You’re off water skating, kayaking, swimming, or doing any other water sports activity, and you’re hoping to get that epic adventure, only to have your feet severely injured by a rock. Suddenly, you’re forced to sit back while your friends are out having the time of their lives.
The truth is these types of accidents are totally avoidable. How, you may ask? Water shoes, of course! And this is one of the ways water shoes are useful; the rest is to come. Without further ado, this article will highlight some of the best water shoes for men.
At a Glance
1. Mishansha Mens Womens Water Shoes Quick Dry – Best Overall
2. Aleader Men’s Quick Drying Water Shoes – Best for Fashion
3. Suokeni Men’s Quick Drying Slip On Water Shoes – Best for Comfort
The 3 Best Water Shoes for Men in 2023
1. Mishansha Mens Womens Water Shoes Quick Dry Barefoot – Best Overall
The Mishansha Mens Womens Water Shoes Quick Dry Barefoot is our best overall, and you’ll see why. It features drainage holes for quick drying, as the bottoms have holes for proper water flow, which explains their ultra light weight.
What also plays into these shoes’ lightweight is the spandex upper. It’s wear-resistant, stretchable, and breathable. Add to that the soft, breathable, and quick-drying EVA insole, and you’ve got optimal comfort and durability.
In terms of support and protection, the tough rubber sole and padding ensure that your feet are safe and protected against scrapes and bruises. Therefore, we find them to be ideal for the beach, pool, swimming, surfing, sailing, boating, kayaking, windsurfing, beach volleyball, and much more.
As for the design, any pair of no-tie shoes are a win in our book, and that’s certainly the case with the elastic straps whose tightness you can adjust to fit you. Also, they’re easy to put on and off due to the pull tap at the heel.
Alas, nothing is perfect; although these shoes certainly are close, we have to warn you that they probably are too tight for people with wider feet.
Pros:
- Quick Drainage
- Ultra comfortable and durable
- Tough rubber sole and padding for protection
- Practical and functional design
Cons:
- Too tight for wide feet
Final Verdict
When you think of water shoes for men, you think of functionality, comfort, durability, coverage, and water drainage, and that’s precisely why the Mishansha Water Shoes is the best overall.
2. Alreader’s Men’s Quick Drying Water shoes – Best for Fashion
When it comes to aesthetics, the Alreader Men’s Quick Drying Water Shoes, our best for fashion, can either be plain or “stylish,” with the latter having more closely weaved mesh holes than the former. You can go for a simple yet fashionable look with the grays or a more bold one with the red and blue or the white, green, and yellow options.
Furthermore, these shoes excel when it comes to lightweightness and breathability. To avoid getting soggy and heavy, they’ve got big mesh holes, like the Mishansha, that allow for water drainage, only they’re bigger than most water shoes.
Speaking of mesh, it’s hydrophobically engineered for comfort, and it also helps that the soles are cushioned. These are water grip soles designed to up the traction. The shoes fit great, and the rubber pods help your feet stay put.
An inconvenience with these shoes is that their big holes might allow sharp stones to get stuck or sand to get in, but they’ll be easily cleared out too. Although the not-so-great protection might make you hesitate before wearing these shoes to walk on the beach, they’re great for water aerobics.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
- Good traction
- Plain and stylish designs
Cons:
- Protection could be better
Final Verdict
We highly recommend the Aleader Men’s Quick Drying Water Shoes for water aerobics, as they’re attractive, lightweight, comfortable, and non-slip.
3. Suokeni Men’s Quick Drying Slip On Water Shoes – Best for Comfort
A significant advantage with the Suokeni Men’s Quick Drying Slip On Water Shoes is their water drainage system. The upper mesh and holed sole drain off water or sweat in no time and better your shoes’ comfort and breathability.
They are great for lightweight shoes. With the newest fly knit upper materials and MD outsole, these shoes are practically weightless.
Moreover, the lightweight, soft, and elastic sole helps with that and protects your feet, especially your toes, against sharp objects too. This sort of full coverage design is essential in high-quality water shoes.
These water shoes are made of 90% fabric and rubber for the anti-slip soles to provide a reliable grasping performance. Not only are they non-slip, but they’re also stretchable and wear-resistant. A drawback is that the holes might get small rocks stuck in them.
Pros:
- Practically weightless
- Excellent drainage system
- Full coverage
- Non-slip, stretchable, and wear-resistant
Cons:
- Pebbles might get stuck inside
Final Verdict
With its quick-drying, lightweight design, protection, comfort, and durability, it’s hard to resist the Suokeni Men’s Quick Drying Slip On Water Shoes.
What to Consider When Buying Water Shoes
Below are some of the main features you should find in any good pair of water shoes.
Comfort
The materials often used in water shoes are mesh, leather, rubber, textile, and other skin-friendly materials. The upper part should be made of mesh to make taking off your wet shoes easier. It’s breathable and causes water to seep out of them, thus preventing an environment that encourages bacteria, yeast, and fungus to flourish.
Mesh also helps your feet get dry fast, which takes us to a feature that you should try to find in water shoes: quick dry. This makes a difference in comfort and durability, but note that water shoes will not really keep your feet dry in water. Instead, they won’t keep them wet for long.
Tip: If you’re, however, looking for something to keep your feet dry, opt for a sealed rubber boot.
Furthermore, insulation maintains your feet’s warm temperature in cold water, which also betters your performance, and rubber soles are designed to provide optimal cushioning and a solid grip.
Support and Traction
Slip-ons might make practical water shoes, but they don’t cover or support your ankle the way regular lace-up shoes would, which is a drawback, especially if you’re going to wear them for extended periods.
Furthermore, mesh is useful for support as it hugs your feet in a snug fit but still doesn’t suffocate them, and that snug fit ensures that your feet don’t wiggle in your shoes or, even worse, fall off entirely. Last but not least, to counter slippery surfaces, water shoes use tread and rubber outsoles, which in turn elevate your traction, and lessen your chances of slipping.
Good traction is probably what distinguishes high-quality water shoes from low-quality ones. It increases the friction between your shoes and the slippery surface you’re treading on, which, in turn, allows you to walk along riverbanks, lake banks, and beaches, in addition to swimming with no fear of slipping.
Weight
If your legs are sorer from moving your shoes in water than they’re from leg day, that might just be a red-flag. Your water shoes have to be light, and feature sipped outsoles to move water aside as you tread on the ground, thus handling the extra weight of water and enhancing their traction.
Well ventilated fabrics and several drainage points and perforations drain water from the shoes so that they aren’t too heavy to lift.
Protection
You’re, after all, wearing water shoes with built-in toe shields to protect your feet against rocks, shells, and other objects that could injure you at sea. This is why you need ones with full coverage and thick soles.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we hope to have made this purchase a much easier one with our recommendations and buying guide. Ultimately we recommend our best overall, the Mishansha Mens Womens Water Shoes Quick Dry Barefoot. They look awesome and get the job done with top-notch protection, drainage, and comfort.