Potentially promising canoe boots

[Alan Gage]

I'm sure I'm not the only one that's struggled to find the perfect footwear for canoe tripping and I'm not sure the perfect boot/shoe can ever exist. But today I noticed a couple new boots soon to be released from Lems that certainly piqued my interest:

Lems Tactical Pro Tall Boot

Lems Summit Pro Boot

The main things I like about them is that they are plain leather with no waterproof lining and they have Vibram Megagrip soles.

Many boots seem to prioritize traction on muddy terrain but when canoe tripping I'm mostly concerned about slipping and falling on rocks that are wet with moss or lichens. I've never used Megagrip soles but they're supposed to be well regarded for wet traction.

I like wearing plain leather shoes as they breathe well and do a fine job of keeping water out during brief immersions. They'll certainly get soaked during prolonged exposure or more than a quick dunking in water that tops the boot but without any sort of liner they should dry quicker.

In a world where is gets harder and harder to find simple leather footwear with no waterproof linings I'm excited to see these and hope other manufacturers follow suit.

Hopefully I can put another canoe trip on the horizon and give them a try.

Alan

 

[Erica]

I definitely need a higher than ankle boot for better support. I didn’t know leather would keep out water for short immersions. Define short, please.

 

[Alan Gage]

I didn’t know leather would keep out water for short immersions. Define short, please.

I think of shoe material like mesh, canvas, and nylon as having pretty much no resistance to water. If the shoe is exposed to water so will your foot.

I've never done any testing but I would expect my foot to remain pretty dry if I stood in the water for 45 seconds with leather boots. Some might leak in around the stitching but I think the leather would hold up fine. Whether or not the leather has been treated with some kind of grease or oil will have an impact.

I've splashed through many creeks in plain leather boots without getting wet feet at the crossings. I once fell from a log into knee deep water wearing 6" leather boots and my feet remained almost completely dry. Some water wicked in through the top opening of the boot but it was tight enough to keep water from getting all the way down to my foot before I could get out of the water.

In the winter I often take my walks in plain leather boots and I can walk a couple miles through snow in temps just above freezing (when the snow is sticky and wet) and by the end of the walk I'll just be starting to feel moisture coming through.

But leather is not waterproof. It doesn't keep your feet dry by completely blocking water but rather it slows the intrusion and also absorbs water in the process. With each immersion the leather will absorb more water and if it doesn't have a chance to dry out then eventually it will become saturated even after multiple short immersions. The boot won't suddenly flood with water but the moisture will wick through to your foot.

I've never taken plain leather boots on a canoe trip but I would expect my feet to remain dry after quick steps in the water when landing or pushing away from shore as well as splashing through short puddles or boggy areas during a portage. I would expect them to soak through with repeated exposure to quick immersions in a relatively short period of time (multiple boggy spots on one portage), when wading rapids, or on a rainy day.

But thankfully leather doesn't melt so they should dry decently in front of a fire.

Alan

 

[yknpdlr]

I have always preferred leather hiking boots to any synthetics. Properly treated with Limmer grease, I can hike a damp day in my Limmer boots with an occasional "one stepper" to cross a creek without getting wet feet. My Asolo boots don't last quite as long if it is raining, but they do well. Proven yesterday on a SAR incident hike covering three miles in the Adirondacks with a covering of 2 inches of melting snow. The addition of tall gaiters helped a lot, my ultimate "one steppers" when crossing water. My team and I had to make multiple crossings of a small, but substantially flowing creek by rock hopping. Two of the guys slipped and literally tumbled in, getting fully wet to the waist. Luckily we were at the end of the day on our way out with vehicles nearby. I found places where rocks were nearly suitably spaced to hop to, but some required a quick step in 6-9 inch deep water between rocks. Gaiters and leather boots kept me completely dry.

When canoeing, the only time I have to question what to wear is in colder water seasons. Normally I wear a water type wet shoe of various makes to ensure my boat is completely floating before I and my gear get in our out. But at times in the season like now, that same process requires me to wear some sort of high rubber boot, like Muck or barn boots. I don't like wearing those heavy things in case of deep water capsize, but they are large enough to kick off (and to lose) if the need arises.

 

[BobMills]

I have worn the NSR Workboot Wetshoes, primarily for ankle support. I need ankle support from having multiple sprained ankles over the years. They are made of neoprene and fake leather with hard rubber soles. They are meant to let water in and out, so of course not waterproof. They are comfortable for portaging and in the boat. The downside are they are hard to get on and off, best to wear a thin sock which helps. The lug soles are good on trails but are hard so not as grippy as I would like.

 

[MyKneesHurt]

I wore Lems for years, until the umpteenth nail went through my foot working. Get yourself a pair of Jim Green Troopers. JG also make a moc-toe very similar to those Lems Summits.
In my experience decent leather properly loaded with something fatty - bear fat, sno-seal, otter wax, whatever - will keep water out for a good while (ten, twenty, thirty seconds) but the seams are what leak. Lems glues their soles on, so you may have better waterproofing with them versus the JGs.
@yknpdlr I found a pair of insulated Bogs boots in a thrift shop for twenty bucks, and they've been the only rubber slip-on that actually lets your foot and ankle move that I've ever found.