If your typical fishing grounds include coastal waters, more than likely you will sooner, rather than later, discover why rugged footwear is essential in protecting your feet from natural and man-made hazards underfoot. Many so called "paddler shoes" lack the toughness and ability to protect your feet and ankles from oysters, mussels, shells, or broken glass. From the creator of Mion footwear, Martin Keen, is an innovative shoe that posses the qualities deserving the title of a paddle-fishers shoe, the Fast Canyon At first sight, it's apparent that the Fast Canyon is unlike any water shoe to date. It features two main elements in its construction, a rugged sole with Abrasion Nubs, and an Amphibious Liner. Inside is the companies removable Ergomorphic™ Footbed, which molds to the shape of the wearers foot after approximately 12 hours. To offer a comfort fit to a wide variety of differently shaped feet, the top of the shoe incorporates what is called a "Sculpted Super Structure", which are ribs that wrap around the foot and are adjusted by a "Super Structure Cord" made either of climbing-grade rope or Kevlar® cord, that spirals around the foot and ankle, allowing the user to customize a precise fit. Topping the shoe off is a Velcro closure tab that is helpful in preventing gravel or shell from intrusion.

Having gone through numerous water shoes that had some element of the shoes components glued together, I was skeptical of the Fast Canyon after discovering the bootie was glued to the sole, as this is typically the point where many water shoes fail. Well, I'm pleased to say that after nine months of hard use the Fast Canyon shows no signs of the bootie separating from the sole. I'm equally pleased to say that the sole has held up well to the razor sharp oysters it has been exposed to routinely, aside from a few millimeter deep nicks. Unlike typical wading boots, which can sometimes be weighty and restrictive to ankle movement, the Fast Canyon is lightweight and doesn't restrict ankle movement or angle. Since I fish shallow water often, and frequently wade-fish throughout the year, when temperatures drop I often wear bootie-foot waders. To protect the wader feet I found that by removing the shoes footbed allowed my 2mm wader bootie to comfortably fit inside the shoe, giving me effective footwear I can use all year round. The only complaint I have arises in part from the design of one of its features that makes it so comfortable, the Super Structure Cord. Since the cord literally wraps around your foot in wells between the bootie and sole, these wells can allow the finest particles of sand and silt to accumulate, causing the cord to become difficult to adjust. In the end it's a small inconvenience considering the durability and comfort of the shoe and can be remedied by flushing with fresh water. Lastly, the shoe offers comfort and stability for use on land equally as well, with good arch support and traction unlike many of the water shoes available today – well done Mion!