FiveFingers Flow Trek shoes

Neoprene boots with a neat ergonomic design

Product

Fivefingers Flow Trek shoes

Promise

Ergonomic footwear specialists create a great watersports slipper

Performance

We love FiveFingers. They take some getting used to, not just in the looks department but also in wearing: once you’ve taken them out for a spin though, the advantages are clear. You simply forget you’re wearing shoes at all.

The principle is that by giving your feet the freedom of feeling so unrestricted, you’ll up performance. These are their take on the neoprene slippers that are beloved of cold-water sportsmen, and the build of the shoe is exactly right for the purpose.

A 1.2mm neoprene lining and 2mm EVA footbed give your feet the insulation they need when wet, while the soles in IdroGrip performance rubber stick like glue with amazing friction. The incredible thing is that they can behave like this and stay so light and thin, a real compliment to the design. They even contain an anti-microbial layer to fight bacteria build up – always a major headache when you’re dealing with active feet and wet shoes on a regular basis. Despite all that, they’re machine washable too.

We took these out canoeing on the Thames in December. Over the course of several hours they took a few separate dousings with freezing water and still stayed warm enough to keep us in the comfort zone. The grips particularly impressed us: even in a wet boat, it felt like we were walking on a hairspray-coated surface.

Verdict

We’re waiting for the spring before we take these out surfing, but would recommend them on their performance so far: you’re hard pressed to find a water-friendly shoe that delivers so much.