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paddling shoes -- wide?


bethany

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My feet are shaped rather like triangles, with the wide part in the front. Many women's shoes are shaped like the opposite sort of triangle. Does anyone have any good recommendations for solidly soled paddling shoes that are quite wide in front? It occasionally works for me to wear men's shoes, but they have to go as small as a men's 6 to fit me.

Thanks.

--b

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Hmmm, my feet have a similar shape... must be a Scandinavian thing ;-) Anyway, with size 13s any sturdy paddling shoes do not fit in my boat. So, I've had to make do with thin-soled neo booties that do stretch pretty well but make rock walking a bit painful. The rugged soled ones tend to be too narrow at the toes. I carry tevas with me in the boat for walking on gnarly surfaces.

Good luck!

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I have 10 1/2 wide feet.

I use size 11 Yamaha above the ankle boots.

The extra half size works well with the addition of dry suit and fleece socks.

Suggestion maybe a half size bigger and the Yamaha line?

Walter

Impex Serenity

Sunburst / Ivory

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You might try on a pair of the Salomon Tech-Amphibians. EMS had them this spring. They are great for the rocks but have the usual sand & pebble gathering problem on soft beaches. Mine are too big to wear in the kayak but a smaller size would fit.

I typically paddle with a combination similar to Carl’s. I'll be changing into an Aquashell and high Chota boot combination soon.

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Hmmm, I hadn't thought about it being a Scandiavian thing, but my feet are the same, wide with narrow heels.

I've got some Warmers neoprene boots that fit quite comfortably. Chotas aren't bad, either. I just picked up some EMS "Paddler's Socks" which are quite comfy, but they're more like a soft slipper than a boot.

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I have feet that are both wide and high in the arch. As a result finding footwear of all types is a challenge. This put to rest my childhood dream to be a ballerina at an early age. Is it possible my repressed desire to wear a tutu has led to my Speedo fetish? Ah, but that's another subject, isn't it.

I have a pair of Merrel water shoes I normally wear. Merrel and Lowa both make boots, etc. that fit my feet the best.

I have a pair of Salomon water shoes 1 size larger to wear with the extra boot attached to the bottom of my drysuit. You may find, as I did, that water shoes that fit well with only a sock don't fit well with the extra hardware, or would Latex be software?

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obviously some kind of genetic adaptation.

a "snowshoe" that allowed your ancestors to run away from marauding packs of snowshoe hares and things like that.

"what? it's only a bunny! what's it going to do? nibble me bum?" and then of course when the rabbit attacked, your ancestors fleetly ran away leaving the narrow footed english to the whims of beast. this kept the imperialistic english out of norway, scandinavia and other wicked cold places of which i have only a passing geographic idea.

now, since there are no more attack bunnies (or imperialistic brits), those feet are like the coccyx...surely once important but now just a reminder of your past.

good luck with the shoes, sasqua....err, bethany :)

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The truth is that I was born crippled and this is the result of the fixing of my feet. The rest of you are clearly just freaks of nature...

I too have had good luck with the last shape used at Solomon for hiking boots. hmm. I will explore their water wear.

--viking b of the WIDE blue sea

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dear bethany,

i know a very good sports surgeon (as i was saying just last night) who might be willing to perform a small modification to an otherwise perfectly elegant pair of feet...i'm told that we don't really the little toe at this stage of our evolution. might that solve the aforementioned problem? hee hee...

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I too have wide feet (EE) with a narrow heel.

I swear by NRS Kickers: low cut, 3mm neoprene, plastic shim in sole, fit in most boats.

They even have them at fire sale prices in Mens/Unisex sizes 4-6 for $14.95:

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfi...327&deptid=1141

For the 5mm, high cut version of the boot, albeit at full price, see:

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2315&deptid=1169

No Scandanavian blood unless you count the genes scattered by Vikings across Great Britian 1000-1200 years ago.

Scott

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