Vibram Men's FiveFingers V-Aqua Water Shoes | Barefoot Swim Shoes for Men | Lightweight & Quick-Drying for Swimming, Beach, Kayaking & Water Sports

This is the 5th pair of shoes that I had ordered during my mission to find the perfect river shoes for kayaking and other water activities. Initially I was looking in the $25-$40 range. I tried two pairs of strappy sandalls and two pairs of mesh river shoes with toe indentations.I was hoping I could find a cheaper alternative to the Vibrams that I knew were great but I had no such luck. All four of the previous pairs that I received had issues with fit and comfort so I ended up returning them all.Folks, this is it. These shoes are amazing. I know the price tag is a bit steep but you get what you pay for. I usually wear size 11 shoes but I knew that I wanted these to be snug and read reviews which recommended sizing down so I went with the 9.5-10 size and ooooh baby, they fit like a glove. There is no uncomfortable rubbing anywhere, especially on the back of the ankle which is a concern that I had. I even got a bad abrasion on my small toe from going for a walk in my vans without socks. This happened the day that these Vibrams arrived and I was worried that my toe going into the toe pocket would rub on it as I walked and cause me pain but I don't even notice it. they are seriously comfortable.Some reviewers have mentioned the ankle strap not having enough velcro to tighten them to their liking and I agree that it could be extended just a little more but the strap that goes over the foot is plenty to secure the shoe. I put this to the test. During my first kayak outing my friend and I stopped at the side of the river and when we stepped out of our boats we immediately sank shin deep into the mud. Alarm bells immediately went off in my head because I had read reviews about the shoes being insecure and coming off. I didn't want to lose one of my brand new shoes but I had no choice. I had to get my foot unstuck. Well I finally got my foot free of the mud and the shoe didn't budge at all I walked in the mud a bit more and felt totally confident that the shoes were secure.I also read a review about concerns of the black shoes getting too hot. I don't know where that person lives or how hot it is but I have gone on multiple 20-30 minute walks on paved trails in 95-100 degree weather and they get a little warm but nowhere close to the point of being unable to wear them. Maybe they just have sensitive feet.The only question remaining is whether they will hold up over time. I saw some reviews that concerned me but as I said I have owned Vibrams before and they endured a lot of abuse before finally biting the dust (probably due to my own negligence) so I am optimistic that if I take care of these they are going to last.TLDR: Buy once, cry once. Shell out the extra money for these over a cheaper alternative. Order one size down. You won't be disappointed.