Are Water Shoes Necessary?

[maciec]

I keep seeing a lot of people talking about bringing water shoes - are they necessary? Does Aulani have a rocky shore line? I live at the beach and don't even have water shoes so I am confused

 

[Nalshersmom]

I did not need them at Aulani itself (except walking to the beach in front of the 4 Seasons.) I did need them many times at other places in Hawaii, though.

 

[PetePanMan]

You won’t need at all for Aulani beach

 

[jerseygal]

We didn’t use them at Aulani, enjoy, such an amazing resort!

 

[cgattis]

As @Nalshersmom said, you won’t need them for the Aulani lagoon. But at many other beaches, there are rocks along with sand. Plus, we used ours while snorkeling because we don’t use fins, and it helped protect our feet if we got pushed into rocks or coral by surge/waves. I’d highly recommend a pair but don’t spend a ton—cheap ones work just fine.

 

[newdeal]

Aulanis sand is like a pillow on your feet that you sink right into. If you want to swim at Waimea Falls though for sure bring water shoes for that.

 

[Lilsia]

You do not need shoes to go into the actual water at Aulani but you will need something on your feet because the sand and sidewalk get extremely hot. Water shoes are convenient if you are going around the Island.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I pick up water shoes at WM for $10 or less often on clearance. They go on clearance after the 4th. We rarely use them but I always have a couple new pairs in the closet - flip flops too. Landsend.com has better variety and quality. Personally, I don't like them when swimming but it beats walking on hot sand, sharp rocks or slimy leaves in a lake!

 

[maciec]

thank you everyone!

 

[kyton]

27ish trips to Oahu and we’ve never taken water shoes ever. We do have flip flops (or as we Australians call them thongs) to walk to and from whatever beach we are visiting.

Aulani is located on a man made lagoon so there are no rocks alongside minimal waves - so it is extremely friendly to all ages.

 

[chrisaman]

I find them useful to have if you want to swim in any fresh water ponds under waterfalls and such. Those are always rocky.

 

[alohamom]

As @Nalshersmom said, you won’t need them for the Aulani lagoon. But at many other beaches, there are rocks along with sand. Plus, we used ours while snorkeling because we don’t use fins, and it helped protect our feet if we got pushed into rocks or coral by surge/waves. I’d highly recommend a pair but don’t spend a ton—cheap ones work just fine.

I find them useful to have if you want to swim in any fresh water ponds under waterfalls and such. Those are always rocky.

Yup, they are a must for us in places like Shark's Cove up in the North Shore

 

[JM23457]

I find them useful to have if you want to swim in any fresh water ponds under waterfalls and such. Those are always rocky.

Just as a heads-up, I've read that those fresh water ponds have a lot of dangerous bacteria in them.

 

[Daisy7425]

I did not even come close to needing them, but I stayed happily in a deck chair for most of the pool time. My sons (7 and 9) did need them though because they were jogging/swimming through the lazy river for literally hours every day. I guess it depends on how much you plan to exert yourself.

 

[cgattis]

Yup, they are a must for us in places like Shark's Cove up in the North Shore

Oh absolutely—that is a prime example. I needed body armor for there! My skinny kids could make it over the top of stuff I couldn’t without dragging! LOL

 

[Mommy2Logan]

There is a little secret beach between the Four Seasons and that place where the big luau takes place down the road. We hiked over there and water shoes would have been nice to have because the rocks were big and slippery. However, we did it without water shoes and the last time we were at Aulani, the Four Seasons had closed the walking path to get to that little trek so we weren't even able to do it. So I'd say no water shoes needed.

 

[Carolina21]

I keep seeing a lot of people talking about bringing water shoes - are they necessary? Does Aulani have a rocky shore line? I live at the beach and don't even have water shoes so I am confused

To be on the safe side better to buy them.