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When buying new kayak shoes the first function they should serve is protection. You never know where in a river you will be when you need to stand on the river bed and you can't always see what's down there. With anything from sharp rocks to fishing line and hooks could be ready for you to tread on, so the importance of foot protection cannot be under estimated.

My own particular brand are 'NRS Attack' shoes, though for a beginner it is fine to wear an old pair of running shoes rather than fork out for shoes specific to water sports and kayaking. There are many reputable brands of kayak shoe which are all produced to a high standard with not a lot to choose between them. They all are extremely comfortable and indeed mine are as comfortable as my slippers whether they are wet of dry! They all offer great protection on the sole of the foot and have great traction on all wet and slippery surfaces you may encounter, even on the slippery algae covered green rocks you find along rivers. Even if you have the luxury of paddling barefoot over soft sandy shores you never know what you may step on with hard shells stones and even crabs lying in the sand.

Most kayak shoes have a layer of neoprene in them which serve to trap a layer of water between it and your flesh which keeps your delicate feet nice and warm even in the very coldest of conditions. It's important that you get the correct size kayak shoe as anything too big or too small can become extremely uncomfortable when you have them on for hours at a time in wet conditions.

Learn more about this author, Lee Gee.
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