When I lived in Mt. Shasta I always liked shoes that were waterproof

 I started out with Tevas that are more like waterproof sandals but then sometimes walking across rivers fishermen have been there and you will get sticks or fishing hooks or other things in your feet which isn't good. Over time I found I have more protection just wearing Crocs generally speaking. They protect your toes better than tevas from whatever you are walking over. However, they have their drawbacks too like if you are walking uphill steeply you have to put the strap behind your heel so you don't fall out of them on a really steep climb. The other problem with Crocs is that they can be slippery if it is a rainy day.

But, what I like about Crocs is that I can walk up a muddy stream and get my crocs all muddy and still come home and rinse them off. Now I always wear crocs to the beach because I can always throw them off easily when it's safe to walk on the beach barefoot which I often do almost any month of the year it's warm enough to do this too.

The other thing that is nice about Crocs is that they float because they have air bubbles I think inside them the way they are made to make them springier while they massage your feet with each step. I began wearing them around 2010 because I noticed that I was sometimes losing feeling in my feet whereas Crocs massage the blood into your feet every step with the riffles (raised dots) on the part where the bottom of your feet touch them. So, as you walk you are getting a foot massage every step which keeps blood in your feet which allows you to walk longer into old age. But, I began wearing them so I could ski longer and not lose feeling in my feet. So, I was able to ski ongoing until I was in my 70s. So, that's what I did.

However, here it is 14 years later and I still prefer wearing Crocs to all other shoes except for walking in rain or snow. But, they are great in the mud as long as the mud isn't too deep because then the mud will suck off your croc one foot at a time.

But, if you are boating or kayaking and you turn over your crocs are going to float if you lose them so they are easier to retrieve too because they become like little boats this way floating on top of the water.