Astral Hiyak Water Shoes
Offering ground-conforming stability, foot protection and insulation without neoprene, the Astral Hiyak water shoes keep you sure-footed on your paddling explorations.
- Constructed with hydrophobic canvas with 1,060-denier ballistic nylon reinforcement rands
- High-top padded ankle protection with semi-rigid heel cups
- Water-resistant laces
- 7 mm-thick 45C closed-cell EVA foam midsoles are removable
- Reflective logos at heels and tongues
- Foot-to-ground distance: 12 mm at the heel, 11 mm at the ball
- Nonmarking, high-friction G.ss™ rubber compound with razor siping and drain holes at the toes and heels offer phenomenal gripping power; outsoles are 3.5 mm thick
Imported.
View all Astral Men's Water Shoes| Best Use | Paddling |
|---|---|
| Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
| Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
| Upper | Hydrophobic canvas/1,060-denier ballistic nylon reinforcement rand |
| Lining | 3 mm quilted spacermesh |
| Midsole | 7 mm 45C closed-cell EVA foam |
| Outsole | 3.5 mm G.ss rubber compound |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 2 oz. |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Sustainability | Contains recycled materials |
| 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Men's | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| U.S. Women's | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | ||||
| UK | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 |
| EU | 37 1/2 | 38 | 38 2/3 | 39 1/3 | 40 | 40 2/3 | 41 1/3 | 42 2/3 | 43 1/3 | 44 | 44 2/3 | 42 1/3 | 46 | 46 2/3 | 47 1/3 | 48 | 49 1/3 |
| Foot Length (in.) | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 10 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11 | 11.2 | 11.3 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12.3 |
Sizing Notes
Measurements are stated in inches unless otherwise indicated.
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Imposter! But still rad
I love love love this shoe. Been wearing them since 2016. The latest model was 1cm smaller in length for the size I’ve always bought. Woops thats weird! Would love to see an improvement to the velcro tab. Would love to have a pair a loyaks with the hiyak sticky rubby sole. I will be using the cool shoe return system to get the size issue nailed down soon!
Great Shoe, but not want I thought
These are great shoes, but only for kayaking. I have owned 2 pairs of Brewers, a pair of halestorms, and and pair of donners. They are all fantastic shoes. I do alot of wade fishing and wore brewers alot, but always got small rocks in the shoes. I thought the Hiyaks would be good for wading and keeping rocks out but the sole is just too thin for this. Your feet will hate you after wading on river rocks for too long. I wish I had gotten the T1 merge? By brother owns a pair of those and we wades all the time with them. So if you want a wading shoes do not get these, but if you want a kayaking hi top boot these would be perfect.
A truly unique paddling shoe
Having tried countless iterations of booties, I found out about Hiyaks from some boater bros. What you can't tell from the pictures is that the outsole of this shoe is not a big chunky hiking platform. It reminds me more of a climbing shoe with some extra cushion. The result is a shoe that easily twists and conforms to the shape your foot is in while inside a whitewater kayak, and a level of grip and confidence that far exceeds any bulky, stiff hiking shoe while portaging. On top of that, the PVC that is used in other brands' neoprene booties is seriously the nastiest material that you can imagine for our environment. It is cool to find a product made with non-toxic materials that doesn't sacrifice performance at all.
Great Wildwater Shoe; #69 thread needed
First, the great: these feel like a shoe, are decent for hiking, and (best of all) will flex to fit in most any WW boat. The sole grip is pretty good for a year+. To improve: Please Astral, stop sewing with such weak thread. I’m continually darning my HiYaks with fishing twine and a simple, inexpensive upgrade to a stronger thread could prevent this. (Also, larger and stronger velcro on the laces enclosures please). And yes — I’ll buy a new pair with or without these changes—please though, why not improve?
Once I figured them out, these are way more versatile...
Struggled with the velcro flat and laces coming loose, also the ankle flexibility for awhile until I simply cut off the over-strap and unlaced the ankle portion - ended up with a more secure 'fit' on the first pull of the laces and far more ankle flexibility for play boating, but with an extra level of padding I appreciate. I lace them high for SUP or Creeking, low for Play, and ALWAYS double knot the laces. The high tops are great even when laced low, for keeping rocks and sand out and add padding to your ankle bones when swimming or bushwhacking. Great versatility from one paddling shoe once you learn this trick.
If you Like the Loyak, You'll Love the Hiyak
These are my favorite Astral shoe. I had used Loyaks for 2+ years and finally got a pair of Hiyaks. The materials in the Hiyaks are all stepped up a notch - laces, heel padding, strap. Quality shoes! Just like the Loyak, you will have a thin sole with less padding to the ground, so more like a barefoot experience with some protection. These are warmer, so I use Hiyaks in the winter and Loyaks in the summer. I can wear these in freezing temps, but have to watch for water from snow since it will come in through the drain holes in that use. If they came out with more colors I would buy another pair. I like the black/red, but a black/gray would be nice for a more subtle option.
The perfect creeking/exedition shoe
From leading kayaking expeditions to teaching high-schoolers at World Class Kayak Academy, I'm lucky enough to call kayaking my job and paddle at least 5 days a week. Having the stickiest rubber on durable shoes is not just a bonus, but a necessity. I feel 100% confident in these shoes, from setting safety to scouting and portaging, and love the extra ankle support in the Hiyaks! Unlike other expedition shoes they dry super quickly and fit/feel amazing, wether you are wearing a drysuit or going bare foot. Thanks for finally bringing the bootie that every kayaker needs to the world, you rock Astral!!!
Love always
I wear these always and only. Massage. Kayaking. Stand up paddle. Landscaping. Walking. Sitting. Hiking. They are probably the best shoe I have ever worn. I tend towards minimalist shoes, but not. My current pair has an insert in there for a little flexy arxh support and so that I can do landscaping without the hurts. I simply love these and they look cool too.
Best Coastal Expedition Footwear, period.
Always have loved the Hiyak, for years its been my go-to expedition kicks on long coastal trips. Perfect for walking over sharp rocks and barnacles as well as gripping to wet logs and paddleboards. Comfy all day long. And now I absolutely love the new Driftwood Gray colour option!
My favorite, but lacks in grip and durability
Easily my favorite paddling shoe, and I've tried a lot of them. The Five Ten Water Tennie used to be my favorite, but this shoe fits in boats that that one wouldn't, and is more comfortable. The only downsides to this shoe are durability and grip. It's kind of a glorified bootie, so the durability issue is understandable, and it should also be noted that the sole being soft means it's not ideal for walking on rough surfaces or doing big hikes, but it's not too bad either. My main gripe is grip though. It's clearly way more slick on wet rock than the Rassler or the Water Tennies. All that said, it's still a killer shoe in a nice compact package, and it's also soft and helps keep your feet warm in the winter.