C-Forum

I have finally started to paddle my Atom. i have a full kokatat dry suit with the goretex socks...so to protect the socks what shoes should i buy to paddle during the winter. inside the dry suit i wear not overly thick wool socks.

keep in my mind i do bail out of the Atom since i do not have a roll down. i did paddle it the other day and successfully wait for a t-rescue.

I've got to find a better shoe for a similar situation. I used an oversized pair of Keens last winter and while they are great to walk in, they aren't great with the lower seat of a c-1 and they allow sand between the sole and sock.

I'm looking at something like these :
http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2307

or

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp? ... eptid=1169

Probably need to go a full size, size and a half up? I guess I could take two pairs of socks in to try shoes on. Oh, heck with it, I'll just go in with my full, high visibility suit on - that's the only way to know for sure.

These are what I wear.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp? ... eptid=1169

You want as little sole as possible so that they don't catch on the rim / hip grabbers. I have size 12 feet but buy the size 11 booty. I don't have a booted dry suit so I don't know what that adds to the size increment, but even with my size 12 feet I can still where some pretty thick socks in an 11 booty.

I use cheap water shoes from the mega beach shops. I get one size larger than I normally wear so I can wear thick socks under the suit.

Check out level six booties I have the creek ones and they are pretty good the support is pretty lousy but the soles are decent on grip and protect well I use them with a pretty low saddle 5.10 has a new bootie that might work may be too bulky

I started wearing Sperry Top Sider Sonar booties about a month ago (30 or say days of paddling) and I love them. Wear them in everything BUT the squirt boat, C-1 included.

i'm using (last time i boated.. ages ago) the sperry booties as well, they're best thing i've found lately, but they're just ok. lacking in traction on the polished rock imo.
I've always been able to wear the same size shoe with my goretex drysuit socks as i do without.

Having size 15 feet and a slalom c-1, I buy rodeo socks from Chota or NRS, and then I add neoprene to the sole and to the top. Properly selected neoprene with Nylon facing on both sides will provide some traction on rocks, using care.

I have never found any river shoes slim enough to allow me to wet exit a slalom boat. Only by making my own ballet slippers can I get the room I need.

I really like the NRS COM3 booties that others have mentioned already. They are nice and flexible with just enough of thickness to keep my feet (mostly) intact. I wear them when I paddle all day, even when I am tripping I generally don't bother changing until after dinner. I have done 2 mile portages in them and I even ride my little motorcycle for shuttling with them on.

They run just a bit loose on my size 11 feet so I think that gortex socks should fit into your normal size bootee.

Plus, they are about as affordable as anything out there.

My only downside is that when they start to wear out they get a bit looser, I lost one two weeks ago that was on its way out and wound up with a broken toe. Just replace them when they need it and you are good.

another vote for the Sperry. The rounded heel is nice

This from Sperry

http://awt.sperrytopsider.com/SON-R/tec ... 4AodTmdOgw

looks a bit bulky to fit in an Atom, but that is about the shoe I'd like to be wearing.

wrong one- this is the one
http://www.sperrytopsider.com/store/Sit ... =&viewall=

I use typhoon P-5 booties, dead simple, bombproof, grippy, reasonably padded insole and super low profile, available from good diving shops!

What turned me onto them was borrowing a pair from stores when I was rafting and using them for some evening creeking... and the booties that had seen 2 years of commercial use were not only still in one piece, but still felt comfortable, I was sold!

Smurfwarrior wrote:wrong one- this is the one
http://www.sperrytopsider.com/store/Sit ... =&viewall=

These still look bulky to get in and out of an Atom. I suppose I'll try them.

oh, c'mon.. don't tell me that your real c1 won't even accommodate booties on your feet!

mine are size 11 and not too bulky for my c1 conversion.