Salomon Techamphibian 5 Water Shoes Review
A versatile shoe for wet wading, hiking, fishing, and boating
A water shoe is one designed to be worn in and around water for the specific needs of water-based or water-adjacent activities.
May 18th, 2025
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Our verdict
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 proves a trustworthy trail, scramble, and water partner. This shoe is a no-brainer for folks who like to be ready for multiple types of adventure without needing to pack or own a different shoe for each possibility. Though, it is in and around water where these shoes shine most, with some of the fastest drying times I've seen in any water shoe.
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 will be my new go-to shoe for all my wet wading adventures in warmer weather.
Overall, the Techamphibian 5 shoes performed well in the contrasting weather conditions and terrains of the river, stream, estuary, high desert, alpine, and tropical forest–from New Mexico to Puerto Rico, from fishing and kayaking to hiking and backpacking. Oh yes, and they did more than ok on the airport floors thanks to that collapsible heel (a plus for those of us without the TSA pre-approved privileges).
The Techamphibian 5 is sturdier where it’s most needed for wading: the sole and toe cap, remaining moderately flexible overall, and distinctively breathable on its mesh upper (great for everything). They dried fairly quickly after being rained on or submerged for extended periods. They are also comfortable to wear, with minor breaking-in necessary depending on the activity and your foot.
Overall, I have felt very secure and comfortable wearing the Techamphibian 5 on hikes, too. They especially excelled on the muddy hikes in the Yunque National Forest, where pouring rain was commonplace during my visit. They were also comfortable for scrambles, technical summits, and more vertical traverses on the trail.
The Techamphibian 5 makes changing terrains a breeze, which is crucial for fishing but also very nice to have on any adventure. These are wet wading shoes where I could trust my feet to keep me safe both in and out of the water. For more favorites, check out our Best Wet Wading Shoes guide.
Salomon Techamphibian 5
Men's
Women's
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Specs
MSRP: $110
Weight: 17.6 oz per pair (250g)
Lacing: Quicklace, single pull laces, plus adjustable heel strap.
Collapsible heels: Yes
Outsole: Contagrip FD rubber
Midsole: EnergyCell
Uppers: Synthetic, textile
Sizing: 5-11 women's, 7-14 men's
Comparison Table
Men’s
| MEN'S WADING SHOES | MSRP | WEIGHT (PAIR) | CLOSURE | SOLE | FEATURES | WIDE SIZES? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salomon Techamphibian 5 | $110 | 1 lb 5.2 oz | Quicklace | Water Contragrip | Toe caps | N |
| Astral Loyak AC Water Shoe | $110 | 13.8 oz | Laces | G.15 rubber with Flex-Grip | Holes in midsole front and back for water drainage | N |
| HOKA Hopara 2 | $135 | 1 lb. 9.8 oz. | Single-pull Laces | Durabrasion rubber | Toe caps, adjustable heel straps, PFC-free water repellency treatment | N |
| Simms Flyweight Shoe | $250 | 2 lbs | Laces | Vibram Idrogrip rubber | Compatible with HardBite studs | N |
| Chaco Z/2 Classic | $105 | 1 lb 15.1 oz | Adjustable straps and buckle | ChacoGrip rubber | Can be resoled; toe loop | Y |
Women’s
| WOMEN'S WADING SHOES | MSRP | WEIGHT (PAIR) | CLOSURE | SOLE | FEATURES | WIDE SIZES? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salomon Techamphibian 5 | $110 | 1 lb 1.6 oz | Quicklace | Water Contragrip | Toe caps | N |
| Astral Loyak AC Water Shoe | $110 | 13.8 oz | Laces | G.15 rubber with Flex-Grip | Holes in midsole front and back for water drainage | N |
| HOKA Hopara 2 | $135 | 1 lb. 4.8 oz. | Single-pull Laces | Durabrasion rubber | Toe caps, adjustable heel straps, PFC-free water repellency treatment | N |
| Chaco Z/2 Classic | $105 | 1 lb. 6 oz. | Adjustable straps and buckle | ChacoGrip rubber | Can be resoled; toe loop | Y |
The author testing the Salomon Tech Amphib in the Rio Grande river.
What we liked
The most: VERSATILITY. This review of the Salomon Techamphibian 5 started as a wading shoe review (mostly for fishing). Still, it quickly became an all-around review due to its versatility as a water and trail shoe. Thus, this review highlights their performance in wading/water, hiking, and backpacking. They also perform really nicely on cement, making it a go-to travel shoe that can come with you on all sorts of urban and outdoor adventures.
