nevermind

My husband and I are going to be exploring some of the islands in the South Pacific and think that we may want to protect our feet with shoes/sandals that are comfortable and can be worn in the water as well as on land. I'm not even sure what they are called. Can anyone offer any suggestions or recommendations? Thanks!!

chowder

Keen Newport H2.

peterSale

Reef shoes. Hard sole, swimsuit upper.
IMO These are better than sandles as you are less likely to get sunburnt feet.

peterSale

OR Just use an old pair of running shoes.

nickn

There are several offered by many companies. However, there are many complaints - smell, sole coming off, etc. Read what people are saying at www.rei.com, amazon, etc.

What I do is to buy them many months before I have to use them. I try them out on a beach or in a river as well as on streets and walk several miles. I can't imagine buying them new, take them to a remote island, use them for the first time only to find out that they fall apart quickly. Falling apart at home is an annoyance. Falling apart during a trip can ruin an experience.

Melnq8

I call them water shoes or surf shoes. If you want the type that covers the ankles, but don't need a thick sole, you might consider dive booties (for scuba diving). I've had mixed luck with different brands of surf shoes. My latest are LL Bean, but I like my cheapo pair from Target a lot better.

My spouse loves his Tevas.

traveler318

I've tried them all, reef shoes/aqua socks, tevas, keens, etc. and have to say that the Keen Newport (for me) works the best. The reef shoes really weren't good for much else than reef walking. You wouldn't want to take a hike in them, and I found the foot protection on the sole not as much as I would like. I find the Keens comfortable in water and on land. You toes are completely covered (protected), unlike Tevas. I can walk as far in the Keens as sneakers. The only down side is that sand/pebbles get inside and you have to take them off to rinse them out on occasion. The sunburn issue is addressed by putting on sunscreen before you put the shoes on. Second choice would be old running shoes, but they take too long to dry in humid climates. The Keens dry pretty quickly.

nevermind

What a great surprise to find your responses when I checked in this morning! I now have a "jumping off" point to start my research. Thank you all.

mlgb

The good oldfashioned Keds sneaker type shoe (canvas upper) works great for reef walking.