Payne's Paddle Fish: Brewer

Showing posts with label Brewer. Show all posts

Astral Brewer Version 2.0 Review

Sometimes as a blogger, you wonder if anyone is actually listening. Page views are fine but I look at it like conversations. I wonder if I gave the people reading something memorable, useful or entertaining. With the reviews that I do, I wonder if the companies are listening. I know for sure that one of them is.

A year ago I ordered a pair of Astral Brewer kayaking/all purpose/water shoes. A real hybrid between night on the boardwalk and river running shoes, the Astral Brewer looked great, had amazing features and was to be my last kayaking shoe purchase until I wore them out. During the review period, actually, the very first day, my hopes were dashed by blisters. An awful exposed seam in the toe box was causing me problems. I bought some nylon socks to wear the shoes with and the blisters stopped but honestly, who wants to wear socks with kayaking shoes? Probably the same guys that wear socks with flip flops.

A few months ago Astral contacted me about the review. They knew of my review and wanted to see what I thought of the new revised Brewer. I happily agreed and a few days later, I had a box waiting on me when I got home.

I quickly tore into the box, pulled out the black and white shoes and sunk my hand deep into the interior. Strangely, though I should have expected it, the previous harsh seam was barely there in the new version. I took the shoe, still on my hand, out to the garage and found the previous Brewer pair, a charcoal and green , and did a side by side interior feel test. It was worlds different. That's all well and good but I don't really have baby soft hands. I needed to put them on my feet.

A charcoal Brewer on one foot and a black one on the other, I walked around outside, sans socks, and causing the neighborhood to have Punky Brewster flashbacks. After about three minutes of this, I took of the charcoal shoe, Version 1.0 from Astral. Blisters were on the verge. The black shoe though, this Version 2.0, it felt great. My foot was comfortable, it wasn't slipping, and the interior and exterior traction were great as always. I went back in the house, retrieved the mate shoe and paired them up on my feet. I went back outside, walking around for a while and my wife comes outside and tells me to get in the house. I look crazy pacing and looking at my feet apparently.

The next step was to do some water testing. I'll spare the finite details but I put them through sand, mud, rocks and trees with no issues. I washed them thoroughly after four days and started the daily wear test. I wore these new Brewers everyday for five days, without socks, all day. I even wore them to church. After five days, they didn't stink, my feet didn't hurt and I had talked to dozens of people about my footwear choice.

Success!!!!

I have since worn these shoes at almost every outdoor opportunity and even on a couple of dates. This Brewer, Version 2.0 as I am calling it, is what I expect (demand?) in a water shoe. Astral has gone out of their way to prove they listen to the consumer. They want you to love these shoes. I can tell you after a few months of kayak fishing in them, I do.

The Astral Brewer Final Verdict

I did an initial thoughts review earlier in the month on Astral Buoyancy's new shoe (and first venture into the market), the Brewer. If you are interested in those initial thoughts in full, click here.

This is my review after four days of harsh conditions, surf fishing, beach pounding and tons of use.

Astral Brewer

The Brewer is a tough shoe. It is designed for outdoorsmen by outdoorsmen. Having been in the salt, rapids, wakes, water, streams and puddles the better part of three decades, I feel like I have significant enough time in to make a valid claim: These shoes rock!

They are not without fault but we will cover that in a bit. First, I need to tell you what they have been through. I have sloshed through calf deep mud, waded through roaring breakers, trekked across marshlands and been to the grocery and bait store many times over the last week.
These shoes took it all in stride. Not only that but a quick rinse in the outdoor shower and they were back to looking great in an instant.

The laces are thick and stayed tied through almost everything. I rarely had to retie. At one point we went down to a jagged rock ledge to fish and I had to climb around on anything but flat rocks with wet shoes on. Thankfully, they were the Brewers. The Stealth rubber sole gets very tactile when wet and I had zero slippage issues. The fold down heel served its purpose well when I needed to run down stairs to go get something from the car. Just slip them on and off you go.

The drains worked very well. I could take them off soaked and in a few minutes they would be dry. This may not always be the case in every locale but in Texas, that's a huge benefit. The outer shell of the shoe is rugged. It actually deflected a rogue hook at one point and saved me from another cut. The sole is thick enough that punctures are not a constant worry as with other shoes. The stitching held up through the constant sand burrs and shoe no signs of wear or raveling.

The interior sole fit my foot like a glove. The alternating pattern on the interior gave good stability and the shoe cradles your foot like a memory foam mattress. By day four my feet had settled in and made a home with support in the right places. I was a little worried since I have high arches but had zero issues wearing these all day.

The Tongue

One of my favorite aspects of this shoe though is the tongue. I didn't talk about it much earlier but it actually stayed in place. I don't remember a single time of having to fish that tongue out from the side of the shoe. In four foot swells, that is a small miracle.

As for the not so great, let's chat. Astral, if you are listening, please change this soon.

