Waterproof Hiking Shoes or tennis shoes

[Fishymom]

We are sailing in August...

We are doing a couple kayaking excursions, and one zip lining.

 

Waterproof hiking boots needed? Or will tennis shoes suffice.

 

Please note: we live in Missouri- so we do none to little hiking, so I will have to go out and buy everyone new shoes.

[capriccio]

It sounds like you aren't hiking on this trip (or at least not much) so I'd forgo purchasing waterproof hiking boots due to both the expense and the need to break them in well before the trip. Just waterproof your existing athletic shoes with a silicone spray (available at walmart, target, amazon, etc.)

[reallyitsmema]

We are sailing in August...

We are doing a couple kayaking excursions, and one zip lining.

 

Waterproof hiking boots needed? Or will tennis shoes suffice.

 

Please note: we live in Missouri- so we do none to little hiking, so I will have to go out and buy everyone new shoes.

 

I would not go out and buy hiking boots. We just returned from Alaska and did bring waterproof low hiking boots because we owned them. We had rain almost everyday on our sailing, not all day rain, but showers. We would have been fine in sneakers but I was glad I had my hiking boots when we did the Nugget Falls Trail at Mendenhall Glacier because they gave us the ability to go off the main trail and take the part that went down along the water. It was wet and muddy in spots and there were rocks in a little stream we had to cross.

 

We did a rafting excursion that I wore them to but we had to put on dry suits, so no shoes were allowed anyway. Not sure if your kayak tour will have you in dry suits. Water was 37 degrees on our tour, so dry suits were a must.

 

Just spray your sneakers with waterproofing and you will be fine. Make sure you do it a few weeks before, because that stuff smells! My DH had to spray his shoes and they lived in the garage for a while until the smell went away.:D

[Dancing Shoes]

Not sure if everyone has leather or man made sneakers. You can't really waterproof mesh ones, can you? Merrell Moab low hiker waterproof is approx. $100 Ours are mesh, so were bought the Merrell. Will use again.

[Herfnerd]

Not sure if everyone has leather or man made sneakers. You can't really waterproof mesh ones, can you? Merrell Moab low hiker waterproof is approx. $100 Ours are mesh, so were bought the Merrell. Will use again.

 

Yes you can.

 

I had a pair of waterproof hiking boots that I've had for some time and were nicely broken in so I wore them. My wife didn't want to bring her Merrell boots so she just used waterproof spray (several coats) on her mesh sneakers and her feet kept dry. We were in Juneau on a whale watching boat in the rain and then hiked to Nugget Falls and got as close as we could - got pretty wet so no issues with using a spray

[kawagama]

You shouldn't need hikers because it doesn't sound like you will be hiking. However, as some have indicated, hikers are great waterproof shoes if your weather is rainy.

 

We kayaked when we were in Alaska. Generally, kayak tour companies put their passengers in tandem kayaks (meaning two people in one). These are very stable and very hard to tip. Once you put on your windproof/waterproof jacket and your spray skirt, you will be snug as a bug--so no need for dry suits at all. Rafting is different because there is more likelihood that you might end up in the water. Not so with kayaks. They won't be the sit-upon kind; rather you will be inside a hatch with a spray skirt covering it. Have fun! We had a blast on our tour.

[Hoyaheel]

1. There are hiking boots

2. There are hiking shoes

3. There are waterproof hiking boots

4. There are waterproof hiking shoes

5. There are other shoes

6. There are other waterproof shoes

 

Amazing, isn't it??!!

 

I travel often in wet places/times. So I have a few options of waterproof shoes & boots. Yes, a couple happen to be hiking boots & shoes. But not all. So I choose based on what I plan to do on a trip and what I expect the weather will/might be.....

 

If you don't plan to "hike" but still want something waterproof, it exists. If you don't want to spend a lot of money and don't plan to be doing anything hard core, a waterproof spray is probably fine. I use that on a couple pairs of leather boots I love to travel with that aren't waterproof and reapply once or twice a year and for "casual" touring around Europe in November or whatever, that's fine. In Alaska, I do more hiking so I do bring goretex walkers and, if needed, hiking boots with ankle support.....

[BettyLou260]

I'm on vacation in Alaska now. We arrived in Anchorage on the 6th and will be taking Celebrity from Seward to Vancouver on Friday. I got Oboz waterproof hiking shoes before the trip and I am very glad I brought them. They serve as my sneaker and hiker. They have great arch support, and as a result, I think my knees are holding up better than expected. They were extremely comfortable in the store, so so breaking in was not required for mine. My husband also got a pair of them, and he's been happy with them as well.

As far as getting everyone new shoes, that may not be needed, but I would definitely recommend everyone have something comfortable and well-fitting; and for the older cruisers, well supportive shoes are worth their weight in gold.Alaska is pretty walking intensive! Even if you don't hike much, you spend a lot of time on your feet.

Edited June 14, 2018 by BettyLou260
typo