If you are going to the beach or on a cruise you probably need a pair of water shoes. Most people go to the dollar store or Wallyworld and look for the cheapest pair they can find because they think water shoes are ugly and they don’t last. But the truth is water shoes have come a long way since your mom put those ugly hot pink ones on your feet at the beach. Not only can you look cool in water shoes but you will find ways to use them after you have left that Caribbean Island. I just moved to the Islands and I bought some to use. Now I’m obsessed with them. I wear them all the time. I’m starting to wear them more than my flip flops.
So let me take you on a tour of the various option for water shoes. There are basically 5 types of water shoes.
Type One
The cheap mesh ones from the dollar store. These will last you 4-5 times that you wear them. They only come in split sizes like 9/10 sizes and they suck. You get what you pay for, so if you want to spend $5 on something that will break before you are done using it this is the way you want to go.
Type two
These are the neoprene ones you get at Walmart or Kmart for about $8-12. They usually come in whole sizes like 9 or 10. They will probably last for your whole vacation. But you won’t look cool and you’ll probably throw them away when you get home. These will work if you want to wear them in the pool or just on a rocky beach but they can’t handle much more than that.
Type three
Water socks. These are kind of new on the scene. I read a ton of the reviews about them and I wanted to love them. I was going to buy them before I moved to the islands. I read too many reviews that said they ripped after one or two times being worn. So the ris
Type four
Slip-on quick-dry shoes. These are the sweet spot. They start around $25, and they are going to last for your whole vacation and beyond. You can wear them to the pool all summer or even when you have a lot of errands to run and you think your feet will get tired from wearing flip flops all day. I’ve actually started to wear these more than my flip flops. Some days I think they are a little hotter than if I had on my flops but I think they are better for my feet and my posture.
Type five
Nice shoes you can wear in the water. This is your name brand category where you know you won’t be disappointed. Prices start around $60 an go up from there. You are going to get good materials and construction. If you live at the beach or if you do a lot of water sports they are worth the money. You can go through two or three
Alternatives
Sandals are an obvious alternative and I will just talk quickly about them. A lot of sandals are slippery when they are wet. They tend to have bad traction on rocky surfaces, and when they are wet your foot can slide around in the sandal. If you are hiking up to a waterfall or even walking on a rocky beach and you have either one of these traction problems, it can not only drive you crazy but could cause an injury if you slip or twist an ankle.
Wearing your old sneakers in the water is also an alternative. It’s a pretty sucky one, but it’s an alternative. Do you remember when you were little and you’d wear your old shoes to play in the river? In case you don’t remember, they get really heavy, they hold water, and they are always coming untied.