Over the last few weeks the footwear of choice for all boating duties have been the NRS Velocity Boots. NRS have released both the Velocity and Crush watershoes for 2015. We have both types here at Unsponsored HQ.
The Velocity boots have seen a fair bit of water time. Here is what I think so far.
The new NRS Velocity boots enter a market where some of the big players are developing new models for 2015 – Five Ten, Astral and Palm have new footwear out for this season, so NRS have to come up with the goods if they are to get a foothold (sorry) in the market.
The Velocity is available in two colour schemes, the red/grey seen here and an almost black version.
Specs:
The NRS Velocity is your rough and rugged adventure creeking shoe built for long portages and scrambling scouting missions.
Rugged DWR-coated ballistic nylon upper shrugs off harsh terrain.
Abrasion-resistant rubber overlays on toe, heel and sidewalls adds long-term durability.
Super sticky, siped rubber outsole provides excellent wet and dry traction.
Gusseted neoprene tongue keeps debris out, and neoprene padding cushions the ankle.
Drainage ports in the sidewall swiftly drain water away.
High-strength tubular laces.
Marking sole.
D width.
The sole tread is in the shape of the US state of Idaho, the home of NRS. This provides a good level of grip on all but the extremely polished wet rocks. I ended up on my backside, but to be fair the rock I am thinking of is pretty much so polished it is more akin to ice than any regular surface I have seen on a river. No shoe could have kept me up. On all other regular surfaces from river banks, wet grass, moss, sand, mud and every other mix/permutation the boots provided way more than enough traction. They also offer pretty good foot protection without going too far and feeling like you are wearing platform shoes. Protection at both the toe and heal is also very good.
Surprisingly for what looks like a big boot the Velocity boots are low profile and are super light weight.
Size wise I wear a UK size 10 and these boots are that size. I was able to wear a medium weight ski sock and drysuit fabric sock in the NRS Velocity boots without issue. They were neither too tight or too big, I therefore think that the sizes are accurate. Once they were wet I did need to snug the boots up a little further due to a small amount of give in the laces.
I have complete a number of walk-ins and walk-outs wearing the NRS Velocity boots and have found them great to wear even for quite a distance. It is important to get the lacing snugged up just right to ensure that the fit/feel is sound. The lace system is easy to use and allows this to be carried out quickly. I also like the fact the laces are almost hidden away from the most outer/exposed edges.
If you want a boot that offers great protection without the weight penalty then the NRS Velocity boots should be an option to consider.
Pros:
Lightweight
Good all round protection
Fast drying
Cons:
Non as yet. We’ll see how they hold up over the next few months of use.
Hi, what is your feeling when are you sitting in the kayak in this shoes. Are they enough elastic and are they comfortable then?