The Best Water Shoes of 2025

Truth be told, not every day or trip involves an adrenaline-spiking adventure where you need ultimate foot protection to keep yourself from slipping off mossy rocks and falling over the edge of a high waterfall to your death. The Speedo Surf Knit Pro ($45) is just the water shoe for these days when you must protect your feet while walking over the boiling hot sand between the parking lot and the beach umbrella. 

Later, you may want to leave this hot sand beach and visit the ample resort buffet for a huge shrimp cocktail and a piece of cake. The Speedo Surf Knit Pro will get you there in style. Remember, the only real contest in life is whether you feel happy or not. Relaxing water shoes and shrimp cocktails make us happy, especially when we’re also drinking endless cold $2 Belikens in Belize.

These water shoes are simple — an all-white, zero-rise, grippy sole topped by a fun, stylish, stretchy top. They stick to slick surfaces, protect your little piggies from sunburn, and you can wear them to dinner. 

And, let’s be honest — no matter how famous Speedo is in its small way, we’re stoked that it is more than just banana hammocks. The Surf Knit Pro packs down small and won’t take up much room in your vacation pack.

Would we use this shoe in situations where we need high-performance and dependable secure footing for sports? No. However, we must sheepishly admit that we relax more than our Instagram action shots suggest; we like spending many enjoyable days just chilling out near the water.

For that, the Speedo Surf Knit Pro shoes are ideal. They’re about convenience and enough to get by, with a twist of style, and perhaps an umbrella drink near the pool.

Teva sandals changed the water world for many when they first hit the rivers, beaches, and backyard pool parties of America many years ago. Many of our gear testers wore them religiously, not taking our Tevas off in summer until the Velcro peeled from the nylon.

When Nathan first strapped on the Teva Outflow Universal ($110) water shoe, he wasn’t thinking about this particular shoe’s awkward and not-very-cool name, but about his summer memories of Teva times. The Outflow reminded us of an enclosed Teva sandal, but we soon realized this was more of a water sneaker than a simple water shoe. 

The Teva Outflow Universal water sneaker offered the most foot protection and the most customizable fit of all the water shoes we tested. First, our feet were completely enclosed, cushioned by a thick sneaker sole with excellent toe protection. Second, the three-strap system (like the traditional sandal) lets us dial in a great fit over time. 

We say over time because this shoe does take time to adjust the fit correctly. When our tester first took these out of the box, he threw them on and took off down the beach. Within a short time, the hard plastic tab on the outside of the shoe wore a small blister into his ankle. Needless to say, Nathan’s first impression wasn’t the best.

However, he adjusted the straps until they felt comfortable and no longer rubbed his ankle to find that a somewhat looser fit worked best for him. He also felt the shoe did not drain as fast as other water shoes in this guide. And, on long days, he had to occasionally take the shoes off to de-prune his toes.

However, with the level of foot protection offered by the Teva Outflow Universal, Nathan would not hesitate to use these shoes for hiking, paddle boarding, wading flats while fishing, pleasure boating, biking, running, or any outdoor sport. They are too bulky to fit nicely inside enclosed kayaks but would be fantastic while portaging the rapids that make one pucker. 

Look at the kids today — they are all wearing a shoe that rhymes with Mocs. Not just as water shoes, but as fashion with all sorts of odd giblets stuck in the tops. Nathan hadn’t worn Crocs since an ill-fated cave hike in Laos where those slippery suckers on his feet slipped on a dark cave floor and almost slid him into a dark sinkhole in the limestone.

But he admits he still likes the concept, and the Merrell Hydro Moc ($60) is a water shoe in the same vein. You might get confused between the two if you’re not a purist, but tomato tomato, potato potato. 

Over the years, Nathan has owned and worn many pairs of Merrell shoes and always found them good quality and affordable. The Hydro Moc is the same. However, it’s a bit of a weird water shoe. Even Merrell celebrates the weirdness. Also, the camo color scheme Moc sent us to test made our tester feel like he had baby alligators wrapped around his feet.

As Nathan wore them on the river, on an offshore boat trip in the tropics, and around the beach, he found them to be a comfortable water shoe that performs well. Do they breathe well? Yes. Do they drain well? Obviously. They are full of large holes.

Did the Merrell Hydro Mocs stay on his feet well? Yes. Do they stick to shore rocks without slipping? Yes. Can we wear them with socks in the fall when we go to a bluegrass-pumping pumpkin carving dance party and still fit in with the locals? Yes. Could we wear a wack-colored pair in NYC with a thrift store blue corduroy suit and look right? Yes. There are many wins here. 

Are they for you? Only you can answer that personal question. Will your kids find your new Merrell Hydro Mocs cool? Perhaps, maybe. Perhaps, not. Answers are elusive. Are they weird? Definitely. 

Overall, the Merrell Hydro Moc is a comfortable, well-performing water shoe that contains 10% algae and seaweed mixed with flexible plastic. It is affordable, long-lasting, and comes in many fun colors, so you don’t have to wear the alligator-attracting camo if you don’t want to. 

A pared-down version of the more substantial NRS Paddle Wetshoe, the Kicker Wetshoe ($58) is a simple, pull-on design with a single strap over the top of the foot to keep them on. The big question is: are you a person who prefers a tall, zippered boot style for your cold water shoe or a smaller, more packable version?

The NRS Kicker Wetshoe shares many features with its big brother/sister, the Paddle Wetshoe — a reinforced toe and heel, 3 mm petroleum-free Terraprene neoprene made from recycled tires and limestone, a plastic shim for additional foot protection, and a sticky rubber sole to protect your feet from rocks, urchins, and other sharp things.

