Speedo Surf Knit Pro - Women's Review

The Speedo Surf Knit Pro is a lightweight water shoe weighing approximately 8.3 ounces per shoe ( women's size 9). Built with a hydrophobic insole and breathable stretchy upper for rapid drainage and breathability, it combines a flexible rubber outsole for moderate traction with an EVA-cushioned footbed for comfort on short walks. Its slip-on design and low-profile construction make it ideal for beach activities, pool workouts, and lake swimming, offering a balance of comfort, flexibility, and quick-drying performance.

Comfort

The Surf Knit Pro stands out for its immediate, slipper-like comfort. The knitted upper is soft, stretchy, and highly breathable, molding gently to the foot without creating pressure points or hot spots. These budget-friendly water shoes felt good right out of the box — no break-in required.

Inside, a cushioned footbed provides a soft landing with each step, and the flexible outsole moves naturally with your foot. The slip-on style, combined with a low-profile collar and pull loop at the heel, makes it easy to get these shoes on and off even when wet.

However, some users noted that the sizing runs a little large, especially once the knit material stretches when saturated. If you're between sizes, it's worth considering sizing down for a snugger fit. While the soft knit makes them extremely comfortable for short to moderate wear, it doesn't provide much structure or support for long walks or rough terrain.

Overall, for casual use around water, light exercise like aqua aerobics, or easy walks to and from the beach, the comfort of the Surf Knit Pro is hard to beat in its price range.

Traction

The Surf Knit Pro offers adequate, but not standout, traction. The outsole features a varied rubber pattern designed to shed water and grip moderately slick surfaces like pool decks, boat ramps, or packed sandy beaches.

In everyday wet conditions — like hopping in and out of a lake or walking across wet docks — the traction feels perfectly secure. The flexible rubber adapts well to flat or mildly uneven surfaces, and there's enough tread to help prevent casual slips.

However, in tougher conditions — like muddy trails, steep riverbanks, or slippery rocks — the Surf Knit Pro shows its limitations. The sole is relatively soft and shallowly lugged, meaning it doesn't bite into slippery or uneven ground the way a stiffer, more aggressive shoe would. In addition, the lack of support from the fabric upper resulted in our feet slipping around a bit in the shoe, particularly when on steep terrain, which further detracted from the shoe's overall traction.

In short, for recreational settings where you're sticking mostly to paved paths, beach sand, or pool decks, the traction is more than sufficient. For serious scrambling or river crossings, you'll want a more rugged outsole and a shoe that you can secure to your feet.

Versatility

One of the best attributes of the Surf Knit Pro is its everyday versatility for casual aquatic use. It transitions easily from wet to dry settings, meaning you can go from swimming in a lake to strolling around the beachside snack bar without needing a change of shoes.

The lightweight, slimline design makes them excellent for travel — they weigh next to nothing and can be flattened into a backpack or beach bag without a second thought. They're a natural fit for pool workouts, aqua aerobics classes, stand-up paddleboarding, and quick hikes to the water's edge.

That said, their versatility has limits. Because the upper is so soft and breathable, they don't offer much protection against sharp underwater debris, heavy impacts, or aggressive environments. They also aren't supportive enough for long-distance hiking or rugged off-trail adventures. Think of them as ideal for low-impact outdoor days where you want lightweight foot protection without the commitment of a full-on technical shoe.

Sensitivity

If you like to feel the surface you're walking on, the Surf Knit Pro offers a nicely balanced experience. The sole is flexible and thin enough to transmit a good amount of ground feel, making it easy to stay agile when walking through shallow water, across boat decks, or on soft sand.

The footbed cushioning adds enough padding to blunt uncomfortable surfaces without completely isolating you from the environment. This is especially nice for aquatic fitness activities where balance and foot awareness matter, like paddleboarding, light kayaking, or water aerobics.

However, because the sole is relatively soft, stepping on sharp rocks, broken shells, or rough gravel is immediately noticeable. It's not painful on every surface, but you'll definitely want to tread carefully in more rugged areas.

Quality of Construction

For a budget-friendly water shoe, the Surf Knit Pro is surprisingly well built. The knitted upper material is soft but reasonably durable, resisting stretching out or tearing with normal use. It drains and dries quickly after full submersion, helping to prevent the shoe from feeling heavy or waterlogged after a swim.

The outsole rubber is well molded and securely attached, with few signs of early peeling or excessive wear during our testing. While it's not built for the abuse of daily rugged hikes or whitewater adventures, it holds up nicely for casual aquatic activities, travel, and general summer wear.

One minor point: because of the knitted fabric, the shoes can pick up fine sand and debris more easily than shoes with tighter woven uppers. It's not a dealbreaker, but you may find yourself rinsing them out more often after a beach day.

Overall, for their price point, the Surf Knit Pro delivers excellent quality relative to expectation, outperforming many other budget options in longevity and performance.

Should You Buy the Speedo Surf Knit Pro?

If you want a lightweight, breathable, and affordable water shoe for casual use — think lakes, pools, beach trips, and light aquatic workouts — the Speedo Surf Knit Pro is a fantastic option. It's more comfortable, better constructed, and slightly more versatile than true bargain-bin models, yet much more affordable than premium performance shoes. The knit upper feels great against bare feet, the flexible sole makes them easy to walk in, and their packability makes them an easy travel companion. Just know what they're built for: mellow, casual use around water, not rugged hikes, rocky river crossings, or full-day adventures. If your summer plans involve lots of splashy fun, occasional hikes on soft surfaces, and kicking around town after a swim, the Surf Knit Pro offers an impressive bang for your buck.

What Other Water Shoes Should You Consider?

If you are drawn to the lightweight, quick-drying nature of the Surf Knit Pro, there are some other models that you may consider. The Crocs Classics don't provide the same coverage, but are equally lightweight and even quicker to dry. Questions of aesthetics get very subjective, and these two shoes definitely may be a hit or miss depending on your style preferences. The Astral Loyak has a similar slipper-like feel, with super adjustability and transitions better into town. Alternatively, the Astral Brewer 3.0 adjustable has a more robust and supportive shoe-like feel, making it better suited to longer hikes, but be ready to pay quite a bit more. If you truly just need a super-basic, ultra-budget option for a couple of beach days or pool visits, the Athmile Water Shoes is even cheaper, but much flimsier and less supportive than the Surf Knit Pro.