Do you wear shoes when paddle boarding?

This is entirely up to you. Some people like the look, the others say it makes them feel unstable.

If you’re worried about stability, then go barefoot or wear water shoes (available at most sporting goods stores). If you prefer to wear shoes, flip-flops are probably your best option.

They will give you some protection if your feet do slip off the board, and they won’t make it too difficult to push back against waves or boat wakes either. Also, keep in mind that water can be surprisingly cold, so take along an extra change of dry clothes—just in case!

Is it slippy on the paddleboard with shoes on?

It can be, I guess it depends on how big the shoes are. Drying your feet off well before getting back onto the board, or taking them off entirely, is helpful too.

I wear shoes every time – good traction and water drain out if they get wet. Tried other shoes once – didn’t have as good of grip.

I wear boat shoes when I paddle board. They have good traction and drain out if they get wet. Also, sandals or water shoes can be a little trickier to push off with your feet when you’re paddling.

Can you wear sandals?

It depends on what kind of sandal it is, but all sandals without a back strap are going to be more likely to come off in the water than ones that do have a back strap.

Not all people agree on this though- some people prefer wearing sandals while paddleboarding because they like the look and the exposure of their feet helps them stay cooler (assuming there’s sunscreen applied) and gives them more sensory feedback from the surface of the board. Flip flops are the most popular though.

What are the pros and cons of wearing shoes when paddle boarding?

Pros:

• Some people prefer it for the look, others say it makes them feel unstable. [discuss]
• If you’re worried about stability then go barefoot or wear water shoes (available at most sporting goods stores). If you prefer to wear shoes, flip-flops are probably your best option. They will give you some protection if your feet do slip off the board and they won’t make it too difficult to push back against waves or boat wakes either.
• Also keep in mind that water can be surprisingly cold, so take along an extra change of dry clothes—just in case!

Con:

• It can be slippy on the paddleboard with shoes on, I guess it depends on how big the shoes are. Drying your feet off really well before getting back onto the board, or taking them off entirely is helpful too. I wear boat shoes when I paddleboard. They have good traction and drain out if they get wet. Also, sandals or water shoes can be a little trickier to push off with your feet when you’re paddling.

Are flipflops ok to wear on a board?

All sandals without a backstrap are going to be more likely to come off in the water than ones that do have a back strap.

Not all people agree on this though – some people prefer wearing sandals while paddleboarding because they like the look and the exposure of their feet helps them stay cooler (assuming there’s sunscreen applied) and gives them more sensory feedback from the surface of the board. Flip flops are most popular though.

Is it slippy on a board with flip-flops?

It can be, I guess it depends on how big your flip-flops are! You can typically tell if you drive by whether or not your shoes will fall off or not just by looking at them: if they’re slip-on, they’re more likely to fall off.

What kind of shoes do you wear when paddleboarding in the winter?

In the winter, I wear neoprene boat shoes when paddleboarding. Look out for ones that are 3 or 5 mm thick, as this will allow you to walk on the paddleboard without getting cold feet.