The Best Water Shoes of 2025

Water sneakers are a key piece of drugs that protects toes from sharp coral, slippery rocks, numbing chilly, mosquitoes, and sunburn. The most effective water sneakers assist us stick with paddleboards, run on the seaside, wade fishing flats, portage kayaks, cruise the resort pool, and grip slippery rocks.

Lead tester Nathan Ward is a lifelong adventurer who has paddled his justifiable share of rivers throughout the globe. He examined water sneakers within the warmth and saltwater of the Caribbean and the icy snowmelt of the Rockies. In 2025, author and outside lover Ryan Kempfer took over this information. He put water sneakers to the check on SUP and rafting adventures on the Snake River.

We examined 15 water sneakers aspect by aspect to match help, grip, type, safety, adjustability, drainability, sturdiness, and wearability. We have now you coated whether or not you’re on the lookout for the versatile efficiency of our favourite water sneakers, the Astral Brewer 3.0, or a extra sport-specific choice like our operating choose, the Xero Aqua X Sport.

Editor’s Be aware: We refreshed this information on Could 12, 2025, by including our favourite total water shoe, the Astral Brewer 3.0, and the brand new Teva Hydratek CT, which gained our hearts attributable to its consolation, efficiency and worth.

Water Footwear That Went the Distance

Water Footwear Comparability Chart

How We Examined Water Footwear

Selecting the most effective water sneakers immediately represents a tough problem. Almost each footwear firm presents a “water shoe.” A few of these are reputable sneakers that can be utilized for all sports activities, whereas others are nothing greater than easy socks with non-slip rubber on the underside.

We selected mainstream footwear corporations we’ve got used for years, with the Xera Aqua X Sport being the exception. We added this shoe as a result of the barefoot operating motion is actual and areas close to water are sometimes splendid for operating. 

Our Professional Testers

Nathan Ward headed up this check, first packing all of the sneakers for a visit to the Caribbean after which testing them on the shores of the Arkansas River in Salida, Colo. Nathan is a lifelong adventurer who has kayaked rivers within the Himalayas, wade-fished Rocky Mountain rivers and tropical flats, paddled SUPs on oceans/inlets/lakes/rivers, snorkeled rivers, gingerly crunched over sea urchins, and spent too many hours on the decks of swimming swimming pools watching his son swim backwards and forwards.

He’s additionally a lifelong author, photographer, and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker dedicated to conservation, river restoration, and wildlife safety. In his adventures and work, he has worn out a couple of pair of Astral Brewers. In 2025, Ryan Kempfer took over this information. Residing in Jackson Gap, Ryan assessments water sneakers on paddleboard journeys down the Salt River, raft journeys down the Snake, and on hikes and adventures with water crossings. This information represents the most effective water sneakers in the marketplace. When you’re on the lookout for girls’s-specific selections, try our information to the Finest Water Footwear for Girls. 

Purchaser’s Information: Select the Finest Water Footwear

Given the hundreds of forms of water sneakers accessible, it is a powerful query. Nonetheless, the simplest reply is commonly the most effective. The place will you utilize your water sneakers essentially the most, and the way typically? 

For instance, will you utilize them primarily on the resort or the pool, the place you want a water shoe to guard your toes from sizzling sand, solar, and slipping? Then, the Speedo Surf Knit Professional or XtraTuf Riptide Sandal could also be the most effective shoe for you. 

Nonetheless, when you plan on paddling or swimming whitewater and tackling powerful rocky aspect hikes on a multiday rafting journey, the Teva Hydratek CT Sandal, the Astral Brewer 3.0, the Eager Hyperport H2 Sandal or Merrell Moab Flight Sieve can be your most suitable option. When you’re browsing or paddling chilly rivers or waves, the NRS Paddle Wetshoe can be splendid. 

Shut your eyes, visualize the place you’ll spend most of your water time, and picture what options will make you essentially the most glad. One of many sneakers on this overview will work properly for you.

Use Varieties

Constructing on the idea above, completely different water sneakers are greatest fitted to completely different makes use of. The most typical of those are journey, life-style, and chilly. And trend, after all. Don’t overlook trend.

