Choosing Footgear for Wilderness Canoeing

Choosing the right footgear for a wilderness paddling trip is almost as challenging as the trip itself, and canoeists and kayakers spend as much time agonizing over their footgear as a debutante choosing the right pair of pumps for her first formal event. Why is it so important? Are we only concerned with making the right fashion statement in the wilderness?

Not on your life! The correct footwear can make the difference between a miserable trip and a pleasant one, and can even defend you against injury. One of my partners on my upcoming Missinaibi River trip had a shoe stolen by a bold raccoon in camp one night when she made the same trip a few years ago. She had to borrow a pair of Teva sandals from her sister, who wears a size larger than her, and tighten down the straps as best as she could. She didn't get them tight enough, twisted an ankle on of the Missinaibi's many portages, and limped her way through the rest of the trip in considerable pain while her tripmates carried her gear for her.

Footwear for wilderness paddling with portages has to fulfill a nearly impossible set of requirements:

• Flexibility: most serious canoeists spend at least part of their day in the boat in a kneeling position with their feet tucked under them. A good paddler shoe must be flexible enough at the ankle so it won't to make our feet go to sleep when we're kneeling.
• Ankle support. In direct contradiction to the flexibility requirement, the shoe must provide stiff ankle support when we're on land portaging our boats and packs. Canadian portage trails aren't a walk in the park. Many of them are steep and full of loose rocks. Canoes and packs weigh in at an average of 60 pounds each, and if we twist an ankle while portaging, the rest of the trip isn't going to be fun.
• Good sole traction. Not only are the trails rough, they can get slippery when it rains--and it will always rain when you're in Canada. We want lugged soles that will grip under all kinds of conditions.
• Waterproof or fast drying? This is the canoeist's greatest dilemma. When you're jumping in and out of the boat for numerous portages, some of them quite rugged, keeping your shoes dry isn't really practical. Some of us go with a totally waterproof knee-high boot that keeps water out as long as we stay in water below our knees. Other swear by the fast-drying shoe that's made to get wet but drains water out easily and dries fast. Both approaches have pros and cons.
• Temperature control: in cold water and cold weather, we need heavy insulation to keep our feet warm. In warm water and hot weather, we need to keep our feet cool. In cold, icy water and hot weather, we just do the best we can and mutter curses at Mother Nature from time to time.
  

The first type of water shoe to consider is the closed-cell neoprene boot made by Chota.  They have several models, all of them 100% waterproof with a fairly hefty sole for traction on slick rock and mud.  Chota is a specialty paddling gear company, so they appreciate our need to paddle comfortably in a kneeling position.  The big advantage of "Chotas" (as we call them) is that they're very comfortable for wearing in the boat all day without your ankles going to sleep.

For ankle support, it depends on which model you buy.  The basic pull-on boot has weak ankle support, but the next grade up has a quick-lace system that you can tighten down for portages and then loosen up when you get back in the boat and need to bend your ankles.  This feature is the reason I see so many serious wilderness canoe trippers on the river wearing Chotas.

These boots come in either black neoprene, or a tan insulated model.  The neoprene is warm; the insulated boot is very warm.  Chotas are a cold water boot, and if you wear them in the summer, you're probably going to be uncomfortable unless you're jumping in and out of a glacier-fed river all day.  The insulated model is pretty big, so it's not going to fit under your deck if you're a kayaker unless you have very small feet.

Open-cell neoprene booties are a classic for paddlers on a budget. Unlike Chotas, they're not waterproof. Instead they keep your feet warm by trapping water in the tiny air pockets of the neoprene fabric, which absorbs the heat from your skin. Open-cell neoprene is much warmer when wet than when dry, but it's not as hot as Chotas are. They're a good choice for paddling cold water in warm weather, especially if you're going to be in and out of the boat a lot.

The cheapest neoprene booties are simple pull-on models. The next step up will have side zippers to make them easy to put on and remove. For the best ankle support, buy a pair with lugged soles and laces or an ankle strap. The traction for these boots is acceptably good for portaging, and they're still flexible enough to wear while kneeling and paddling.

The biggest disadvantage of neoprene booties is that they dry very slowly, and on a long trip they never really dry out. That means they're icy cold for putting your feet into on a chilly morning, a problem you can partially solve by wearing them over dry wool socks. The socks won't be dry for long, but wool is warm when wet, so they'll keep your feet warm long enough to warm up the neoprene at the start of the day.

The constant dampness also means that neoprene booties don't take long to build up quite the stench. Neoprene stink jokes are a staple among paddlers, who think almost anything is funny after they've been in the woods for a week.

As paddling becomes a more popular sport, the outdoor gear industry has responded by developing better and better synthetic water shoes. About five years ago, one of my tripmates remarked that his brand new quick-drying water shoes were anything but quick-drying. Today the designs have improved so much that he's singing a different tune.

The more you pay for synthetic water shoes, the more features you get. For wilderness portages, make sure you get a shoe, not a sandal. Rocks and debris between your foot and the sole of your shoe are more hassle than you want on a long portage. Ankle support really varies with these shoes. Most of them are low-cut, so get the highest cut that you can and still keep the flexibility you need to kneel. A multi-eyelet lacing system is a must for giving you good ankle support in a low-cut shoe.

Traction is pretty good on most of these shoes, but check the soles and pick the one with the most lugs.

The real beauty of these shoes is their synthetic mesh construction. This material absorbs no water and drains beautifully. Be careful to choose a shoe with a sole that won't absorb any water. Drainage is useless if the sole is a porous material that makes squishing noises every time you walk on it.

If you're really concerned about ankle support, buy a good canyoneering shoe. These are expensive, but they're made to get wet, have superb traction, and come in high-top models to give your ankles lots of support. You can loosen the laces while you're paddling if you want to kneel.

Chota's Quetico Trekker boot is the other choice of paddlers who want a high-top synthetic water boot.  These look like hiking boots but are made of fast-drying material and can be loosened for paddling in a kneeling position.  They're cool enough to wear in summer, or they can be paired with wool socks in colder weather.  When worn over a pair of knee-high Gore-Tex socks, they'll keep your feet dry all day just like closed-cell neoprene, but with better ankle support.  A number of serious wilderness trippers are turning up on the portage trails in Trekkers, so they're definitely worth a serious look.

Although outdoor gear manufacturers are catching on to the needs of paddlers, they're a little slow catching on to the needs of woman paddlers. To be fair, there aren't that many of us doing challenging outdoor trips that demand top of the line gear.

Chota gets the highest marks for making their footgear in sizes for women with small feet. Although women's sizes 5 and 6 are special order items (I think they have to be made to order at the factory), at least they can accommodate my need for a serious paddler's boot with some advance notice.

Northwest River Supply has a good selection of neoprene booties. I bought mine with the ankle strap and heavy sole, but their Guide Boot model with the quicklace system is only available in men's sizes. Oh well.

Most synthetic water shoes are available in both men's and women's sizes, so women will find plenty of models to choose from.

The best canyoneering shoes are made by the 5:10 company. Par for the course, their mid-level shoes are available in both men's and women's sizes, but their top of the line Canyoneer model with the ankle strap is only available for men.