Decathlon Aquashoes 500 review: a stylish and effective water shoe

Decathlon Aquashoes 500: first impressions

Decathlon Aquashoes 500s are wallet-friendly water shoes that looks like trainers if you wear them on dry land. But we were looking forward to putting them though through their paces to see how they performed when the going got wet. Would they make it onto our list of best water shoes? Would they be a pair we’d be stashing regularly into our best dry bags?

Decathlon Aquashoes 500: in the water

Decathlon’s unisex Aquashoes are perfect for warm water swimming, paddling and snorkelling – if you need a simple water shoe, they will tick all your boxes without battering your bank account.

They’re lightweight and quick to dry, thanks to their mesh uppers, and their rubber soles offer fair grip and stop you feeling even sharp stones underfoot, which is ideal for river swimming or for wading into the sea on rocky beaches.

Where we think the Aquashoes stand out when compared to other affordable water shoes is that once out of the water, this unisex strappy design looks rather like a casual summer trainer and so they can be worn with shorts around town or on relaxed beach walks as well as in the water, which can’t be said for most dedicated water shoes.

But while the soles are thick and bouncy enough for walking on established paths or standing on the seabed, confident that your feet are being protected, there’s no decent grip to speak. Also, the soles are flat with no arch support, so these won’t double up as proper walking shoes (see: best women’s walking sandals).

For the price tag, though, the Aquashoes offer really great value for money, and are a comfortable and fuss-free pair of shoes to have in your shoe rack, to pack in your backpack for coastal adventures, or to stick in your suitcase for beach holidays when you want to do some proper exploring.