Astral Loyak AC Water Shoes - Review 2025

Rating

• Outoria Score: 4.4/5
• Quality: 4/5
• Comfort: 4.5/5
• Performance: 4.5/5
• Price/Quality: 4.5/5

Back and Better Than Ever

The Astral Loyak ACss are the second generation of the Astral Loyaks, and include some really wonderful new features and improvements from the previous model, the most obvious of which are the new breathable mesh uppers. Constructed with an ultrafine ripstop mesh outer layer, these shoes offer a truly exceptional breathability while filtering out large and small debris. We have a feeling you won’t be dumping rocks out of your shoes.

These are one of the few options on our list that we feel are stylish enough to be considered streetwear, featuring trendy color combinations and a sneaker-like design. They also have a more thoughtful drainage system for more versatile use, with the drainage holes located at the front and back of the shoe as opposed to the bottom of the sole. Because of this thoughtful feature and the trendy design, we find these to be one of the more versatile picks on our list this year.

Comfort

The Astral Loyak ACs provide comfort by means of breathability, flexibility, and of course the use of non abrasive, comfortable materials. The inner soles have a nice bounce to them, and provide almost as good of a grip as the outer soles to ensure your feet aren’t sliding around in sweaty or wet conditions. The removable soles have a slight contour to them, providing limited arch support but adequate comfort for walking longer distances and most amphibious activities.

Although we were disappointed to find that the Astral Loyak ACs don’t come in half sizes, we still found them to fit quite well. The compressive elastic tongue as well as the laces provided enough adjustment to keep your feet snug in their place in even the roughest waters.

Use

After the first time wearing them in the water, the breathability and comfort during use really blew us away. The translucent mesh upper in addition to the innovative drainage design keeps the air flowing, but also works really effectively at keeping debris, even fine particles, out of your shoes. 

Typically these sneaker-like designs struggle with water logging, but the Astral Loyak ACs have a frontal drainage system that allows you to empty out the water with ease. Most water shoes on the market have drainage holes on the bottom of the soles, if they have drainage at all. This design works well enough for water use, but it’s a little less practical for land use (we shudder at the thought of walking through mystery puddles in downtown Los Angeles with holes in the bottom of our shoes – you get the idea). We much prefer this design and find it to be more versatile.

We were also quite impressed with the shoes’ lightweight flexibility while maintaining their capacity for rugged performance and durability. The rubber soles have excellent grip and provide a near perfect balance of ground-feel and foot protection.

Material

The Astral Loyak ACs are made with clear consideration for amphibious use, and provide exceptional quality using high end, durable materials. Constructed with an ultrafine ripstop mesh outer layer, these shoes offer remarkable durability, ensuring they can withstand rugged terrains and nearly anything you could throw at them. And on top of its durability and performance, the mesh is also extremely lightweight and breathable making for a really practical water shoe across the board.

The removable EVA foam inner sole provides decent cushioning and support, enhancing overall comfort during water sports or day hikes. The insoles are designed with odorless technology, which tends to be a very practical benefit for water shoes as they can develop an odor quite quickly. This odorless technology in conjunction with the removable washable soles help to keep your water shoes smelling as fresh as possible.

The Flex-Grip Rubber Bottoms further add to the shoe’s performance, offering excellent traction on both wet and dry surfaces. You can really feel the shoe grip on most surfaces, even offering that familiar basketball court “squeak” from time to time.

Value

The Astral Loyak ACs ring in at about $110, placing them in the high to luxury price range along with the KEENs and Lunas of the world. We certainly think these shoes are worth the investment because of their high quality and versatility, but if you’re looking for a budget friendly option these likely aren’t for you.

A Homerun

We love the Astral Loyak ACs, and for a number of reasons. The durable outsoles and upper, the breathability and thoughtful drainage, the modern yet functional design, these shoes are a home run. The only thing we can imagine that could make these better would be a lower price point, but even then, we know that you can get your money’s worth out of these shoes.