Astral  Loyak AC Water Shoes

I was looking for a water shoe to use at the lake so that I wouldn’t kill my feet walking over the rocks out to the boat or playing with the kids. The Lokak AC worked great, had great grip on the boat, the drains in the shoe work well and to top it off the shoes looks great. I got a bunch on compliments.

I've had the Loyak AC's for 4 months now and have been blown away by these shoes. Super light, fast draining, very comfortable, extremely grippy and shed moisture quickly when not being used. I use them primarily for sailing and have been thoroughly impressed.

I've purchased two pairs of this product over the past 4 years. The first pair, the uppers began peeling. I loved the shoes so I kept wearing them especially since they were expensive. I wanted a new pair, and I noticed that they changed the material on the upper part of the shoe, so I purchased a new pair. First, I was very unhappy with the switch to shoelaces. They never, ever stay tied. I have to double tie them. The first pair I had, had elastic laces and were fantastic. The biggest issue with my second pair was the fact that the bottoms became extremely slippery. So slippery I could not wear them sailing anymore. I put them in my closet to wear walking around and yesterday I pulled them out. After a day of slipping and sliding on just about any surface, I checked to see what the warranty was like. I filed a warranty claim today. I'm curious to see how this is handled. I really love the look of these shoes, they are high priced, and I thought that meant good quality but the 2 pairs I have purchased have been disappointing in different ways.

The Loyak's were very comfortable and drained water quickly. I recently wore them on a 7 day backcountry canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, and while they worked well, I wished I had the Brewer's instead for the portages. The soles are very light and thin on the Loyak and while the grip was decent I could feel every rock and root branch I stepped on, feeling almost like being barefoot. I look forward to wearing these again out west on an upcoming Colorado River trip where the walking will be less and will be mostly on sand and slickrock. Like all of Astrals stuff, it's well made, is comfortable for all day wear, dried relatively quickly once out of the water but wasn't the right choice for my situation.

I was wary about transitioning from sandals to these because my toes love to be free. But, the wide toe box gives them room to curl and stretch as I paddle through gnarly rapids. The grip is also kudos worthy. I was putting in my kayak down a steep embankment with slippery stone steps recently, lost control of it, and I had to run after it before the current caught it. Maybe not my finest moment, but these bad boys gripped the stone and I was able to catch my little escapee just in time. You won't see me in anything but these when I'm out on the water.

These are the most uncomfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. After just a few hours, three blisters on my foot and constant scraping. Besides this, the shoes broke in one day. I accidentally lightly stepped on my shoelace and with zero effort, tore off the loop that the lace goes in. The shoe is now unwearable. Stay away.

I have used the original size 14 Loyaks since 2017 and they are just now starting to show holes in the soles. I honestly think that Loyaks are the most DURABLE shoes that Astral makes because the soles are sewn into the uppers, not glued. The new Loyak AC have an improved lacing system, better drainage, and dry very quickly. The material is superior to the original model, which is still a classic. These are an excellent pair of river shoes and I hope they last as long as my original Loyaks did.

I bought these shoes for my study abroad where, and trying them on for the first time the comfort level was to the max. Really lightweight, soft, and breathable. The only thing i didn't realize before i tried them on is that without socks you can see your toes. Hiking i'd wear them with socks anyway, in water i probably wouldn't care, they are comfortable and i love the color so that's all that matters:) If you're alright with that, these shoes are wonderful.

These shoes are so comfortable and look great. I actually bought these for work, (I bartend), which Astrals are perfect for - comfort, non-slip soles, quick drying. My only issue with the Loyak AC model is that the mesh is completely see through. Seeing my toes in a non-water setting is unnerving, so I need to add socks into the mix. That said - perfect for what they’re designed for (water) but not quite street ready without socks getting involved.

I bought a pair of the Loyal AC's while on vacation in MA, just knowing that I would eventually need them on a hike. Well, the next hike I did where water was involved just happened to be in "The Narrows" otherwise known as the Virgin River in Zion National Park! Water depth where we walked was between mid-calf to the top of my legs! These shoes were absolutely the best, most comfortable water shoes I have ever worn.Good job Astral!!