Merrell WaterPro Tawas Shoe - Men's - 2010 BCS

Not a bad shoe for sea kayaking though the sole on the previous model (Maipo) would delaminate too soon.
Sole sturdy enough for oyster rocks

Overall, this is a great water shoe. I bought this shoe to double as a hike/water shoe for canyoneering in southern Utah. I wanted a shoe that I could comfortably hike in (+3 miles at a time) and easily transition to water by removing my merino socks and/or switching to neoprene socks. These shoes accomplish that goal perfectly. The sole of the shoe is rigid, which is great for walking over submerged rocks. They fit true to size and they are very comfortable i.e., they feel more like a hiking shoe and less like a water shoe (padding, support, durability, etc). The sole is grippy enough: I took these through the Narrows at Zion National Park and other nearby slot canyons. These shoes also drain extremely well.

One note on the canyoneering front. The two best canyoneering shoes are the 5.10 Canyoneers and the La Sportiva Exum River Pros, in that order. These shoes are more grippy and more supportive that the Merrells. This is important when considering highly technical canyoneering, i.e., +50ft rappels down sandstone faces as sandstone is extremely slippery when wet. I would not hesitate to take the Merrells slot canyon hiking; however, if I were tackling highly technical canyons with big rappels I would go with the 5.10s or the La Sportivas given the exceptional level of sandstone traction.

I bought a pair of these when they first came out. They are really comfotable, and dont take too long to break in.....however durability is a huge issue. The laces are strung through the nylon straps on the sides....and if it frays in one spot you no longer have anchors for your laces (happened to me while on a 7 day long hike....not very fun) for light hiking....this would be a pretty good shoe, but not meant to beat up too much