This is fantastic. No buoyancy, minimal shoes but not so minimal that you can't walk on gravel. I had New Balance Minimus and Merrell Trail Glove 5s. The NBs were great except when you stepped on a rock on hard ground it was like stepping on it with your bare feet. The Trail Glove 5 had a good outsole but annoyingly large arch support for a minimal shoe. I've used them for jogging, hiking, mountain biking with flat pedals and worn them like regular shoes. I'm curious to try them out for kayaking when it gets warmer. I find them great for hiking. I have enough ground feel and space to spread the forefoot. They appear to be very well cut. I usually wear size 9 athletic shoes and size 8.5 dress shoes (US men's sizing). I should have gotten a size 8. I tried size 9 but they were too big. My only minor complaint is that the tongue is not separated from the rest of the shoe, making the shoe difficult to put on. However, there are convenient loops for tightening. Edit: After about a month the upper has stretched enough that they are much easier to put on.