well i have a permit for EP 14 for another trip to La Croix.i have always been a dry foot canoe tripper,i can't stand having wet feet all day.however on the last day of the spring trip in 2011 i wanted to get out and explore some water falls along the Sioux river that are dry in normal years.the place to get ashore was a mess of rock and logs so i put on my in camp sneakers and got out into the water rather than fool around getting a dry place to land.i kept on the wet sneakers for the pull around the beaver dam at the rocky turn below the Devils Cascade and again at that carry and above it where the path was flooded.same with the rest of the carries and the parking lot landing.while i was happy to change into something dry,pants too,at a overnight camp before the drive home the next day having wet feet was not as bad as i recalled and--here it is--much,much safer for a old guy with a bad knee.with the wet foot method i don't have to work so hard to balance on rocks and make odd moves to get on and off of them.just steeping out into the water and pulling out the packs when i'm working alone is much easier than the squat and toss involved in what it takes to keep dry.
rubber boots are out but i can see that the low hikers,sneaker type shoes will work out fine,in fact even on the rocky muddy paths i had no problems.i have been using over the ankle LL Bean boots and while they seemed to allow me to bash thru so nasty portages up in the Q they might not be needed on some of the well used paths in the BW

yup, wet foot canoeing is the only way to go. my canvas canoe does not touch rocks if i can help it.

I was a dry footer till 2008. You're right, it's just much easier not having to worry about balancing on rocks. Plus I don't have to get in shore as close and this saves my fiberglass hull a little.

But - it's always very nice to put on dry socks and shoes once in camp.

Dedicated wet footer here. Its a little tough to step into a solo boat at the ends that at the middle is only 23 inches wide at the gunwales.

My camp shoes and camp sox are kept in their own bombproof dry bag. Along with the talcum powder.

It would be nice to keep your feet try, but it's just not worth it when you are getting in and out of the canoe all the time. It's safer and easier if you are willing to stick your feet in the water. Plus, once your feet are wet, you really feel like you can go anywhere and no worry about it. It's very liberating.

In addition to making sure you have try shoes and socks for camp, always thoroughly out your travel socks and shoes at camp at the end of each day. They may not dry overnight, but that's okay, they'll be getting wet soon anyway. Thorough daily rinsing keeps things from getting disgusting and helps avoid maladies like trench foot.

Welcome to the wetfoot club!

quote Ho Ho: "Plus, once your feet are wet, you really feel like you can go anywhere and no worry about it. It's very liberating.


"

so true.

Muck boots to the rescue. ;-)

My feet never feel better than after a week or two of wet footing. That includes relief from gout.

quote jwartman59: "yup, wet foot canoeing is the only way to go. my canvas canoe does not touch rocks if i can help it.
"

Canvas here as well, and also a wet footer for 27 years now.

My 2010 solo taught me the importance of sock liners. :)

I have been wet footing for a while and am thinking of using a pair of High Tech brand nylon/leather over the ankle hikers this year instead of sneakers/water shoes just to bolster the ankles and knees which are not getting any younger or more limber. I'll use some merino wool socks with them. Any recommendations along these lines?

Bill..as this is my first wet foot year i have been mulling over the sox issue myself.i have Bug Off cotton/nylon hiking soxs and i thought i would just keep using those,they really hold back the ankle biters.

Thanks WCD. I've used merino wool socks with water shoes and they worked very nicely, but the shoes offered no ankle support. My concern is with the boots more than the socks. The HI TECHS don't drain well at all and probably will never get completely dry on the trip. I see a picture of leather work boots on this thread so I assume others go pretty much the same route with respect to footwear.

I wore sandals on my first trip to the BW and the trauma will stay with me forever...never again except for camp use.

quote Bill Tea: "Thanks WCD. I've used merino wool socks with water shoes and they worked very nicely, but the shoes offered no ankle support. My concern is with the boots more than the socks. The HI TECHS don't drain well at all and probably will never get completely dry on the trip. I see a picture of leather work boots on this thread so I assume others go pretty much the same route with respect to footwear.


I wore sandals on my first trip to the BW and the trauma will stay with me forever...never again except for camp use. "

I was the one who posted the leather boots. Wet boots are wet boots. I don't even try to dry them out during a trip. As for draining, it's never been an issue for me. I do have two recommendations:

1) wear a liner sock and sock over it, merino for both is great, even if it's two liners. Two pair of socks allows friction to be dissipated between the socks and not between your foot and the socks, so no blisters.

2) take care of your feet when you hit camp. I always set up camp and then collect wood. After that I go the water's edge, take off my wet boots, rinse the boots and socks, then dry my feet, put on Desenex foot powder, then put on dry socks and my moccasins. If you don't care for your feet, especially between the toes, you run the risk of getting foot rot. I've never had it and never want it.

Last thing I will say is be careful of boots that don't have some kind of stitched welt holding the uppers to the soles. When I was between Irish Setters (boots, not dogs) I wore an excellent pair of leather Asolo hiking boots with a glued on sole and the glue came loose. Certainly OK to use things like glued wading boots that are intended to be worn in the water, but I would be careful of boots like hi-tech.

when my LL Bean boots,i have the ankle high ones,got wet it was a hassle.for the mud and low water they were great but once water went over the top i ether had to stop and dump out the water which was hard to do in some places or keep walking to the end of the carry.stopping and setting down the bag and getting out dry soxs from the side pouch and loading up again was a grunt.with the canoe or the food pack without sox,maybe i should of had a pair stuffed under the flap,it ment a walk to the end in flooded boots.a few long ones in the Q left me with wrinkled,soft skin.i did try Gore Tex soxs but again you have to stop and get them on for the carry and your still squishing down the path in water filled boots.the Goretex sox are great around a wet camp if your wearing mocs.i may not wet foot every day,everywhere but on the days when i know i'll have many carrys to work thru,like down the Sioux,i'll wet foot.

I have been a wetfooter for many years. It's easier on the canoe and easier on my ankles when I don't have to try to stand on dry rocks. I wear Ohdins so they drain well and dry pretty fast in camp.

Thanks shsylvester! Great info. I will take a good look at the Hi Techs and maybe look around for something more solid. I hadn't thought of the sole separating.That certainly wouldn't work well at all.

quote nojobro: "Muck boots to the rescue. ;-)"

Yeahhhh Baby. And if you do overtop them, remove foot liners, roll down the neoprene uppers, and they dry as fast or faster than many wading shoes. And yes, I wear jeans on cold days. :-D

quote kanoes: "

quote Ho Ho: "Plus, once your feet are wet, you really feel like you can go anywhere and no worry about it. It's very liberating.



"

so true."

+1