I don't often do equipment reviews, but I thought this would be of interest as it is a relatively new product. I purchased these in June for a mid-July solo of ten days 28 portages.

These things are light weight. So light that I worried about their durability. They did just fine on a rugged trip and seem to be no worse for the wear. I look forward to using these on many more excursions. They are right on in size. If your going to wear a heavy rag wool sock you might need a size larger. I was able to replace the footbed with a Spenco orthotic and wear a medium weight sock.

I immediately disposed of the bungee shoelaces. On uneven ground, especially going downhill I want my boots to be firmly attached to my feet. They stretch and feel loose just at the time you need them to support your foot the most. I put some nice round, tough laces on them.

Best thing about these boots is their stickiness on wet rocks, wet logs and roots. In ten and days 28 portages I never had a slip. Better than any wading shoe I have ever had. They also supported and protected my feet well. Besides the portages I went on several dry land cross-country explorations and they were comfortable on really rugged ground. The soles are pretty stiff- I like that with stoney trails.

They drain fast and dry out quick except for the collar. I was not in a hurry to get out of them arriving at camp. I only wore my dry shoes on one layover day that I didn't paddle until evening.

Negatives. The dumb bungee laces-easily fixed. The soft collar, especially combined with the low cut back. For any boot that might get completely submerged in mud or soft sand a uniform height collar that can slug up to your ankle is preferred. Soft, low cut collars are just funnels for mud and sand. Its why I liked my old Converse Allstars and the old LL Bean Maine Guide shoe. But LL Bean Shoe is gone and my old feet need more protection than the Allstars can give so I'll put up with the collar to get the other advantages of this boot.

I would recommend these if you are looking for new wet shoes. I may order another pair to store away. There is always a good chance they will be discontinued before I wear these out.

Thanks for the review. I’ve started eyeing these for when my Chota Quetico Trekkers wear out. I like the new synthetic uppers for quick drying.

Interestingly, I’ve never had an issue with the boot feeling solid with the bungee cord laces. But definitely easy to change for something else as one prefers.

Maybe I will have to look at these again. Tried on a pair at copia but they seemed narrow.

Thanks for the review. I almost bought a pair at Canoecopia, but they just didn't seem right to me. Also didn't like the bungee laces. I guess replacing them with standard cord laces would be the answer to that.