Best Footwear for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Most everyone who has paddled and camped in the Boundary Waters has an opinion about the best footwear for a canoe trip. Heck, I even had an opinion back in 2005 according to a long ago published blog I wrote titled, “Chaco vs Teva.”

One debate I have with a friend is about wearing sandals on a canoe trip.  He is the king of $12.00 Red Ball black rubber boots that you can buy at any Holiday Gas Station in Minnesota.  I have never wore them and I can’t imagine ever wearing them.  I have always wore Teva sandals because they are built to last.  I’ve had a couple of pair for almost 10 years and they are still in great shape.  This year I purchased a pair of Chaco sandals.  According to my staff these are way better than Teva and should be considering they are quite a bit more expensive.  I have to admit I like the look of my new Chacos as well as the feel, but are they worth the extra money and will they last as long as my Teva’s?  The verdict is still out.  Let me know what you think.

As an update to that blog is I have now converted completely to Chacos, Mike is still a Teva fan.  Some people are completely against portaging in sandals and it is true you can get cuts and scrapes on your feet but I’d rather have that then wet feet. I usually paddle a Kevlar canoe and you need to “wet foot”; this means loading and unloading the canoe while it is floating completely.  In order to do this you must walk in the water, sometimes it’s shallow and sometimes it’s deep, but you always get your feet wet. Even in the early spring or late fall I’d rather have wet feet than wet socks and boots.

I always bring warm socks and a pair of tennis shoes to wear around camp too! If you hadn’t figured it out yet, today’s giveaway question is,  “What do you think is the best foot wear to have on canoe trips?” Be sure to answer on Facebook, Instagram or email Voyageur Canoe Outfitters with your response for another entry into the Epic Giveway! And if you’re wondering what else to bring along on your BWCAW canoe trip check out our packing list too.