So you’re curious about buying a pair of Astral Brewer river shoes but are wondering if they are worth the cost?

Here at CKS Online, the Astral Brewer Men's Shoe (or the Brewess Women's Shoe) is our daily driver of river shoes. Anyone of us would be beyond stoked to get them as a holiday gift (and any other time of year).

Here are some of the reasons we think they make great gifts for paddlers in your life.

Astral Brewer Shoe

Comfort

The Brewer’s strike the perfect balance between a robust and a low-profile shoe. This shoe offers enough protection to wear while carrying your kayak over rocks but is still flexible enough to feel the river under your feet as you are surfing on your SUP. They offer enough support to carry your dry box down the beach, yet give you enough dexterity to scramble across your boat as you are rigging.

Traction

The soles of the Brewer are made with Astral’s G-Rubber; this compound works especially well in wet, rocky situations where other shoes easily lose grip. There is no worse feeling than getting out of your kayak after styling a rapid- only to slip on the rocks at the takeout. Astral eliminated this problem with the G-Rubber sole. With the Brewer’s on your feet you will be able to walk places other shoes won’t take you.

Fast Draining + Fast Drying

The Brewers upper mesh panels combined with the toe and side drain holes make sure that water easily escapes your shoes as soon as your feet are out of the water. The lightweight construction on these shoes dries quickly and unlike traditional sneakers, there are no foam panels to hold water in.

Low Profile

The Brewers fit well in most kayaks. You’ll feel solid jumping in your full slice boat with these on and you will be comfortable both in and out of your kayak, too. 

Stylish

Nothing says “I like rivers” better than wearing your brewers to the bar. These will work wonders to help you fit in with the crowd in any mountain town. They are also versatile and boaters are often seen biking, hiking, and generally mountain-lifestyling while wearing these shoes.

While the Brewer is our go to shoe for daily paddling, for expeditions or especially long portages something like the Astral Rassler offers a bit more ankle support. 

For anyone paddling an especially small kayak (like a playboat), the NRS Freestyle Wet Shoe is as low profile as shoes come.