Everything else we also liked:
Mesh upper
Reinforced toe cap
Sticky grip in wet conditions
Quicklace single-pull lacing system
FAST drying
Cute neutral and subdued colors available
Style that can be dressed up or down
What could be better
The adjustable heel strap begs for an improvement. While it wasn’t very bad in and around the water, during hiking and backpacking, the heel strap became its own story. It was quite annoying to have to stop and adjust the strap regularly, especially when the Quicklace lacing system was working so well. I’d rather not have an adjustable heel strap if it’s going to require me to be re-adjusting continuously.
In addition, the heel strap stands on top of two cutouts around the ankle which allows small debris to get in the shoe while in the water. It feels like a major design disappointment for an otherwise great performing shoe.
The inner sole could use more cushion and support, though I wouldn’t trade that in sacrifice of the impressive drying time of the shoe.
What is a water shoe?
A water shoe is one designed to be worn in and around water for the specific needs of water-based or water-adjacent activities. They differ from other shoes due to their expectancy to be water resistant, fast drying, and ability to grip on different wet surfaces and terrains.
Performance in the Field
Fit and comfort
Around the water
The Techamphibian 5 has kept its promise of being a comfortable shoe to wear to access streams, creeks, and rivers. I wore them without socks and had no significant concerns about them rubbing on my skin while in the water. Kayaking in these shoes was a delight. I didn’t lose the shoes to the muddy estuary bottom nor did I have to worry about slipping while stepping through the water in the dark.
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 is a comfortable shoe to wear to access streams, creeks, and rivers.
I have a narrow foot and still found them to be tight around the metatarsal area of my foot during the first few days of wearing them. Otherwise, my feet have been comfortable in the shoes.
On the trail
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 shoes are not quite as supportive and plushy as a proper hiking shoe, but they are also not as hard as you might think from its sole rigidity.
Their arch and overall foot support feel decent for hiking, but not as good as on the Amphib Bold 2. They're also not quite as supportive and plushy as a proper hiking shoe might feel, but they're also not as hard as you might think from its sole rigidity. As a few reviewers around the web think, these are “too sturdy” especially when comparing them with their softer sibling, the Amphib Bold 2. I agree with them, but the Techamphibian 5 gives enough support for hiking. I have particularly enjoyed hikes through wet forests into the alpine with the Techamphibian 5.
The longest hike I did in them was an 11-mile loop with 2,730ft gain passing through the summit of Truchas Peak, the highest point in Santa Fe, NM. While I originally did not intend to bring these shoes on such an adventure (oops!), I was not mad I did. The lightweight compact nature of the shoe alongside the reinforced toe cap were most welcome through scrambles and rocky traverses that required me to find small footings for what otherwise would’ve been challenging in a bulky hiking boot. Their sure traction gave me additional security on a very wet trail and when having to wayfind through rocky (and foggy) hillsides. The only downside I felt about the shoe throughout this hike was a need to re-adjust the heel strap several times.
Sizing
When finding your size, note that most reviewers who mention sizing recommended sizing down by one size or more. For me, I can wear my street shoe size, 9, across all Salomon shoes, and these were no exception. For your consideration, Salomon shoes are known for being a better fit for narrow feet.
Break-In Time
I first wore them through an airport to break them in and feel them out. I was using no-show socks, and the shoe fabric around the ankle rubbed my skin a little, creating a somewhat annoying itch. Nothing Footglide could not help with. The itch lasted for about the first 5k steps and thereafter I didn’t need to apply any balm or glide to avoid the scratchy itch for walking around. They also felt tight around the metatarsal area during their first few uses.
For hiking (2nd use), I did have a different kind of minor break-in period. Mostly, I dealt with a few hot spots around my (fallen) arches on my first couple of miles in the shoes.
In the water, there wasn’t a particular break-in period.
For backpacking, I don’t think I will be able to fully break them in because backpacking is further out from the intended scope of the shoe and I will doubtedly backpack in them again to find out. (Any takers?)
Ventilation
I found the mesh upper breathable. Dry or wet, one could feel the wind coming through the shoe (especially in the alpine).
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 drains fast, provided there aren’t clumps of sand or dirt in the shoe.
Drainage
This is another great feature of the mesh upper. The draining is very fast, with the exception of when you may have clumps of sand or dirt inside the shoe.
In dry weather, I didn’t feel like I was in a soaked shoe whenever coming out of the water, as most of it would drain out quickly.
