Way back in 2012, kayak shoes were largely sandals or booties. And, regardless of the labeling as water shoe, few truly provided the confidence you were after in steep, slick river environments unless it had a felt sole or came from a climbing shoe brand. Then, the life jacket brand Astral showed up on the footwear scene with something new and refreshing.
Early iterations of the Astral Brewer
The Brewer was closed-toed, with a light, quick-drying Cordura upper construction, and a sneaker look—reminiscent of something from Vans that meshed with the counterculture lifestyle of whitewater. And, best of all, this new river sneaker had unparalleled grip thanks to a partnership with 5.10.
The lifestyle look and best-in-class grip are impossible to separate when looking back at the industry shift born from the original Astral Brewer, and just reaches the surface of the intricate details built into what appeared outwardly as a minimalist shoe. As a vagabond kayaker of the 2010s, I do not exaggerate when I say I lived in those original Brewers.
The first iteration of the Brewer wasn’t without its flaws. The main issue with the early Brewers was the tendency for the stitching to blow out at the seam around the toes, leading to flapping soles and field repairs of various means. But with each iteration, the Brewer has improved. With the Brewer 2.0, Astral adopted a new seam where outsole and upper meet, and they further developed their proprietary G-Rubber following 5.10’s sale to Adidas. With other shoe designs added to the brand’s lineup, the Brewer has continued to remain the now classic that sets the bar for what a paddling shoe can be.
The Brewer 3.0
Now for 2025, Astral has released the third generation of the Brewer and continues to improve upon it with what may turn out to be the best Brewer yet. Starting at the rubber, Astral has gone from their more durable G.15 compund to their stickiest G.SS compound, the same used on the Rassler in combination with the Granite Grip tread pattern to provide all-around high performance on uneven terrain, trails and wet surfaces.
In my mind the move to the G.SS is a solid decision. If it hasn’t become obvious in this writing yet, I value the sense of sticking to wet surfaces like glue above all else as a foundation for a good water shoe. The compliment is the wide, diamond-shaped lugs of the Granite Grip that leave enough space for the treads to dig into some earth when climbing up a bank or along a portage trail.
In the construction of the upper, Astral has also made improvements.
They have increased the width of the toe box, as well as reinforced the toe. They have also created more heel lock, to keep the shoe secure on your foot. While this may mean the backs of the shoes don’t crush down flat as easily to slide into when jumping out of your playboat or shuffling around camp, this heel lock will be a major benefit when it counts—such as to avoid losing a shoe if you take a swim or while hammering freestyle strokes and leg kicks across a rapid to make a rescue.
The upper is constructed of recycled canvas and mesh. Inside, the new interior has a soft sockliner built in to remove seam contact for more comfort when wearing barefoot for those summer days on the river, as many have with the Brewer for well beyond a decade now.
Learn more about the Brewer 3.0 and the rest of the shoe lineup at Astral.
Feature Image: Brenna Kelly
