As the weather starts getting warmer, the main thing on my mind is how often I can get to the beach. And when I head to the shore, I always make sure that I have everything I need with me, but that’s never included a pair of sneakers that I can wear in the water — until now.
The Columbia Drainmaker sneakers are a hybrid water shoe and a sneaker that offer all the perks of elevated soles with added water evacuation. This means fewer cuts and scrapes on the soles of my feet and more time in the water and on the rocks.
But as much as I enjoyed wearing these shoes instead of a pair of the best hiking shoes at the beach, I didn’t know everything about them. So to help you decide if hybrid shoes would be a good addition to your summer wardrobe, here are two things I like and two I don’t about the Columbia Drainmakers.
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What I like
1. Hybrid capabilities
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As I mentioned, the Drainmakers are a combination of a sneaker and a water shoe. While they don’t keep your feet dry, they are completely protected from this, like sharp seashells or jagged rocks along the shore.
The canvas upper is extremely breathable, so if you’re walking on dry land, there’s no risk of sweaty feet, and the venting means that when you venture into the sea, any water is immediately evacuated from the shoe.
2. No slips here
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While wearing the shoes, I felt incredibly steady on my feet, as if I were wearing my usual hiking sneakers. And this shocked me, as I wasn’t expecting grip to be a main selling point of these shoes I love, venturing into water.
This steadiness was made possible by the rubber soles. Rubber, by design, has a lot of grip, so any imperfections on the rock act as leverage for friction to keep you steady on your feet and avoid slips.
So whether I was walking along a sandy beach or ambling over the rocks and pebbles, I remained sure-footed.
What I dislike
1. Lack of arch support
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As someone with high arches, I was let down by the lack of arch support in the Columbia Drainmakers. Because of this, I could feel my feet turning inward as I was walking.
Over time, a lack of support is bad for posture, as you end up holding your entire body differently to account for the imbalance. This can lead to aches and pains, which I know all too well from years of insisting I only wear flat Converse sneakers.
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However, if you use these sneakers when you get to the water, and not on the long walk there, you won’t feel the effects of this too much.
2. A little friction
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Since the shoes are made for water, you don’t need to wear socks with them. I think that wearing wet socks is a sensory nightmare, so I opted to go sockless.
However, I was experiencing a lot of friction on my heels. But as with the lack of arch support, this isn’t really an issue if you’re not walking miles and miles.
But despite my grievances with the shoes, I’m going to be reaching for them a lot this summer to protect my feet at the beach. If you want to learn more about the shoes, you can read my full Columbia Drainmaker review.
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