Volume
This shoe leans very narrow, but with a wider toe box compared to its predecessor according to a few media reviewers.
Grip and stickiness
The first hike I took the Techamphibian 5 on was around El Yunque in Puerto Rico, and I was impressed with the traction performance, especially while testing some steep muddy trail sections where I got to stand on softer mud without sliding downhill. It was so nice to be able to trust a shoe like that.
We are impressed with the traction of the Salomon Techamphibian 5.
A reviewer on REI.com puts it well, stating, “Most water shoes are not sturdy enough for trail hiking -- these are perfect -- light weight and sturdy and grippy enough for slippery creek beds and wet trails.” Several other consumer reviews praise the Techamphibian 5 as a great shoe for the popular hike The Narrows in Zion National Park.
The grip performance on the Techamphibian 5 in and around the water was very fun and impressive to test too. For further context, one of the reviews on Zappos.com says, “As soon as they arrived I used them to pressure wash my house. I felt safe and secure while climbing up and down a wet ladder.” I relate to feeling secure stepping around river banks on different types of stones, muds, and algae patches. I was more often than not grateful at the grip of the outsole on different wet surfaces tested.
Still, the Techamphibian 5 has limitations against the power of water (who doesn’t?) when it comes to some surfaces. While scrambling through Rio Grande boulders, I hit dry surfaces that became slippery with the mere touch of water from the shoes and hadn’t I stepped carefully, I might have seen stars. This is just your friendly reminder to always use precaution when threading around water no matter how confident you are in a shoe.
Versatility
Like I mentioned before, versatility is what this shoe is all about. They perform well on muddy and rocky waters, while also being reliable on muddy or rocky trails. From hiking to wet wading to rafting, the Techamphbian 5 can be trusted to perform well.
Durability and longevity
The shoe feels very durable, in particular its outsole which feels like it can withstand time and terrain. The overall mesh and fabric of the shoe have a good thickness to them too, appearing strong. A few reviews expressed complaints about stitching coming off after a few uses, but I have not experienced any issues with stitches even after several adventures.
Price and value
At $110 dollars, the Techamphibian 5 cost is average for a water shoe. This shoe will likely enhance any serious water adventurer’s gear closet with valuable features like added grip, safer toes, and super fast-drying times, so we think it’s worth the price.
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 offers valuable features like added grip, safer toes, and super fast-drying times.
Features
Quicklace single-pull lacing system
As with many Salomon shoes, the single-pull-to-tighten-or-release Quicklace technology makes it super easy to keep your feet as snug as you want in under a second.
Salomon uses a single-pull Quicklace system.
Reinforced toe caps
The reinforced toe caps make it easy to wade through a rocky bank, specifically through a murky Rio Grande, where I have to trust my feet to feel the ground without additional support from my eyesight. Thanks to the reinforced toecaps, I felt more protected and less pressured by the rocks when locking my foot between them for security.
This is great for wet wading because it gets you closer to the durability and protection of a full-on wading boot while still wearing a lightweight shoe that makes hiking around river access easier. Of course, one’s ankles are still exposed, and one must be careful when wading through bigger rocks.
Collapsible heels
Personally, the only times I used the collapsible heels were at the airport and around camp. They are easy to collapse and easy to get back in place for heel support. It is not my favorite feature, as I dislike the feel of the collapsed fabric on my heel, but many reviewers praised it as a worthy detail of the shoes. This is also a feature that can improve with regular use. For example, after several uses the collapsed fabric didn’t bother me as much.
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 has collapsible heels.
Contagrip FD rubber outsoles
The Water Contragrip, Salomon’s sole designed for wet conditions, meets most of the diverse terrain requirements for wading and other water-based recreational activities. Many reviewers, including myself, have expressed that the Techamphibian outsoles create fast trust in the shoe with their impressive stickiness and grip reliability around water, wet trails, and wet surfaces such as ladders and water vessels.
Sockliner covers
The S.Cafe recycled sock liner covers make it comfortable to wear these shoes without the need for a sock, especially when in and around water. I would still advise the use of socks for hiking and other potential extended periods of “dry” usage.
Quick-dry uppers
The Techamphibian 5 are undoubtedly some of the fastest drying water shoes I have tried. It is definitely thanks to the quick-dry mesh uppers alongside a very minimal lining.
Drying times (approx):
60-70% dry after 3hrs of drying outdoors, under mostly full sun between 12pm-3pm in extreme humidity, with liners out, after hiking and walking through rain (Puerto Rico).
80-90% dry after an overnight outdoors in extreme humidity, with liners out, after being submerged for about an hour (Puerto Rico).
