MUDPAW SHOES – ROMEO

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

There are few things more uncomfortable than having wet feet whether you are walking, driving or sitting in a boat. That’s why boots were invented.

Much of the time, however, boots aren’t needed or wanted. You wouldn’t put on a pair of boots just to walk across a dew-laden grassy lawn to get in your car.  You wouldn’t carry a pair of boots with you just because you know the floor at the fish cleaning station is going to be wet. It’s easier to just be careful when walking through a parking lot if the asphalt is puddled with rainwater than to put on a pair of boots.

 All these places and more have had me enduring wet feet because I was too lazy to slip off my Chuck Taylors and put on something a bit more waterproof – whether it was a quick hike through the “danger zone” or a morning on the boat in damp weather. 

Irish Setter Mudpaws to the rescue. These are rubber shoes built to Irish Setter’s strict standards for quality footwear that made them the favorites of outdoorsmen for over 70 years.

They’ve kept my feet dry in each of the situations above and others. At first glance (and feel) I thought the Romeo model might be more “pull on” than “slip on.” I wasn’t able to insert my foot like I would in a Crocs or other clog-type rubberized shoe, but the stretchy neoprene upper and the handy finger pull tab at the heel makes donning the “paws” more of a tug-on operation.

Once on, the removable foot bed provides the underfoot comfort which has made Irish Setter boots an American favorite and what Irish Setter calls “TempSens” technology helps keep feet from becoming sweat-wet on the inside. Top it off by looking at the bottom. The soles have a relative aggressive tread to provide firm footing in wet conditions. See them or buy them online at http://www.irishsetterboots.com, Amazon as well as many big-box outdoor stores.