Before buying these Sperry Pongs, I had not owned shoes designed for water usage, unless you count pool shoes from Wally World. One of my main draws to these shoes were the fact that they didn't look like a water shoe. I find they look more like a skate shoe than a traditional water shoe.

The great thing is that they perform like a water shoe should. While having the shoe on, I've never once slid or slipped on the many slippery surfaces that us kayak anglers find ourselves! The upper shoe has kept my foot protected from the sun while still providing drainage so that you're not standing in a wet shoe all day. The insole is textured, which does provide nice grip where your feet contact, but can be a little uncomfortable to a new owner. That's almost my only con to the shoe.

I bought my pair back in May of 2013, and after weekly fishing trips and daily use over the past year, they've held up very well! I have no problem believing that I can get another 6 months (at least) of wear out of them before they start to break apart. My only other dislike on the shoe (and this is probably a common occurrence with water shoes) is that they've began to stink. All shoes do stink to a degree, but after coming home from fishing I have to keep them outside because of how strong the odor is. This didn't really start until recently though, and of course, any pair will smell when you use them constantly, so it's not a big deal.

All in all, a great water shoe the drains, dries quickly, doesn't slip, and is comfortable - all while not looking like a typical water shoe!