Xero Aqua X Sport Shoes for Canoeing and Kayaking

Back in July Xero sent over a pair of Aqua X Sport water shoes for me to test out over the summer. I’ve been using their Z-Trail sandals, so I was excited to try out this pair of water shoes. I had considered the Aqua X in the past, especially for paddling in moving water where I may want a closed toe and for sea kayaking. During the summer, I used these on canoeing day trips.

Features of the Xero Aqua X Sport

The Aqua X Sport water shoe features an open mesh upper that breathes well and sheds water out of the shoe. The tongue is non-absorbent. When combined together, the upper and tongue stay relatively dry, and in the sun the mesh upper dries out quickly. The front of the shoe has a toe guard and drain holes.

The sole is a flexible 5.5mm sole with 3.5mm dual chevron lugs that help provide traction. Because this is a zero drop barefoot shoe, the sole retains most of the feel of a thinner barefoot shoe while providing protection from the ground and streambed.

The shoes themselves are extremely flexible. You can almost roll them up in your hands, although when I tried this it felt like I was flexing parts of the shoes that I wouldn’t want to flex that way often.

In size 11, they weigh 14.6 ounces for the pair.

In Use

I liked using the Xero Aqua X Sport shoes for day trips while canoeing and on a few fly fishing trips. I found that they dried to moist fast enough, although I did notice that sometimes depending on the conditions that they would be still damp the next day. That isn’t unusual with water shoes, and most water shoes stay wet or slightly wet for your entire trip if you are on a multiday trip. Sandals on the other hand dry more quickly. If you typically wear sandals, you’ll need to adjust your expectations. These shoes do dry much more quickly that the neoprene boots and shoes that I wear kayaking. Neoprene boots can remain wet for a week or longer after use depending on how you store them.

The grip on the Aqua X Sport shoes is good. It isn’t as grippy as some NRS neoprene shoes that I’ve owned, but they are better than many boots and hiking shoes that I’ve tried.

As far as the fit, I like the wide toe box and the zero drop, although lately I’m wearing shoes without a drop. It takes me a little while to switch between regular shoes and zero drop shoes. I need to adjust my body when changing over. It wasn’t an issue with these because I was mostly wearing them while paddling and only hiking in them or wading in them short distances.

I also like the flexibility. I’ve used Keens before for paddling, and I found that I lose the feel of the streambed when I have them on. With the Xero shoes, I was able to consistently feel the bottom of the stream.

The fit is great, but I will mention that I’m normally a size 11.5. In these shoes I tried 11.5, 11 and 10.5. I found that the 11s fit the best. I feel like a water shoe should fit tighter than a hiking boot. That prevents them from sliding around and gives you more feel, plus they fit better into a kayak when they are smaller. The size 11 balanced all those criteria for me better than sticking with my normal shoe size.

Overall

Overall, I liked the xero Aqua X Sport water shoes and look forward to using them for years to come. If they are as durable as my Z-Trail sandals which I’ve worn at least six months a year for the last three years, then these will last a long time. I want to thank Xero for sending a pair over. If you’re looking for a pair of water shoes, take a look at the Xero Aqua X Sports.