We used these to wade in the river, fly fish in the warmer months of July and August in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and paddle board at alpine lakes. We found them comfortable and warm.

The ideal user of this water shoe is a person who wants foot protection and some warmth in a very simple and minimal package. There are drawbacks to this design. First, they don’t protect the ankle in rocky environments. Second, in fully active situations, like getting flushed through a churning rapid, this shoe design feels like it might wash off as it comes off rather easily. Third, they only come in full sizes, so if you wear a half size (ex. 10.5), the ½ size up may feel too big.

If you swim rivers or snorkel down current in the ocean and need to walk back after your drift through the water, the NRS Kicker Wetshoe does pack down flat enough that you can stuff these into a tight shirt like a rash guard or wetsuit top, put on your fins, do the swim and afterward put them on to protect your feet on the hike back home.

You will know if you’re the type of person looking for the NRS Kicker Wetshoe. It won’t be a shoe for everyone, but it has been made for many years and has a devoted following in the paddling, rafting, SUP, and beach walking communities.

The XtraTuf Riptide Sandal ($55) is another shoe in the Croc vein. They’re designed to be casual and simple. No fuss. These extremely comfy shoes come on and off easily and offer just enough protection to cross the hot parking lot and walk on some easy surfside or riverside rocks.

Performance-wise, the lightweight Riptide has small holes on the top and a few bigger holes horizontally parallel to the sole. This lets in air but also sand and small rocks. Luckily, it takes mere seconds to take them off and rinse the material out. The soles of the shoe are soft and flexible and offer no more than basic protection.

However, despite their basic performance, we found ourselves wearing these water shoes more than others. The light, airy feel, mixed with the ease of wearing them, was fun. The shoe isn’t trying to make a statement with flashy colors or an outrageous design, so it is kind of a chameleon to wear along the shore, on the boat, or to lunch. Think slow vacation and not a lot of fast action.

On its website, XtraTuf includes the Riptide as part of its Eco line. They say, “BioLite has been granted a Green Leaf certificate by Intertek, an accredited independent third-party testing facility, verifying that this product will properly biodegrade in bioreactor landfills.” What is a bioreactor landfill? That’s a good question.

The Environmental Protection Agency says, “A bioreactor landfill is a municipal solid waste landfill (MSWLF) in which liquids are added to help bacteria break down the waste. The increase in waste degradation and stabilization is accomplished through the addition of liquid and air to enhance microbial processes.” So, the Riptide Sandal can return to the Earth under special circumstances. It’s a stretch, but we highly appreciate all the efforts shoe companies make to improve their environmental record and sustainability.

Depending on who’s testing, the Astral Loyak ($95) could also be in the running for the best water shoe. The Loyak offers many of the same great features that made the Astral Brewer 2.0 our favorite shoe — a wide toebox, zero drop, level fit, good quality construction, lightweight, fast drying, sticky G.15 rubber sole, and traditional laces. The Loyak is good for paddleboarding, side hikes, kayaking, and other light-pressure sports.

The Loyak is a lower-volume shoe and quite flexible so it allows one to fit the feet into tighter spaces, like small kayaks, and it takes up less space when packing for a trip. Like the Brewer 2.0, the Loyak is multifunctional and can be worn on the water or out to dinner. Unlike its cousin, the Loyak has a removable insole so it’s easier to wash the sand out of the shoe after a day at the beach or in the river. 

The Brewer provides more foot protection, which is the main feature that made our tester choose it over the Loyak. The Loyak also only comes in full sizes, not half sizes, so depending on your foot size, you may not be able to get as good a fit in the Loyak. Be aware that the Loyak does run big, so order half a size down, or the shoe will be too big. 

Overall, it’s a close call, and the Astral Loyak will be an ideal choice for many, especially those who don’t need as much support and want a thinner, more flexible water shoe. The fact that it costs $30 less than the Brewer 2.0 may tip the scale in its favor for some. 

Let’s say you’re on a tight budget but still need functional water footwear for basic foot protection. The Athmile Water Sock ($10) is just this. It’s less of a shoe and more of a water sock with a rubber sole. A single pair for yourself will cost less than a six-pack of beer, and water socks for a family of five will cost less than a mountain-town lunch at a restaurant — way less.

The Athmile Water Socks do not offer much protection and zero support, but they are easy on/off and will protect your feet from the sun, hot pavement/sand, and a few short walks across sharp coastal coral. They will probably not last for many trips or multiple years. The thin soles will also not protect your feet from fish hooks, broken glass, sharp shell edges, and the like. 

However, there are a few situations where the Athmile Water Sock really shines, especially for the price. Beyond walks to the pool and from the car to the beach, our tester, Nathan, used these in a few situations where they filled a fun niche. The beauty of these is they take up very little space and pack down nearly flat. 

Nathan wore these from his beach hut outside Isabela, Puerto Rico, across the gravel in the yard, down a hot paved road, and along a burning sandy beach in the sun. From here, he shuffled out across rocks in the water with baby sea urchins stuffed in all the cracks into deeper water where he put on fins and a snorkel.

He then stuffed the flattened Athmile Water Socks up the front of his rash guard and did a long, snorkel swim drifting about a mile with the current. At the end of the drift, he swam to the shore, took off his fins, pulled the Athmile Water Socks from his shirt, and used them to protect his feet on the mile-long walk back.

Is that worth $10? Definitely. Would he step on full-size sea urchins with them? Never on purpose.