Vasque Men's Lotic Performance Water Shoe

I normally wear size 10 in women's shoes and have trouble finding a comfortable fit due to very wide feet. I bought size 8.5 in these because the women's styles were sold out. Compared to an average women's 10 I find the men's 8.5 length slightly shorter and the width equal to slightly wider for my foot. The inside is quite comfortable to my bare feet. Everything feels soft and I walked around the house for an hour and can't identify any spots that seem like they would rub. The insole comes out of the shoe and is composed of a thin layer of material over a tiny grid pad with holes I presume are to help drain water. My feet do not notice the grid pattern in the insole when I was walking around the house. The sole of the shoe itself has a lot of tiny holes for water to drain. The cut around the ankle is quite low and there should not be anything near the ankle bones to rub while walking over uneven rocky terrain. The shoe definitely looks less bulky on my foot than most standard hiking shoes.

I wear a women's size 9, but really didn't like the girlie option of pink on black, so did some checking online about size conversion and ordered the men's 7.5. Perfect fit. Actually, I LOVE these shoes. The problem with "normal" water shoes or sandals is that they are somewhat open (to drain water, I get it), and unless you apply sunscreen on your feet, you'll end up with some very odd shaped sunburns. I wanted a closed pair of water shoes that would be good to walk in on any surface (go, Vibram), comfortable, light, easy to put on and take off, with decent insoles and that would dry quickly. Vasque got it right on all counts, with one bonus for me: lately I've had Achilles tendon issues and wearing closed shoes can chafe the tendon, causing truly horrible pain -- the kind that makes you hobble home on your bare feet. These shoes are so light and flexible on the heel and ankle that I can walk the whole day in them without feeling a thing. I couldn't be happier.

After hiking with a few different kinds of shoes, Lotic shoes have the best grip so far. I bought a pair at size 10 1/2, used them on a few hikes, and pretty much never slipped. I've used them on wet river boulders and muddy slopes, and the grip was better than traditional hiking shoes.I appreciate the speed lacing system as well, although once in a while they get loosened by themselves. (You need to snugly tuck away the excess lace.) The laces seem quite firm, almost like cord, so I expect them to last a very long time without getting frayed.The shoes have very little cushioning inside, so I imagine they would make your feet sore if you have to wear them for a very long time if your steps have a lot of impact (jogging/leaping). (My feet got really sore in the last hour or so of a five-hour hike, but then again, I'm not used to hiking that far.)As for performance in water, the shoes were fittingly so snugly that it was hard to even feel if water was lingering inside after stepping out of water. (I always use waterproof socks with these shoes so my feet won't get wet.) And as for the quick drying quality, they still take a while to dry up (but faster than normal shoes), as the inner lining does soak up water, but not as much as normal shoes. It's a trade-off: less cushioning inside for your comfort means there's less cushioning to soak up water.After about five hikes, they still work well, although a bit of the front sole is starting to peel away from the shoe. Despite that, I'm considering buying a second pair (at half a size bigger). I don't recommend using these if you don't plan on walking on any wet boulders or other wet hard surfaces. Don't use them in primarily sandy waters either, as some users reported that sand gets stuck in the shoes (most likely the mesh parts).

I read reviews and expected a lot from this shoe. The construction quality was top notch, but I found a huge flaw in the design....at least as far as my needs went: The heel, of the sole of the shoe, was so narrow, that I was easily rolling my ankles while walking on flat, hard surfaces in the house. I bought this shoe for walking in and out of the river, so I didn't see how a narrow, easily rolled heel would give me a safe and steady walking surface in an already uneven environment. I returned the shoe immediately.As far as comfort, easy on/off, and apparent ventilation for quick drying, this shoe met all of those requirements very well. I am a women's 9, foot is on the wider side, and I ordered a men's 8, which fit well.I was disappointed that the width of the heel construction deterred me from keeping this shoe - that is the only reason for the fewer than 5 stars.Receipt of the product was prompt, return was easy, and refund was prompt.

Bought the size that usually accommodates dry suit booties, but it was a tight fit in these water shoes. Better after shoes were wet. The tightener plastic piece is pretty worthless--this type jams up from any grit and ceases to work. Also the stretchy laces the shoes come, combined with the low ankle cut didn't convince me these shoes would stay on in a swim. Replaced the lacing with nylon shoe laces, now can get a good fit at the ankle. The soles of these are terrific--great footing in wet and slippery conditions.

Worked well for a trip to tropical beaches that involved some river hikes/crossings. They do, as others mention, get full of sand and is hard to rinse out unless you have a hose. After a few days, the sand would start to chafe real bad. Also the material is thick so they do take a long time to dry. I got these on sale for ~$35But, they provide much better grip/foot support than your average inexpensive $20 water shoes so if you are looking for inexpensive water shoes that can take you on a hike up a river climbing over rocks and such, these are a good choice. Not sure if I'd pay the full list price, though.