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Salomon Pro Amphibian Shoe - Men's
The Salomon Pro Amphib is a slightly beefier version of Salomon's famed Tech Amphibian shoe. The Pro Amphibs blur the line between sandal and shoe. They protect your feet like shoes but drain water like a sandal via 5 drainage ports. And the 2-way stretch mesh upper and Kevlar laces won't absorb water so you don't carry around extra weight until your shoes dry. The Pro Amphib was built off the Tech Amphibian's last but has a heavier duty back and TPU buckles that increase durability and support. Salomon also added a measure of cushioning to the top for enhanced comfort. An adjustable, collapsible back folds down conveniently for slip-on mode. Try them with neoprene socks for cold water protection.
On Sale
$84.95 $62.95 
OK ...but
Just got back from 7 days in the boundary waters. The pro amphibs were the only shoes I wore. These shoes were comfortable, drained well, but you need to wear socks on portages longer than 80 rods. One major problem is the heel strap loosens almost immediately and can cause an ankle injury on rough portages.
Poorly-designed heel straps
My Pro Amphibs took a long time to break in, but now I'm very happy with them. They're more comfortable with socks, but I don't see that as a problem. Socks can be dried separately. The biggest problem I had was that the heel straps would not stay tight--they slipped through their buckles. My solution was to add velcro to the straps and to the backs of the heels. This works very well.
Great for their purpose
Got these a couple of weeks ago for fly fishing coastal flats in Texas. Used them last weekend and they were great. I didn't snag the line up on them and they were very comfortable. For what I do, I need socks, which resolve some of the comfort issues, they're made to drain fast and dry out, so they lack water absorbing padding, reducing the comfort level a bit, unless you have socks. The up side is there's a lot more protection than sandals. The back doesn't stay tight, but you can overcome this by looping the strap back through the buckle (which will rub against your foot without socks!).
Shoes that hurt
There is a particular spot where the structure of the shoe attaches (just at the start of the base my little toe)where the shoe cuts into my foot. I was hoping that a few workouts would break them in and relieve the pain before my big trip in March, but, a few weeks in and that same spot still cuts into my foot. If I had not worn them a few times (just indoors while working out) I would be sending them back and getting another brand.
Pro and Con
Support is good, similar to a trail runner, and heel lock is very good. The heel strap loosens after a short time but the heel locks well enough I didn't miss the strap. Most impressive performance was walking through ankle-deep mud of peanut butter consistency and they didn't begin to pull off. Although they don't seem very comfortable when converted to slip-ons, I didn't buy them for that feature, perhaps they'd be more comfortable with a good breaking-in period. Traction is good but not exceptional, IMO no better on slippery rocks than a trail runner. The upper dries fairly fast but portions of the tongue which are some sort of elastic (spandex?) take overnight to dry, but no big deal there. IMO the biggest problem are the holes in the (non-removable) insoles which trap sand and small gravel, and this is difficult to remove, particularly while the insole is still wet. I don't really see the purpose for these holes, they don't seem to provide drainage or ventilation. And while permanently attaching the insole has (so far) prevented sand and gravel from accumulating underneath, I wonder if this may become a problem as they age.
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Training Tips
For runners looking to get the maximum benefit from hill training, as you sprint to the top of the hill have your arms pumping faster and faster. Once you get to the top, continue on increasing your speed as much as possible.
After each interval, take your pulse rate by counting the number of beats at your wrist or neck for 15 seconds. Multiply that result by four to get your beats per minute. Your next interval should start before your heart rate is less than 60% of your maximum.
The four components of good fitness include flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and cardiorespiratory endurance. For optimum health, include at least two of these groups in three workouts per week.
Your fitness level will improve by overloading, working your body hard enough to stimulate the body, progression, increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise over time, and regularity, working out frequently, at least three times a week.
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