This shoe has some well-thought-out features, and, therefore, I believe it has lots of promise. I didn't want to risk wearing them on a stream hike and not like them, so I went in the tub with them and found them to be light and agile when wet with exceptional water drainage. The slit at the heel is a clever idea to enable silt to flow out easily, and the foldable heel is worth merit. When dry, the canvas is not soft, but when wet it isn't uncomfortable either. It will be a protective barrier against brushing against rocks and debris in streams and it dried quicker than its mesh uppers. They have a well-integrated interior rubber bumper to protect the toes. The two things that caused me to return them were the ridiculously long shoe laces, 11 inches each too long, even double-tied they were impossible, and the area at the base of the laces bunched up when the laces are tightened, this latter characteristic not to be mistaken for the excellent roomy box for the toes. I believe that if the designers tweeked the aforementioned short-comings, this would be a fabulous water shoe and I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I found the shoe to run a half size large, not a full size, so order down accordingly. And, the people at Campmor are wonderful to work with so you needn't worry about getting "stuck' with a product that isn't right for you. I'm trying instead, the Columbia Drainmaker II. It was a gratifying perfect fit out of the box, instantly comfortable and also has excellent drainage when I got them wet in the tub. However, it took all day to dry and I'll make a bet that the mesh uppers will not last as long as the canvas in the Astral Brewer's will. But they were $30 cheaper and worth taking the gamble.
Update 8/21/13
I contacted the Astral Design people and was told that the women's Brewer was made on a men's last with women's sizing. Ladies, we know this doesn't work at all. The good news is that they will introduce the "Brewess" next season, made specifically for women on a women's last, plus the shoe lace issue will be rectified with as well. They're listening.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This review is based on my experience wearing it around the house only. I found the shoe too big. I wear an 8.5 and my toe while standing was at least 1 inch behind the front of the shoe. I looked like I was wearing clown shoes. The toe box was wide and spacious which I am not sure is a good or bad thing. I liked how the front of the shoe curved upwards off the ground. The material was a bit scratchy and I wonder how this changes once used in water. The biggest annoyance was that the top of the heel regularly chafed and dug against the back of my ankle leaving large red marks and pain even after wearing for just 30 minutes. I debated back and forth whether to exchange for a smaller size (hoping that the heel issue was something that would improve with use) or to simply return. Given the lack of reviews about how the material changes with use, I decided to simply return. The color was true to the pictures.
0 comments:
Post a Comment