Rugged stylish and great for anything in the water
I bought this shoe sight unseen directly from Amazon not knowing what to expect. I own more than one pair of Columbia brand pants shirts and a fleece or two and I have always been impressed with their quality. This was the first pair of Columbia shoes that I have purchased and when they arrived I was pleasantly surprised.
I do quite a bit of eco-hiking and generally end up near small rivers creeks and waterfalls. I also do some occasional canoeing and white water rafting and I was looking for something that was rugged stylish and could hold its own in the water. The Hydratooth Water Shoe definitely meets all three of my requirements.
The mesh areas of the shoe are vented but it's hard to tell from a precursory glance. If you hold the shoe up to the light you can see the venting from the inside but otherwise it goes unnoticed. In other words the venting is porous but thick and shouldn't wear out any time soon. The insole is made of thick cushioning and is very comfortable. The laces are built-in and are tightened via a draw-string clasp which makes it quick and easy to put on or remove the shoe. Thick rubber surrounds the base of the shoe and overlaps the toe adding extra reinforcement. The bottom portion of the rubber sole contains vents to accommodate the release of water.
The only thing I might point out is that the back part of the shoe that rests above the heal is not very padded and slightly stiff at first. I recommend breaking the shoes in for a day or two before venturing out on your first hike; otherwise you might end up with blisters. Once broken in the back part of the shoe feels just as comfortable as the rest.
Shoe sizes vary by manufacturer. I normally wear a size 9 (US) but have occasionally had to resort to 8.5 or 9.5 depending on the various manufacturer sizes. I went with my average size when ordering this shoe and it fit nicely.More detail ...
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