Fishing footwear mostly means waders, wellies, walking boots or shoes and, inevitably, trainers. For tropical saltwater fishing I could throw in flats boots and boat shoes.These are sandals (sort of) designed to be used in and around water – from Keen’s Waterfront range.

Simple sandals are essentially a sole held to the foot by straps. If you start messing and pressing these you soon realise they don't have a lot of the semi-rigid sections typical in the uppers of shoes and boots; no heel-box (see pic below), little or no stiffness in the uppers. The sole on the other hand (foot?) is very similar to the sole on my walking shoes, complete with tough tread and springy foam midsole.

Keen uses waterproof synthetic fabrics and mesh for the upper, with a lightly elasticated cuff, nylon straps and a tensioning arrangement (ie laces) to hold the sandal in place. That works well enough, these fit more loosely than shoes and my foot can move about inside there but they stay on my feet.

So, these are almost outdoor shoes, they look like outdoor shoes but are really sandals – an interesting and rather handy hybrid. Not ideal for hiking miles over rough ground, but then most of my fishing doesn't mean hiking miles. Get them grubby and these are washable – rather like my feet – so mud is no big issue. My toes are well protected by a heavy rubbery 'bumper', the soles grip well on most surfaces including wet rocks. The mesh in the sides of the sandal is open, air and water circulates freely. Sand can get in with the water, so far no small stones have managed to get through. Compared with walking boots, shoes or trainer, on hot days these are a delight! My feet feel cooler, drier and far more comfortable.The fit is ‘spacious’, so these are great for air travel, and the soles have yet to mark any surfaces so would be welcome on a flats skiff. Sand can get in through the mesh so I would hesitate to use these as flats shoes. I'm slightly surprised I like sandals but even in the early part of a Scottish summer these convinced me simply by being on my feet more days than my shoes or boots.