I’ve spent years wild swimming but have somehow managed to avoid ever cutting my feet or doing significant damage to myself, other than the time I sliced my ankle on a boat propeller (which I don’t recommend). But that doesn’t stop me from worrying about what I might tread on. I have been caught up in fishing line and picked up giant shards of glass - the latter more times than I care to remember.
Recently I’ve been testing a range of water shoes, and the extra security that comes from wearing a rubber soled hoof, as opposed to my usual neoprene boots, has given me a welcome confidence boost when I want to stand up in a river that could have all sorts of nasty things underfoot. So how did the stand up against the ? Here’s how they performed: The Vivobarefoot Hydra ESCs are barefoot shoes, so they have a minimal Michelin rubber 2mm outsole, with 4mm multi-directional lugs that feel cut for traction, and perform well on slippery riverbanks and slimy rocks. The outsoles also have a 0.
8mm puncture resistant finish, and they felt reassuringly substantial. I first tried them at an old favorite swim spot, which is often littered with big rocks underfoot that like to move position, thanks to the urgent speed of the river. Due to the slightly murky water, it’s impossible to know where these obstacles might be until you stumble into one, and this day was no different.
Normally that means a few bumps and scrapes but the toe bumper saved me this time, and I felt happy to stri.