80-90% dry after 3 hours in moderate humidity and cloudy conditions 2pm-5pm, with liners out, after backpacking through monsoon showers for a couple of hours (New Mexico).
100% dry after 1.5 hours in dry heat and full sun 12pm-1:50pm, liners kept in, after wading for half a day (New Mexico).
Please note I am not here suggesting or recommending drying methods. I am simply expressing the ones I had access to during some contrasting and illustrative drying tests.
The mesh uppers make the Salomon Techamphibian 5 a breathable shoe.
Mesh uppers
The mesh uppers create a very breathable shoe, and do keep debris away from one’s feet.
Who should buy the Techamphibian 5?
Anyone who likes to adventure in and around water will love a shoe like the Techamphibian 5. Also, anyone who likes to adventure across different recreational activities, like kayaking and hiking, will particularly like this shoe. Folks who travel will also appreciate the versatility of a shoe that can be taken on a hike, run, or water adventure.
Where to buy
The Salomon Techamphibian 5 water shoes are popular footwear, so you have options when it comes to retailers. Here are some of the pros of the retailers.
REI
Pros: 100% satisfaction policy for 1 year; 10% dividend for members.
Amazon
Pros: Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership
Backcountry
Pros: Frequent sales for Expedition Perks members (free to join), fast shipping, Gearhead chat customer service is excellent
How we tested
I’ve tested the Techamphibian 5 for nearly four months while fishing, kayaking, hiking, traveling, and backpacking. I tested them while traveling through airports to the muddy trails of Puerto Rico's Yunque National Forest to kayaking through one of the magical biobays. I took them backpacking through New Mexico's Pecos Wilderness in monsoon season, to hiking the summit of the highest peak in Santa Fe, NM. And of course, I took them fly fishing in New Mexico streams and, for good measure, the iconic Rio Grande as well.
Other water shoes to consider
Astral Loyak AC
MSRP: $110
Weight (pair): 13.8 oz
Closure: Laces
Sole: G.15 rubber with Flex-Grip
The Astral Loyak AC has a modern-yet-retro look that pairs as well with casual wear as with water wear. Many reviewers appreciate the ability to use them in different water-related activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, boating, and more. It performs well across different surfaces with a grippy rubber sole and a lightweight feel. It looks good with or without socks and feels comfortable with or without them.
While it is best fitted for narrow feet, people with wide feet can size up for comfort. And ultimately, it makes a great alternative to an open-toe water shoe, having minimal water drag and leaving us with significantly fewer rocks in our shoes. It's the winner of our Best Water-to-Pavement Shoe in our Best Wet Wading Shoes guide.
Astral Loyak AC
HOKA Hopara 2
MSRP: $135
Weight (pair): 1 lb. 9.8 oz.
Closure: Single-pull Laces
Sole: Durabrasion rubber
The HOKA Hopara 2 have side holes for drainage, which is a design feature I would not recommend for wet wading but which you might find acceptable for other water activities that don’t require you to walk a lot like kayaking or rafting. If you like that design, you might be better off with a wading sandal. The Salomon Techamphibian 5 design is going to be more secure for fishing.
HOKA Hopara 2
Men's
Women's
About the author / why you should trust us
Gabaccia Moreno is a first-generation multi-activity adventurer, multimedia storyteller, consultant, and passionate outdoor advocate. Photo Roberto Flores
Gabaccia Moreno is a first-generation multi-activity adventurer, multimedia storyteller, consultant, and passionate outdoor advocate. Gabaccia grew up surrounded by fresh and salt water in the south of Veracruz, Mexico. She has been a committed angler fishing waters and sharing her love of fly fishing up and down the Rockies and all the way to the Marshall Islands and in-between, since 2019. Other outdoor credits include backpacking the Collegiate West in CO, trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, a wild turkey harvest in New Mexico, and plenty of trout and other fish across geographies.
Today, she serves as the executive director of The Outdoorist Oath, an organization that creates educational tools and equips people to ally planet, inclusion, and adventure. She is also an ambassador for Leave No Trace and Sawyer Products. Gabaccia has also served as National Monuments Fellow for Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, participating in campaigns seeking to make the outdoors more equitable while protecting our shared resources. Other credits include guest hosting/producing at She Explores and Dirtbag Diaries podcasts, facilitating the River Development School for She Jumps. In her free time, you’ll find her watercoloring, or outside, probably fishing, hunting, hiking, farming, or backpacking.
You can read all her stories on her author page.
