MEC Lowrider Paddling Booties (Unisex) Review
Review by Dan James
- Product:
- MEC Lowrider Paddling Booties (Unisex) (company site)
- What's Good:
- Value (only $18.00 Canadian!), Grip, Durability, Warmth
- What's Bad:
- Pull tab on the heel should be a loop
While backpacking would be my outdoor activity of choice kayaking is a strong second. Living in the east coast of Canada on Prince Edward Island provides many kayaking options. While we have no Class V whitewater on PEI we do have an ocean and lots of tidal rivers to play in.
I started kayaking a few years using a pair of sport sandals as my primary footwear. While they worked well on the beach and beside the car they didn't do well in the water or in the boat (where you spend most of your kayaking time). Last year I decided to upgrade to a pair of neoprene paddling booties from Mountain Equipment Co-op. My feet have thanked me ever since.
View Larger Image A shot of one bootie in front of a small waterfall in Baxter State Park, Maine.
The first thing I noticed about the booties is how warm they keep your feet in cool water. Warmer feet means more dexterity which leads to fewer slips and falls. The booties also have a great traction. The soles are rugged and rubberized. They offered exceptional grip on sandstone, granite, algae covered boulders, and on mud covered banks. They allowed me to walk without having to second guess my foot placement. Perfect for carrying a kayak from the car to the water and back.
In the boat the booties are comfortable to wear, seem to dry relatively quickly, and do not get in the way of foot placement. The rubberized soles, unlike my old sandals, are very flexible and allow you to easily “feel” and feather the pedals.
The booties have a small shock cord you can tighten around your lower ankle with only one hand. This prevents the boots from continually flooding, and loosing warmth, when you're in the water.
The only negative aspect about the booties was the pull tabs on the back of the ankles. These, of course, are to help you when sliding the booties on. It works well for this. What I found is that when I wasn't wearing the booties I wanted to use a carabiner to clip them together and attach them to a pack, kayak, or other gear. If the pull tab was a simple loop I would have easily been able to do this. Unfortunately it's only a single layered tab.
These booties are an excellent value at only $18.00 Canadian. Kayakers all over, and especially in the warmer waters of the east, will be well served by this footwear.