Typically these classes may be mixed for a broader vary of makes use of. No matter use, each water shoe ought to defend your toes, keep on, and assist forestall you from slipping on moist or slimy surfaces.

Journey

Once we image water adventures, we consider paddling sups, operating whitewater in a raft or a kayak, jogging on the seaside, mountain climbing routes that mix trails and water crossings, or wading over sharp coral to fly fish. Your toes want help, safety from rocks, and sneakers that keep on if you’re washed via a churning whitewater speedy or pinwheeled within the waves. Journey sneakers embrace the Xero Aqua X Sport, the Astral Brewer 3.0, the Teva Hydratek CT Sandal, the Eager Hyperport H2 Sandal, the Merrell Moab Flight Sieve and the Teva Outflow Common. 

Informal/Way of life

Informal water sneakers are oriented extra towards life-style pursuits like strolling in small lapping waves, strolling round city close to the river whilst you search for a scrumptious bagel, crossing the gravel between the parking zone and the seaside, and stepping throughout sun-baked sizzling concrete and sand. You possibly can put on these sneakers on the seaside, the water park, and the restaurant afterward.

They won’t essentially keep on in waves, operating rivers, or any action-oriented water exercise. You typically discover single informal water sneakers washed up alone on the perimeters of lakes, rivers, and seashores. 

Why not simply put on flip-flops? We love flip-flops, however water sneakers positively keep on higher than flip-flops, provide a level of solar safety, and have soles designed to forestall slipping. The Speedo Surf Knit Professional, the XtraTuf Riptide Sandal and Kiata Drift Sneaker, and Merrell Hydro Moc match this life-style class. 

Chilly Water/Chilly Temps

To pursue chilly water sports activities, you want a water shoe that may assist hold your toes as heat as attainable. This typically means a neoprene shoe. Or, you may select a extra sustainable choice just like the Terraprene within the NRS Paddle Wetshoe or Kicker Wetshoe. Many corporations promote low neoprene booties or socks. For higher safety, select a chilly water shoe that covers your ankle and tucks below the legs of your wetsuit.

You additionally need them to zip on the aspect for ease. A small tab to cowl the zipper so it doesn’t lower into your wetsuit additionally helps. NRS has specialised in chilly water for many years. Its Paddle Wetshoe is the latest model of a protracted line of paddling booties.

Another choice could be to make use of the neoprene NRS Kicker Wetshoe. Or, you may put an NRS Wetsock below your journey water shoe. When you do that, you will need to purchase an journey water shoe large enough to suit the neoprene sock. The draw back is that the bigger shoe dimension will lower your warm-weather efficiency when not carrying the neoprene sock. There are at all times trade-offs when attempting to mix tools for very completely different circumstances.

Match and Sizing

All of the water sneakers reviewed provide pretty vast toeboxes, though none of them are available in a large choice. Large toeboxes are well-liked as a result of you may unfold your toes out. Nonetheless, sand and water generally accumulate or pool in a large toebox. The NRS Paddle Wetshoe and Kicker Wetshoe provide a really vast toebox.

Many water sneakers don’t are available in half sizes. More often than not, you have to order the half dimension bigger. For instance, when you usually put on a ten.5 common shoe, order an 11 water shoe. For extra lively adventures, search for a shoe that is available in half sizes so you may get the most effective match.

On this overview, the Astral Brewer 3.0, Xero Aqua X Sport, Merrell Moab Flight Sieve, XtraTuf Kiata Drift Sneaker, Eager Hyperport H2 Sandal, and the Teva Hydratek CT Sandal all are available in half sizes. It’s possible you’ll need to order the Merrell Hydro Moc and the XtraTuf Kiata Drift Sneaker half a dimension down as a result of the match is pretty free. The Astral Loyak runs huge, they usually don’t are available in half sizes, so order half a dimension down. The Speedo Surf Knit Professional‘s sttretchy material will stretch out to the width of your foot.

