Baffin, a Canadian company that is well known for their arctic winter boots, has been expanding their horizons into the summer footwear market. But instead of making your typical sandals or hiking shoes, they’ve designed a unique idea with their Trail to Rapids series. The new Amazon shoe is a light hiker that also doubles as a water shoe well-suited for rafting or wading through creeks and streams. I got to test out the Amazon (difficult in Utah’s high and dry summer) to see what all the fuss is about.
What makes the Baffin Amazon work is that drains are built right into the sole of the shoe, which allows any water encountered outdoors to pass right through. We’ve all been there – hiking or backpacking and being forced to cross a stream which gets our boots wet – it makes for a soggy remainder of the trip. But with Baffin’s drains, water makes a quick exit, and the breathable uppers allow the shoes to dry fast.
A metallic grid inside the drains keep rocks and debris out, which of course prevents irritating the foot soles and toes. The Amazon shoes also have outsoles that have serious traction, just like a regular hiking shoe, which can keep a grip on wet rocks at stream’s edge. Sounds good on paper, but how does it all play out in the rough and tumble environment of the Parley’s Nature Park in Salt Lake City, where canines roam free like dogs and cold water spills down from jagged mountains? Sounds like the perfect testing grounds.
My dogs love to swim, and Parley’s Nature Park has plenty of swimming holes for pooches to tread water. It’s fun to watch them, but even more fun to get into the stream with the nutso dogs. Jumping in and out of the creek proved right up the Amazon’s alley, as I could wade through the current to retrieve a tennis ball, and hike right back onto dry land and continue on without any worry about having wet feet. The sole drains work as advertized, and prevent that swampy, squishy feeling standard shoes get when soaked.
Ok, you may be thinking, “why not just wear sandals?” Well, that’s true, you could, but I found that the Baffin Amazon shoes did a couple things sandals could not. First, keep out debris, and second, feel like you can hike in any terrain without trepidation. Whenever I use sandals in water, tiny rocks and sand always get stuck between my feet and the midsoles. A quick removal of said sandals and a quick wash in the water takes care of the problem, but it’s a step not needed with the Amazon. Also, these shoes are built just like a hiking shoe, so you can climb, scramble, and explore the terrain, both in water and out, without worrying about traction or support.
What’s also cool (literally) is that the drains in the soles also act as ventilation when wearing them casually around town, or hiking and exploring. I even wore them outside at work on a 100+ degree day, and every time the wind blew, it felt like I had a fan at the bottom of my feet as air blew right through.
Now, here in Utah, there isn’t much chance of needing a water shoe like this unless you are boating and want to transition from raft to canyon hike without changing your kicks. But if you live in a wet environment, and regularly traverse trails that go in and out of the water, then these shoes would be primo.
My only knock on the Baffin Amazon shoes is that they run a bit small. I”m a size 8, and the test samples Baffin sent me were a little snug. If you get yourself a pair, be sure to try them on, or order a half-size larger.
For more information about Baffin’s summer footwear line, including the Amazon shoes, check them out online at www.baffin.com