REASONS TO BUY
Top notch warmth
Protective outsole
Decent traction on wet surfaces
REASONS TO AVOID
Little support on rough terrain
No drainage
Slow drying
NRS Paddle Wetshoe Review
These water shoes, paired with a wet suit or dry suit, are perfect for a long day on the river and in cold water
Credit: Zach Lovell
By Zach Lovell ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 3, 2025
Contributions From: Dan Scott & Jacob Clark
RELATED: The Best Water Shoes for Men
Our Verdict
The NRS Paddle Wetshoe is the one water shoe we reach for when the temperatures drop and the water gets icy. A Terraprene upper with a fleece lining keeps your bare feet warm and insulated from the cold water, and when paired with a wetsuit, an even toastier combination is born. These are true feet-savers in winter ocean surfing and white water boating, where staying warm is essential for the safety of your extremities and for the sake of enjoyment. While we wouldn't recommend these for miles of overland hiking, they excel in and around the water.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Paddle Wetshoe is a high-top bootie designed to provide maximum warmth in cold water. Made of flexible stretch Terreprene, these booties fit like a glove and swim well, keeping your feet warm and protected. They aren't designed for extended periods outside the water, but provide all the traction needed to get you to and from your boat.
From chilly alpine lakes to frigid oceans, this model is the warmest wetshoe we've yet tested.
Credit: Carrie Mueller
Comfort
The NRS Paddle is very comfortable due to its glove-like fit. Unlike some other neoprene booties we have worn, this one has a wider toe box, anatomically shaped to hug your feet. It doesn't have much adjustability, but it doesn't really need much. Just a simple and burly zipper paired with a forefoot velcro strap provided a secure fit for all of our team members who tried it. With the super stretchy neoprene and zipper (which has a velcro catch to prevent it from unzipping), the bootie stayed on our feet well and didn't move around as we walked.
This bootie is very comfortable for those who don't need much in the way of support. For surfing or boating, you're unlikely to be on your feet for very long, but our arches were certainly tried in the NRS Paddle while testing their limits for a full day of SUPing and fishing, where we stayed on our feet all day long.
For long days on your feet, these aren't as supportive as others.
Credit: Sara James
These wet shoes offer excellent against-skin comfort, and we found the velcro straps to work well, though proper sizing is crucial in booties like these. The side zipper is also easy to use, but any neoprene bootie like the NRS Paddle will require some effort to slide off; it's just the nature of wet neoprene.
While it isn't the most adjustable, the Paddle Wetshoe is easy to put on. When neoprene gets wet, however, its a bigger challenge to slide off.
Credit: Carrie Mueller
Traction
These are among the stickiest shoes we tested. With the flexibility of the sole and design of the footbed, these shoes do quite well on rocks, logs, and other harder wet surfaces. The outsole comes close to being the stickiest we have worn and is honestly plenty sticky for most paddling applications. We wouldn't hesitate to take on talus while scouting a rapid or scramble up a short section of low-angle rock during a portage.
With the lack of lugs present on the Paddle Wetshoes, muddy or soft terrain proved a bit more difficult. The tread pattern utilizes a mix of lateral ridges and pits (inverted lugs) that stick well on various surfaces but start slipping in deep mud or dirt, that you might find in steep river banks.
These have adequate traction where it matters most, but they aren't our first pick for miles of dry-ground hiking.
Similar to running or walking on beaches, the lack of support requires more work from the foot. Unlike a more supportive shoe, your feet flex in response to undulating, slippery terrain instead of allowing you to dig the tread in.
The thin and inverted lugs on the NRS Paddle don't do nearly as well on soft surfaces as they do on rock or wood.
Credit: Carrie Mueller
Warmth
The Paddle Wetshoes were some of the warmest shoes we tested. The limestone-derived neoprene (Terraprene) plus a layer of soft fleece lining make this a toasty shoe. However, with more warmth comes less drainage. If you're using these booties for their intended purposes, the lack of drainage helps to keep feet warm, as your body warms the trapped water.
The inside of the Paddle is lined with a checkered fleece that feels incredible on bare feet and adds a little warmth. Since they are so stretchy, adding layers under them (socks, dry suit, etc) to further increase warmth is a breeze.
Even in frigid oceans, the NRS Paddle kept us warm all day.
Credit: Jacob Clark
Versatility
The NRS Paddle Wetshoe is not a very versatile water shoe; it's best for cold-water activities with relatively limited dry-ground travel. Kayaking, rafting, SUPing, fishing and canyoneering in cold water were the sports we prefered to use the Paddle Wetshoe.
Off the water, these can get very hot. They also don't have the support for longer hikes, and we'd strongly encourage you to look elsewhere if you want a more versatile model. If style is part of your search criteria, neoprene booties like these are also less ideal for social hangs, and they aren't great for pavement strolls either.
We recommend putting these on and taking these off near the water, as they aren't great for land use.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Sensitivity
With a slightly thicker outsole than other booties we tested, the NRS Paddle strikes a decent balance between sensitivity and protection. While some shoes are more flexible, we didn't find that we really wanted any more flexibility than this shoe provided. Walking over cobbles and logs, the Paddle Wetshoe provides excellent proprioception.
We really loved swimming in these shoes. In our testing in the cold Pacific Northwest and Pacific Coast, we jumped into deep pools in canyons, swam around in rivers while paddling, and waded through the Pacific Ocean. With warm feet, swimming (or paddling) for longer is much more bearable and enjoyable.
You'll be able to feel the ground, boat, or board easily in the Paddle Wetshoe, and we loved its sensitivity.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Quality of Construction
As a neoprene bootie, durability is not the main focus; they're not meant to wear on sharper and more rugged terrain. However, like most NRS products, the craft on these booties is excellent overall for in-water use. All seams are glued neatly, and we found no separation during our test period.
The rubber reinforcement patches are thick (we estimate at least a couple of millimeters) and held up even during a day of canyoneering. However, repeated use will likely develop holes, like any neoprene-based clothing. Nevertheless, if you keep these near or in the water and out of rocky terrain, the Paddle Wetshoe will last you a long time. The closure on these shoes is a YKK, large-toothed, plastic zipper that held up throughout testing, and the velcro also performed consistently.
These are simple and well-designed wetshoes that'll last you a long time if you're cautious about where and how you use them.
Should You Buy the NRS Paddle Wetshoe?
As a dedicated paddling bootie, the NRS Paddle Wetshoe is a great option, with its superb warmth, glove-like fit, and flexibility. While this isn't a great shoe for use on land, we think they are pretty impressive out on the water. These shoes have a simple, clean, and efficient design with high-quality neoprene and sticky rubber. If you're looking for a shoe to be used primarily on the water, these are very hard to beat, both from a performance and price perspective. However, if you're expecting a lot of mixed use, you can probably get a better value with a more versatile water shoe.
What Other Water Shoes Should You Consider?
If you were looking for a more sneaker-type water shoe than booties or socks, the Astral Brewer 2.0 is a great all-around shoe we feel is more versatile for water fun with fewer limitations. You could also check out the Xero Aqua X Sport, a great shoe for water adventures where warmth isn't a worry.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare NRS Paddle Wetshoe versus top competing products:
—Zach Lovell, Dan Scott, and Jacob Clark
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