BWCA Footwear

Everyone asks us what type of footwear they should have for their canoe trip.  Like most of the other questions we get asked there isn’t one right answer.  The type of canoe you are paddling will make a difference to what type of footwear you should have.  If you are paddling a kevlar canoe then 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.  When the water is warm a pair of sport sandals such as Teva or Chaco may work, but when it’s cold you may need a waterproof hiking boot or a pair of rubber boots like LaCrosse.  It’s always nice to have an extra pair of shoes along for use at camp and I recommend a pair of moccassins or soft tennis shoes.  The less impact you have on a campsite the better, so it’s nice to have a lighter shoe.  Almost all canoe trippers have an opinion about proper footwear on a canoe trip, what is yours?