, there’s always a compromise. However for me, the Aqua X Sport still hits the sweet area.
In addition to all of that, I can use thin neoprene socks with the Aqua X Sport if I get rid of the inner sole. And this is a game-changer for me because I can sustain freezing water for a lot longer now and take my time composing my images.
What Might Be Improved
It would be good to have a version with a various sole profile to increase the surface area with which the sole connects to the ground. It may increase the friction. On the other hand, it may come at the expense of the shoes’ capabilities on tracks.
Conclusion
With a price of 130$, the Xero Shoes Aqua X Sport are a few of the more pricey water shoes you can purchase. However considering their functions and versatility, I believe they deserve the money since they are more than a water shoe. I will likewise utilize them to explore cities, for short to medium walkings in a warm climate, and even when going to restaurants during my travels. Also, with the capability to use them together with neoprene socks, photographing in cold water is now a lot more pleasant.
Source: https://fstoppers.com/reviews/essential-gear-waterfall-and-seascape-photography-604577