Reviews written by polepole

I’ve been using the Sounder Shandals for the past 6 months. As I typically wear a drysuit, these shoes are worn over a sock underlayer and the drysuit sock. The most important thing for me in a kayak fishing shoe is that it is not at all bulky in the footwell, and that my feet are comfortable just sitting there, as that is what I’m going to be doing 90% of the time. These shoes fit the bill and then some. I’m used to wearing booties, which are about as thin of a profile as you can get, but at the same time offering good insulation. The Shandals maintain a thin profile, at slightly less insulation, but at a much higher level of comfort

The next thing I look for is that they drain well. I’m a dangler. My feet are in the water often. The mesh construction of these shoes allows water to be shed quickly, so I don’t get that soggy foot feeling I get from booties.

Well, you still have to walk in these shoes. I’ve put these shoes through the paces, including sandy beaches, muddy bays, rocky shorelines, and cobblestrone stream banks. These shoes were up to the task across all scenarios. About the only ding I can give the Shandals is the use of bungee laces that provide less support in challenging situations. That being said, it is a compromise. Those same bungee lacings are part of what keeps these shoes comfortable while fishing. They also provide for easy on and off capability.

I’m hard on shoes. Salt water is hard on shoes. The constant wetting and drying is hard on shoes. These shoes have held up well. I see no evidence of abnormal wear, no stiches coming out, and no glue pulling loose. That’s quality construction.

As I typically have lots of layers on, I don’t get to appreciate the SON-R foot bed technology very much. That being said, I also have a pair of Sperry SON-R Pulse Thongs. If the Shandals are similar to the Pulse Thongs, you barefoot warm water users will really appreciate the “feel” these foot beds offer.

All in all, I’ve been trying out a number of kayak fishing shoes this year. The Sperry SON-R Sounder Shandals are the ones I’ve been reaching for most. While I’ll still reach for booties in the coldest of conditions, these shoes have opened up a whole new dimension for the conditions I encounter the majority of time.

My first encounter with the Predator was the day before we were to get on the John Day River. We had to rig 7 kayaks in a couple hours. Job easily done. Between the easy to drill and easy to set up mounting plates and the mod pod with starpoint mounts that fit Scotty, Cannon and other rod holders, we handily accomplished this mission.

The next job was to see how it rides. Took it out on the Deschutes River behind the shop for a quick test paddle. Hey, look at me, I’m standing up on a kayak. I’ve never been much of a standup guy, mainly because I’m tall with a high center of gravity, and balance was never a strong point for me. But I must say, I’m very much of a convert now.

I was worried that this kayak was on the large side for a river. But my fears were quickly alleviated after getting some seat time on it. I was pleasantly surprised with decent maneuverability.

The seating system was a treat, much more comfortable than traditional kayak seats. Even in the high position proved ultra stable. We spent 4 days on the river and after the first day, the seat stayed in the high position. My backside never got tired of sitting in this seat. One drawback was that the seat was fixed in tracks on the kayak and not removable.

The deck space was well though out, with mounting plates in well thought out positions. Also present was a side rod mounting system with rod tip protectors at the front, although it seems to be made for longer fly rods and not amenable to shorter (< 7’) rods. There was plenty of foot space for standup, and the center rod pod provided easy access to the interior hull.

The kayak was a bit on the heavy side, but I suppose that is the tradeoff for a wide stable kayak. It took a little extra power to get this kayak moving, but it was never really an annoyance.

Storage was outstanding, with plenty of space to pack gear for our 4 day trips, and plenty of space to store gear, such as a plano box behind the seat, as well as tackle boxes under it, in the pouch on the back side of he seat, and in build in pockets to the side of the seat.

I can’t wait to get more time in on this kayak!

According to http://www.kayrak.ca/, The KayRak System is no longer in production.