OK, I didn't think I could get excited about a shoe or a boot: that's JoysterShell's job! 
But then I have never gotten to field test a pair of shoes to Russia! Chris DeFelice of Rapid Diver fame and a close personal friend, got a pair for me to try. I got a pair of the "Keeper" in Mahogany and they are just plain nice.
What I currently wear: Well, since the Achilles popped on my left foot/ankle I have HAD to wear an open heel shoe. Crocs are light, easy to get in and out of (Airports) and they are perfect in water. Unfortunately, they don't support my weight very well (300 pounds), and they seem to come off when I DON'T want them to! I have worn NuBalance which come in a WIDE and recently I tried a Dr Scholls shoe with some success.
I had surgery on my left Achilles tendon this past January 15th. I have been healing a LOT faster than they had anticipated and that has been great! However, I still could not put on any of my closed heel shoes: too much pressure! But, these OTBs are different. They don't put excessive pressure on just one point, but along the entire back of the heel. I went ahead and without breaking them in, I brought them to Moscow with me for the Golden Dolphin Dive Show. There were some photos that I had to tak, and I didn't want me cast in the photos, so I went one day without the cast.
Wow. My foot/ankle actually felt better after that one day! The next day I was going to see Red Square, and I made the conscious decision to wear my OTBs instead of the "rocker boot" which is a kind of removable cast. When I hit Red Square, the roughness of the bricks there really hurt my knee. So after a few short minutes, I started to walk, and I used my knee scooter as a cane. Here I am in the middle of Red Square:
So, before I even dive a pair of these, here are my impressions:
First, they are extremely light weight. I hate heavy shoes and these are just a bit heavier than my Crocs.
Second, they give excellent support. Being on a knee scooter through puts a lot of stress on the good foot and leg. When I wear the OTB shoe, I did not cramp even though I went further on those days (through the metro and all) then with my Crocs.
Third, they did not SLIP. I really can't handle that sort of thing with a bad ankle and they were wonderful.
But hey, the POINT of this shoe is how they handle water. The soles are perforated to allow water to pass right through. I did not have any problem with the snow in Russia and there was a lot of it. So today, I stopped by my pool and waded right in. The manager thought I was crazy and was not happy when I walked into his office a few minutes later. He was upset that I would track all of this water through the club house since it would make the place slippery. Both he and I were surprised when we saw only two small traces of moisture on the tile. These shoes really got rid of the water and did so QUICKLY.
So now, I have ordered a dive boot: the Odhin. http://www.otbboots.com/ You can see them there, and I almost ordered the SAR. I just got cleared for diving today, and I here there is an Easter Egg dive at Devil's Den this Saturday. There are lots of steps and I will be going "light" with my new Rapid Diver! I will report back soon!
But then I have never gotten to field test a pair of shoes to Russia! Chris DeFelice of Rapid Diver fame and a close personal friend, got a pair for me to try. I got a pair of the "Keeper" in Mahogany and they are just plain nice.What I currently wear: Well, since the Achilles popped on my left foot/ankle I have HAD to wear an open heel shoe. Crocs are light, easy to get in and out of (Airports) and they are perfect in water. Unfortunately, they don't support my weight very well (300 pounds), and they seem to come off when I DON'T want them to! I have worn NuBalance which come in a WIDE and recently I tried a Dr Scholls shoe with some success.
I had surgery on my left Achilles tendon this past January 15th. I have been healing a LOT faster than they had anticipated and that has been great! However, I still could not put on any of my closed heel shoes: too much pressure! But, these OTBs are different. They don't put excessive pressure on just one point, but along the entire back of the heel. I went ahead and without breaking them in, I brought them to Moscow with me for the Golden Dolphin Dive Show. There were some photos that I had to tak, and I didn't want me cast in the photos, so I went one day without the cast.
Wow. My foot/ankle actually felt better after that one day! The next day I was going to see Red Square, and I made the conscious decision to wear my OTBs instead of the "rocker boot" which is a kind of removable cast. When I hit Red Square, the roughness of the bricks there really hurt my knee. So after a few short minutes, I started to walk, and I used my knee scooter as a cane. Here I am in the middle of Red Square:
So, before I even dive a pair of these, here are my impressions:
First, they are extremely light weight. I hate heavy shoes and these are just a bit heavier than my Crocs.
Second, they give excellent support. Being on a knee scooter through puts a lot of stress on the good foot and leg. When I wear the OTB shoe, I did not cramp even though I went further on those days (through the metro and all) then with my Crocs.
Third, they did not SLIP. I really can't handle that sort of thing with a bad ankle and they were wonderful.
But hey, the POINT of this shoe is how they handle water. The soles are perforated to allow water to pass right through. I did not have any problem with the snow in Russia and there was a lot of it. So today, I stopped by my pool and waded right in. The manager thought I was crazy and was not happy when I walked into his office a few minutes later. He was upset that I would track all of this water through the club house since it would make the place slippery. Both he and I were surprised when we saw only two small traces of moisture on the tile. These shoes really got rid of the water and did so QUICKLY.
So now, I have ordered a dive boot: the Odhin. http://www.otbboots.com/ You can see them there, and I almost ordered the SAR. I just got cleared for diving today, and I here there is an Easter Egg dive at Devil's Den this Saturday. There are lots of steps and I will be going "light" with my new Rapid Diver! I will report back soon!
