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Buying a pair of kayak shoes is a matter of finding the right footwear to be used both in the water and in land. Finding a comfortable footwear for alternating wet and dry terrain has always been a headache, particularly when you want to do a little trail walking or have a portage to make.

In general, the idea for a pair of good kayak shoes are:

1. They have sticky soles for traction on wet logs and rocks. Although there are limits to this, but so far the 'natural rubber' soles are among the best;

2. They provide enough support for walking without feeling like boots;

3. They have drain holes so that water can get out as you move from the river to the trail;

4. They MUST made of water-resistant, fast-drying materials that can take repeated soakings.

A good example of the features in a product genre is the Salomon Tech Amphibian. This pair even works well with Neoprene socks-the back of the shoe collapses so it can be worn like a slip-on. Or, lace the shoes up for extended walking. Sold at $80, you can grab it online at Rei outdoor gear, http://www.rei.com/footwear

Tev a's Atrato shoes take a similar concept, in an almost similar price with the Salomon's. At the price $75, a pair of it goes with a sole designed for especially good traction on slick surfaces. Visit http://teva.com for further details, and more choice on this brand.

Nike is in on the action, too. Nike has Toketee Mid (http://nike.com). It is essentially a Neoprene sock with a water sandal wrapped around it. The design goes a bit toward the "water" side of things, as it's a little soft for extended portaging, but it has adequate support and good foot protection for dry-land use, with good insulation for long wet periods.

The self-bailing feature is offered too by The North Face Diad Boa. Both men's and women's shoes are sold at $89.95, online review are in backcountry.com (http://www.backcountry.com/st ore/cat/100000009/Shoes.html)

F ortunately, in the quest to devise a product for every possible application, shoemakers have come up with a pretty substantial number of products that perform like aqualung-equipped trail runners. Any of these shoes should do a great for you, choose ones that fits you the best.

Have a safe journey!

Learn more about this author, Agafya Chase.
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