Review of Kamik Rapids Sandal
By Matt Smith

Kamik, a Canadian brand well known for winter shoes and boots is expanding it's line to include summer shoes and sandals. We got the chance to get a first hand look at the new 2006 line. Among them is the Rapids Sandal. The Rapids is a casual leather sandal, that I thought would be perfect for warm summer evenings around the fire pit or BBQ. Because the Rapids is leather, is it less suited to water sports than the other sandals offered in the new Kamik summer line.

Surprisingly, I found the Rapids to function more like a shoe than I would have expected. The footbed is comfortable, and stable. The strapping system held my foot in place quite well. Oddly enough, the security with which the foot is held in place, is both one of my favorite features, and one of my dislikes. When I think of a sandal, I think of being able to slip it on quickly and easily. Because the heel strap on the Rapids is fully adjustable with hook and loop closures on both sides, it is easy to get them to fit just right, so your foot doesn't slide around. However, because there is no elastic on the heel strap, You can't just slide your foot into the sandal and pull the strap up over your heel. You must undo and re-fasten the hook and loop closure each time you put on the sandal.

That being said, I found the Rapids to function well, and often wore the sandal on walks with my kids, and around the house. The Rapids is as comfortable as any other sandal I have ever worn, and sports classic european styling to boot (no pun intended).

Summary: The Rapids is a great casual sandal. The Rapids is best suited to putting it on and leaving it on, rather than slipping it on to take out the trash. Suggested retail on the Rapids will be $49.99

For more information contact:
Kamik
www.kamik.com
1940 55th Avenue
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H8T 3H3
800-341-3950

Matt Smith is a contributing editor, and the canyoneering specialist at GearReview.com