Shoes

[TheBossT127]

We talk a lot on these forums about tackle, boats, techniques, weather, lakes, and so on. I am very curious about what you all wear on your feet during long days on the water. I'm a big guy, and foot comfort is very important to me. I'm trying to get a read on this by watching the pros, and they wear everything from sneakers to flip-flops. Let's see what the replies look like...

[lunker-lander]

Crocs 95% of the time. Vans or Airwalk the other 5%, although I would like the Nike Shox Boyd Duckett wears.

-Lunk-

[zooker]

i have a pair of reabok cross trainers i have worn them so much while fishing that they actually have a permant hard water stain imbeded on them.. i tried other sneakers but they either tracked in to much mud. or hurt my feet.. nike air's tend to kill the feel of your feet while using the troller..

and before you start to complain i wear size 17 sneakers..

zooker

[lunker-lander]

Crocs are good shoes, especially for fishing, but I would not reccommend them for larger men/women. Although they do feel comfy on your feet, a small stone or stick will punch through these if you are of a larger stature. Just an end note....

-Lunk-

[jooleyen]

I hear that flip flops are bad for your knees if you have flat feet. So don't wear flip flops!

As for me... whatever..just not flip flops.

[Rebbasser]

Depends on the conditions. In the summer I wear closed toe sandals I can get wet. In the winter I wear some Gore-Tex hikers I got at BPS. I used to wear a Maine hunting shoe type-the lower part is rubber with leather uppers, but have busted my backside a few times slipping and falling due to bad traction. The hikers give me the traction I want and the waterproof I need(at times). Cold, wet feet aren't fun to fish with.

Good question, BTW!

[ran24]

As I have a bad back from jumping out of airplanes for uncle sam I usually wear z-coil shoes they are great for comfort !!

[Cranebird]

I like to fish bare footed.I will resort to wool socks during the winter time but usually bare footed. C-Bird Land

[Cranebird]

Originally Posted by ran24

As I have a bad back from jumping out of airplanes for uncle sam I usually wear z-coil shoes they are great for comfort !!

Ran what airborne unit were you with ?I was 177th Ft. Clayton, Panama. C-Bird Roasting

[bassinbob]

I wear an old pair of New Balance cross trainers. Tried a fishing sandal and my feet hurt for days.

[carolina-rig-01]

in the summer i wear flip flops and in the winter i wear a pair of asic gel running shoes. everyone has there favorite shoes and i love my asics.

[Hef]

I'm w/ C-rig on this one. Nikes for the spring/winter/fall and flip flops during the summer. Make sure you put sun screen on them feet when wearing flip flops, ain't nuttin worse than a bad burn on your feet!!

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by Hef

I'm w/ C-rig on this one. Nikes for the spring/winter/fall and flip flops during the summer. Make sure you put sun screen on them feet when wearing flip flops, ain't nuttin worse than a bad burn on your feet!!

Hef! I give you a big DITTO on the sunscreen on the tops of the feet!

I normally wear my New Balance Walking shoes in moderate temps, but I also have a pair of water proof hiking shoes that i wear with over the calf wool thermal socks in the cold weather. During the summer I fish barefooted until the carpet gets too hot to stand on in the boat then I put on my Tevas, after making sure I have plenty of sunscreen on!

[JB]

flip flops most of the time, have "racing stripes" from the sun tan on the feet (well, the parts of the feet that arent tattoo'd ) lol
Most of the time in the early spring or late fall I wear hiking boots with a gel pad in them. If its real hot I go barefoot and hope theres no treble hooks on the deck of da boat.

[BassAddict]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

in the summer i wear flip flops and in the winter i wear a pair of asic gel running shoes. everyone has there favorite shoes and i love my asics.

Same for me. I wear Merrel Sandals instead of flip-flops though. I have to make sure I use sun screen on my feet in the summer. They will leave a crazy tan line too!

[Nitro911]

I am in some NB running shoes almost all year long. If it gets real cold, I have some old jump-style boots with a tennis shoes sole on them I will wear.

[Texas_Justice85]

barefoot..

[rodman rat]

Bare foot I hate shoes on the boat unless the temp is below 40 then I where dock siders and socks. DITTO on the sunscreen feet burn worse than other body parts

[barkelypup]

Crocs or Nike Cross trainers when its warm. Ariat Cowboy boots when its cold.

[WTL]

I'm kinda suprised yall are putting so much thought into it. I normally wear everyday shoes. I'm fixin to leave in a few minutes for the lake and right now I'm wearing my running shoes, but either way I don't think its the most important detail of a fishermans wardrobe.

The most important thing is something to keep you from getting sunburned. Sunscreen or clothes, something...

[brushhog]

I'm glad this thread went the way it did.... I was afraid one of our learned colleagues would say I needed a specific pair of shoes or I would never catch another fish...of course, I would have been convinced that I needed them!
If it's muddy or wet, I wear whatever boots are near the door. If it's nice out i wear whatever sneakers or sandals are on the porch!

[Twinsprtsfan]

I fish from the bank and am constantly standing, so I always wear running shoes. I like the Asics gel running shoes as well. If you stand a lot, I would not wear the flip flops, only because most do not have the support for this. The Merrils that someone mentioned do, as do any other sandals that have the "shoe" type midsole.

I used to be the buyer for athletic shoes for a sporting goods store, and my brother works for Reebok/Adidas as a sales rep, so I have a little bit of knowledge about the technical side of shoes. Exciting stuff (I know), but here are a few tips:

There are 2 types of midsoles, compressed EVA and Polyurethane. The EVA is the real soft one that you can squeeze real easy. And the polyurethane is denser and harder to squeeze.

EVA= softer and a little more cushiony, but it breaksdown quicker
Poly= not as soft but holds up longer.

If you are a big guy, the polyurethane midsole is better, only because you won't break it down in a few weeks like the soft EVA.

All the different show brands have their own type of shock absorbtion/cushion. Nike has Air, Asics has Gel, etc. And most of these it comes down to what feels the best to you. They all work similar and about the same in my opinion.

Personally, for me, I like the compressed EVA midsole, just because it is a softer feel. The Poly always hurts my feet after about an hour.

Anyway, at least I can contribute to the board about this, as I have a lot to learn about Bass'n.

[lunker-lander]

Originally Posted by WTL

I'm kinda suprised yall are putting so much thought into it. I normally wear everyday shoes. I'm fixin to leave in a few minutes for the lake and right now I'm wearing my running shoes, but either way I don't think its the most important detail of a fishermans wardrobe.

The most important thing is something to keep you from getting sunburned. Sunscreen or clothes, something...

OK, do you really have to put that your going to the lake? Just go ahead and rub it in for us Northern Guys!

Hahaha... Good luck and let us know!

-Lunk-

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

I like Vans and Airwalks, any skateboarder shoes, really. They have good grip and they're really comfy. Airwalks used to be be really expensive, now you can get them for $20 to $30 at Pay-less.

[crankybait]

Barefoot/FlipFlops/ old And1s. Nothing like a nice comfy worn pair of and1s