as we start to talk about gear, we are goingto start with shoes. they really are your connection to the ground and they are goingto allow you to move swiftly and efficiently when something goes wrong. there are manydifferent types of shoes and for many different purposes as well. larger sturdier shoes thatadd more support and have a better sole and more traction are going to provide you withthe better tool to move around the river with
Boat Shoes , and the river bank. however these shoes arenot going to fit into the smaller boats so if you are going to be paddling smaller, morecompact kayak's, then you are going to need to move to a slightly thinner design of playbootie which has a thinner sole, less support and often a split toe which will allow youfor a little bit more drainage and comfort.
there are also types of shoes like this whichwhile they don't have a particularly supportive upper, they have a great sole and a lot oftraction. these also you can get into smaller boats but depending on your foot size, youmay have trouble in some of the small play boats. it is important to remember that shoesare a very important part of river rescue because if you have them on, you can hop outof your boat and start moving immediately. a lot of people like to pedal barefoot butif something happens and you are flapping around trying to get your shoes on, then thisis going to eat up valuable time and make you less efficient in a rescue situation.the other thing is that it is important to remember that closed toe shoes are very veryuseful in river situations because they allow
more protection and you are less likely tostump your toe which is going to again, decrease
your deficiency in a rescue. whenever youget a pair of shoes, make sure they fit and make sure they are well supported. you reallydo want to have good protection and the last thing you should consider is walking aroundon uneven surfaces they are not going to roll around your foot so that you sprang an ankle.
