I've always worn old athletic shoes for gardening but am getting tired of wet feet. Looking for a waterproof shoe that's comfortable for gardening and digging. Clogs don't work well for me as my yard isn't flat and my feet slide around in them too much. Any suggestions? TIA

Cindy,
I also have mostly worn old athletic shoes for gardening. Like you I got tired of wet feet, and I also got tired of lacing and unlacing, and I got tired of leaves and dirt falling down inside my shoes (I haul a lot of leaves and grass clippings) and athletic shoes just fill up with dirt and leaves when working the compost pile or mulching.
The flower bed I spend most of my time in is a bog, so it stays wet. I also have a slope to deal with, so the shoes have to hold my feet in place and not allow my toes to press up against the end of the shoe when walking down hill.
I bought a cheap pair of shoes from Sam's that worked pretty well but they only lasted one season. Now the upper rubber is cracking open and the all ready thin sole is worn down.
They looked almost identical to these, but were an off brand.
https://jet.com/product/detail...
They were not great for not allowing my feet to slide, but they did alright. They were great as far as keeping my feet dry. They also did a good job of keeping the dirt and debris out, and I just loved not having to lace and unlace them.
I have seen the original Muck shoe listed above but with a sturdier sole, and that would be my suggestion for the garden. I assume they make a ladies version also.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFX4LMA/

Larry - thanks for that input! There is a Muckster II low style that I've been looking at. I have tall Bogs boots for really dirty work but they're a pain to put on and off too frequently. I just wanted to make sure I was looking at all of the options. Thanks again!

For winter I use something similar to this:

http://www.columbia.com/peakfr...

Not necessarily the brand shown above. I suggest you shop around because the quality can vary. Altho' mine are suede, they were easy to waterproof with the same product you use to waterproof your hiking boots.

Lyn - thanks for that suggestion! I'll check out the web site to see if they have anything in women's sizes.

Those are actually some really good shoes. Columbia is a wonderful brand. I wear all kinds of their fishing shorts, shirts, and shoes. All of their products are comfortable and durable

I did check out the Columbia website but couldn't find anything in women's sizes in that style.

Shadegardener said:I did check out the Columbia website but couldn't find anything in women's sizes in that style.

Here's a link with a conversion table for men's size shoe sizes to women's shoe sizes"

https://www.shiekhshoes.com/t-...

There are a lot of other sites with conversion info ...

You can always do a Google search with something like "what size men's shoe is a women's 7.5"
and get lots of hits ...

There are a lot of vendors selling that type of shoe. I just put that link up to show you a style of shoe that works for me.

Sloggers are very durable and comfortable and their customer service is incredible AND they're made in the USA. They offer a shoe and a boot in various colors/prints. Every other waterproof gardening clog, shoe or boot I've ever owned has cracked but these. Highly recommended.
I got my first pair (that I still use) at Tractor Supply, but they can be found in lots of places.

http://www.sloggers.com/

Thanks for that conversion chart, Lyn.
Janine - thanks for another brand to look at. Nice to have as many possible sources as possible.

In winter I wear those rubber/leather muck boots (Sorel is the big name brand) with the laces taken out so they are slip ons. For slogging around out back, rubber farm boots from the feed store (which come up to my knee rather than mid-calf). During any other season, I generally kick off whatever shoes I start off with and end up barefoot. Flip flops or slip-ons when using a shovel, then off they go. I can't abide any of the plastic-y shoes that are so popular (Crocs and their ilk), they make my feet sweat. Often the soles of open shoes like Teva are icky for me as well. In spite of the slug factor, I just like the feel of the earth.

I have a small foot (womans 5.5) and often buy my shoes in the boys department. The exact same shoe will be half the price and often just a bit wider, which works well for me.

Deb - I used to be a barefoot girl in my younger days and loved it. Here, I wear long pants, shoes and socks when gardening due to poison ivy seedlings in the lawn. I have long, narrow feet and high, slowly falling arches and in the larger sizes I wear, the shoes tend to get very wide and unsupportive. Thanks for another brand to check out.

Cindy ...

I don't know whether you are looking for shoes for winter gardening or for the other seasons. I do a lot of work during the cold winter months because my summer temps are so hot, I just can't work outside for more than a couple of hours during the day. I spend that time watering ...

I can't go barefoot in my garden because I have too many rocks in my garden. I do know that I need good shoes or else my feet and legs get tired because I work on several levels and a slope.

It does sound like you have a hard time finding good shoes to work in while out in the garden.

I often check out this site first when shopping for shoes:

http://www.healthyfeetstore.co...

Good luck.

Lyn - thanks for that link! I'll be sure to check it out. Yep, my feet are becoming hard to fit. Didn't know that they could continue to grow after a "certain age".

Cindy ... I know what you mean. That was a surprise for me, too.

I used to be kind of careless about the kinds of shoes I wore, but I have found I can work longer, if I get shoes that fit well.

Good luck in finding good shoes.

Thanks, Lyn. The research begins today.

Cindy, I hope this is not too late but the best shoes I have worn in the garden have been: My army boots- they are water proof and over your ankle (providing ankle support). You can buy army type combat shoes at Army/Navy stores. I was in the Navy and always hated wet feet from working in wet spaces/bilges, the boots were steel toed but not water proof. I did a stint in the National Guard after the Navy and those boots were amazing. I have since had two more pair. Completely water proof unless I sunk into water/mud higher than the boot. The initial break in can be tough but they boots are fantastic. The best accessory for most outdoor shoes is "Shoe-ins" huge over slipper that you can slide your shoed feet in so you can walk into your house with out taking the dirty shoes off.

Light stuff I just wear an old pair of Dock Siders, heavy work a pair of Timberland boots, that I've waterproofed .

I got some Croc look-a-likes at Walmart for under $8 and love them.

Thanks for the suggestions! I ended up getting the Muckser II low shoe and it's been great. My feet don't slide around in them in my larger size but there's plenty of room for toes. I used to have a pair of steel toed work boots but they weren't comfortable and were a pain to put on. The Crocs - too much slipping and sliding in them on uneven ground.