6 Best River Hiking Shoes For Men & Women

To make your river hiking trip great, you must grab the required shoes for river hiking to support the activities you do on the water. The river hiking shoes work the same way as hiking shoes and there are several shoe types that you choose from the list. Therefore do not be concerned as we have recommended the best shoe styles in this article.

Moreover, hiking shoes specially designed for waterfalls can protect your feet. Types of river hiking shoes include hiking boots, water shoes, hiking sandals, trail running shoes, waterproof hiking shoes, and hiking sandals. Now, we can get into detail about each shoe style below.

Water shoes/ Canoyonering shoes

Water shoes are the best shoes for river hiking, and you should definitely grab a pair. These shoes are specifically to repel the water quickly and provide necessary protection to your feet. Also, these canyoneering shoes have a great rubber sole and have excellent traction and good ankle support. 

You can wear these sturdy shoes for hiking the river mountain without a hassle. Moreover, you can opt for barefoot water shoes and enjoy the coziness and it also has a quick drying feature. 

       

Hiking Sandals

If you seek river cross shoes, you can get yourself a pair of hiking sandals. By wearing this sandal you can allow the water to get inside and out easily. Moreover, you can wear these sandals that are flexible and breathable. You can wear the hiking sandals in any depth of water and don't care about the drying feature.

 

In addition to this, you can expect minimal ankle and toe protection while you wear these hiking sandals while river hiking.

Waterproof Hiking Boots

If you are looking for the best shoes for river hiking, you need to check out the waterproof hiking boots since they provide comfort while you step into the deep water. 

 

Moreover, by wearing these boots you easily cross the creeks and rivers. You can also prefer wearing wool socks to absorb the excess moisture retain on your feet. These rivers hiking boots also provide enough ankle support and protection to your feet.  

Trail Running Shoes

What if I tell you that you can use trial running shoes for river hiking? You can absolutely wear these shoes for a river hiking trip, and do not worry about the water getting retained in your shoes. Also, these shoes get dry quickly, and you can stand knee depth in the river, and still, you can maintain traction when you step out of the water. 

 

Although you don't get extreme protection from hitting the rocks and terrains while river crossing, you will get more comfort and flexibility. Indeed these shoes are a great addition to your wardrobe for waterfall hikes.

What can be the best hiking shoes other than waterproof hiking shoes? These shoes can help to keep the water outside, and at the same time, it feels lightweight. Therefore you will be of utmost comfort while wearing these shoes. 

 

And these are great hiking shoes for water crossing, and they can provide better protection and good traction support. But these shoes need some extra treatments to stay completely waterproof.

Aquatic Water Shoes

Aquatic water shoes can also be called river walk shoes since they are specifically designed for walking on slippery surfaces. These shoes have the best traction soles, so you can walk on wet surfaces without a hassle. Moreover, the aquatic water shoes are lightweight and made of breathable materials. 

 

Since these shoes are solely intended to walk on water, they don't provide much protection on land. Therefore you need to ensure before you place your feet on rugged hikes. However, the aquatic water shoes are the best hiking shoes for water crossing.

Factors to consider before good river hiking shoes

When choosing shoes for river hiking, you need to consider a few things such as lightweight, quick dry, good drip, support, and comfort before making a purchase.

You can either go for waterproof shoes or water shoes, while the waterproof doesn't allow the water to get inside, whereas the water shoes absorb the water and drain easily by letting water out. Therefore you need water shoes while you walk over the river, but you need to grab a pair of waterproof shoes when you go river hiking(where you do the most activity). If you going to do more activities at the river, such as paddle boarding and river walking, pick the right shoes which are lightweight.

In addition to this, based on the budget, safety and comfort you can buy river hiking shoes. Since without comfort you won't enjoy the hiking experience so is crucial to get the appropriate shoes based on the activity you will be doing on your river hiking trip.

Final words

When comes to shoes for river hiking, you need to go for cozy water shoes that provide enough support for your feet since you walk on terrain and slippery surfaces. You need to go for perfect footwear that provides better traction, so always keep the above things listed in this article in mind before getting yourself a pair of river hiking shoes. Also, grabbing a few pairs of shoes while you go river walking can make your trip hassle-free. Therefore get ready to explore the best shoes for river hiking and choose the appropriate ones for your next trip. Good luck!!