THE MUST-HAVE ITEM FOR TRAVELERS
By @_twowander_
We were lucky enough to be sent a pair of Aleader water shoes to try out and oh boy were we pleasantly surprised! I’m usually not much of a trainer person- since moving to China I only brought my pair of Reebok Classics with me and favor them more in the winter (mainly for going to work in and for hikes), but other than that I always try and opt for a different kind of shoe- especially as temperatures start to heat up.
But Aleader changes all of that! The second I put these on I LOVED how snug-fitting and lightweight they felt. I guess trainers make me feel a bit clunky sometimes but these are more like a pair of socks! They’re also incredibly spongy. I went for a mottled grey version, which I love, and Sam went for the black ones. The only thing I would say about the black ones is because of the mesh nature of the shoes, you can slightly see your feet beneath them. Sam likes this though because it makes them pretty funky and unique but it’s just something to bear in mind if opting for this color.
Aleader is a California based company specializing in water and active shoes meant for hiking and adventuring in on any and all terrains possible. Their goal is to get people out and exploring the world without sacrificing comfort or being limited by their footwear. Overall, we love our new water shoes and can’t wait to expand with more in the future! Read on below for our full review.
On day one we took them for a spin to the beach. We both wore them for about 2 hours the first time around and had no rubbing problems and the support was great. I did get quite a bit of sand in mine but I was rolling around and doing yoga poses haha and the second day we wore them it was also on a sandy path at one point and nothing got in them then. Plus, because of their ultra-wearability, they’re ridiculously easy to put on and off which is a mega plus for me because I hate tying shoelaces if I’m going to be taking my shoes on and off a lot!
On the “water shoes” note, because they are made with a lightweight fabric for active, all-purpose terrain (including streams, etc.), if you are wearing them on a non-adventure day out and it rains, i.e. out and about in the city, your feet will possibly get a bit wet. If it’s warm this likely wouldn’t be too much of a problem as they would also dry equally as quickly. Plus, you can stick them in the washing machine too, bonus!
On day two, we wore them for about 4 hours on more of a hilly hiking landscape. Again, no rubbing and great support 🙂 This day I didn’t get any debris in them and I absolutely LOVED how breathable they were, especially as I got more and more clammy as the hours passed by haha. This is definitely a big positive for longer hikes/adventuring in hot countries.
Another thing I like about these shoes is the look of them and how versatile they can be with different outfits. I wore them with shorts, dresses, skirts, trousers, and jeans and loved all the combos.
The final, perhaps most important, thing that we love about these shoes is their lightweightness and compactness, meaning they are EXCELLENT for frequent travelers like us looking to minimize baggage
So there you have our review of our Aleader water shoes! Overall we’re SUPER chuffed with them and absolutely can’t wait to take them on all our future adventures with us! If you’ve already got a pair, what do you think of them?