The shoes caused a blister the first day out. Where the outside of the upper joins the toebox on the inside of the shoe is a seam. It catches my feet right on the little toe on the knuckle. It did this on both feet. I have to say I was mad. I dropped $100 on shoes that tore up my feet. I was heartbroken too. I visited with a couple of other people about shoes and most were having this issue. Still. I was not happy. I wanted these to work so badly. Maybe it is my feet. Maybe people normally don't have this issue. I looked inside and the seam is coarse. Both shoes, left and right. I made a quick trip to the store and bought some low cut nylon/poly blend quick dry socks and tried them with the shoes. Problem averted. I continued on the rest of the week this way and had zero issues. Just be aware, if your feet have a different pronation than most or you have a high arch as I do, this could be an issue. You can solve it fairly easy but I was miffed at first.

So they $1,000,000 question: Would I buy another pair? In a heartbeat.

I'd buy them faster than that if they fix the seam issue.

If you want a pair talk to Colorado Kayak Supply. Super fast shipping, great selection and excellent customer service. Buy them here.

Sand+Water=Good Times

Brewers on the beach

Beach Brewer- Still looking good after
four days of punishment

The Excursion to Galveston Island - A Preview

In Central Texas we have the best of both worlds. We are close to great freshwater fisheries and great coastal fishing. Four hours in a car can get me to Lake Fork or Port A. Depending on my excitement, sometimes less. My next trip will be the fourth trip of its kind that I have taken with a group of men that share my passion for saltwater fishing. I refer to us as the hardcore fishermen of our circle but in essence, it is more like "Salt Core". The trip to Galveston has become an annual affair and is one we have been dreaming of for several months now.

This will be the first time we have gone that we will have kayaks for everyone and we plan on doing some teaching, fishing and getting in lots of paddle time. We started with some freshwater time yesterday getting everything lined out, getting everyone oriented to what's going on and making final preparations for Wednesday's departure.

When we get together, fishing becomes the focus. Among the six of us we have close to 200 years of fishing experience. Fishing is our pressure valve. We use the time to re-attune with our natural instincts. Reading the weather, the wind, the fish, the tides adds something back to your soul that corporate jobs, grinding 40-60 hours a week, and a work focused culture seems to slowly siphon away. Cell phones become GPS navigators and tide predictors. Computers are rarely, if ever used, except to report the days catch and log what's going on for future trips.

I'll be writing some while I am there. I may or may not post until I get back but will be gathering information, testing gear, logging conditions and the like. The Astral Brewers will get their toughest workout to date and I have an Okuma reel I want to report on. Also tumbling through my brain are ideas on: kids safety on the water, a "Get These First" accessory guide to kayak fishing and some new rigging guides for outfitting that new kayak.

Stay tuned for more late this week and maybe a few pictures along the way.

Astral Brewer- Initial Thoughts

The Brewer:

For weeks I have been hounding on about wanting a pair of these all purpose, kayak, water, casual style shoes from Astral out in North Carolina. And today, they came via FedEx to my door. I had read about the multiple drains, non-skid tread, fold down heel, and durable construction. I had heard about the sheer style, design and cool look. I heard all I needed to hear. After connecting with @AstralBuoyancy (Astral) and
@CKS_Paddler (Colorado Kayak Supply) on Twitter, I found out they had them in stock and ready to ship. That was all I needed to drop my money on the virtual counter and say "SEND THEM!".

I asked Emily last night if she knew what tomorrow was? She said "Tuesday". I said yes but what else? She said she didn't know and I said, "It's Brewer Day!!!". To say I was excited with anticipation for the FedEx truck to arrive is a vast understatement. But enough gushing. On to the thoughts:

This shoe is finely crafted. The material mix is both durable and versatile in the environments I'll be fishing in. It is also a good looking shoe! I don't have to be shin deep in a flat somewhere to wear these shoes. As advertised I can get out the surf and into the shops without changing shoes. The interior sole has a cushiony soft feel much like some of the popular footwear out now but with an alternating pattern on the interior, you should see reduced slippage and higher grip from the inside out. And speaking of grip, that out-sole is ridiculous! It gives good grip but putting moisture to it just activates the gripping power and furthers your adventures with better portage capability on those slick limestone rocks we have here in Texas. For the fashion savvy the Brewer comes with alternate laces so you can chill it down or spice it up depending on your mood. The fold down heel is a nice touch to convert these lace ups to slip-ons quickly. While we are at the heel, the big drains in the back will keep the weight to a minimum and with the front rocker drains as well, you'll have to find somewhere else to store water. I put these shoes on and immediately it felt right. I appreciate the availability of laces to fit them tighter to my feet when in current. Most shoes and sandals don't offer that and most guys fish the surf in some heavy boots or neoprene, neither of which is a good option in the extreme heat of Texas in summer. Tennis shoes are ok but they drain slower than a swimming pool and are not made of water friendly materials. In all fairness, I haven't fished in these yet. I plan on putting them through the ringer in a couple of weeks down at Jamaica Beach on the Texas Coast. I'll report back then with performance results but until then, here are some shots of the shoe.