Weight and Packability

The sneakers that provide essentially the most safety additionally weigh extra. Take a look at the NRS Paddle Wetshoe, the Athmile Water Sock, and the Teva Hydratek CT Sandal. Footwear with much less safety typically weigh much less. The exception right here is the Speedo Surf Knit Professional. It weighs fairly a bit for an informal water shoe as a result of it’s constructed with a reasonably thick sole for added safety. 

Most of those water sneakers squish flat, so you may throw a rubber band round them and stuff them in your suitcase or pack them the place they may take up little or no room. The exceptions are the Teva Hydratek CT Sandal, Eager Hyperport H2 Sandal, and Merrell Moab Flight Sieve as a result of they’re constructed extra like supportive sneakers. When you’re attempting to pack minimally, put on these on the airplane whereas touring.

The burden, packability, and efficiency winner is the Astral Brewer 3.0, which is light-weight and doesn’t take up a lot room. 

Outsoles (Tread)

No matter what kind of water shoe is greatest for you, a non-negotiable function is a shoe sole that protects your toes from rocks, sizzling sand, slippery algae, fish hooks, damaged shells, coral, limestone caves, burning concrete, and all the opposite environmental risks that may harm the delicate bottoms of your toes. Whereas some issues like very slippery rocks and damaged glass might greatest each water shoe rubber sole, the shoe soles on this overview, all do an excellent job. 

Some corporations focus extra on rubber. For instance, earlier variations of the Astral Brewer used the confirmed nonslip Stealth climbing shoe rubber. Over time, Astral developed its personal proprietary rubber, which it calls the G.SS Rubber + Flex Grip Outsole, which it used within the Astral Brewer 3.0. It’s sturdy, grippy on moist surfaces, and doesn’t mark up the ground.

One other tackle a protecting outsole is the NRS Paddle Wetshoe, which makes use of a skinny however sticky sole mixed with a 5mm interior sole, a 2mm plastic shim, and extra safety on the heels, Achilles space, and toes. The tip consequence is a versatile water shoe that additionally protects your toes. 

Assist and Consolation

Many water sneakers should not very comfy for lengthy durations, as they’re designed to be worn just for the time you’re within the water. Because of this, many don’t provide a lot, or any, arch help. The producers know most water sneakers are designed to be worn immediately on a naked foot with out the cushion of a sock, so water sneakers are sometimes lined with a cloth comfortable on naked pores and skin. In order for you some arch help, look to the Astral Brewer 3.0, the Teva Hydratek CT Sandal, the Eager Hyperport H2 Sandal and the Merrell Moab Flight Sieve.

Sustainability

As everyone knows, creating sustainable merchandise is a big problem. Footwear are made with supplies, glues, and compounds designed to guard your toes, not break down simply as soon as they put on out. That is an unlucky actuality, however a number of of the businesses manufacturing the water sneakers profiled listed here are making a honest effort to design merchandise extra sustainably.

We’ve talked about many of those sustainability initiatives above and you may examine them in far more element on every producer’s web site. To spotlight just a few sustainability initiatives:

• Astral has moved away from PVC, neoprene, poisonous glues, and building processes. Immediately, it incorporates recycled supplies, hemp, and fewer intensive manufacturing.
• Teva makes use of numerous recycled supplies, makes its straps from recycled plastic bottles, reduces water utilization, and far more.
• NRS is shifting away from neoprene slowly and contemplating the environmental impression of its merchandise and manufacturing.
• Merrell posted six bold sustainability objectives to realize by 2025 on its web site. 
• Xero is beginning to make its sneakers higher for the planet. 
• Speedo has demonstrated its dedication to sustainability.  
• Eager has a large slew of sustainability initiatives.
• Merrell is pursuing a number of sustainability objectives throughout their shoe traces.
• XtraTuf is beginning to pursue extra sustainable manufacturing, together with and Eco line. The Riptide Sandal suits on this line.

May all of them do extra? In fact. Can all of them do extra and nonetheless keep in enterprise? We don’t know. Nonetheless, each greenback invoice is a vote, so when selecting sneakers, you can also make an impression by deciding how you can spend yours.

If sustainability is a vital consideration for you, spend yours on corporations that aggressively pursue sustainable supplies and processes, each earlier than making sneakers and after the sneakers have worn out.

Continuously Requested Questions