ASTRAL

Paddling Magazine named the Astral Brewer its Best Overall Water Shoe for 2026, calling out “great drainage, excellent traction, feels comfortable, and lasts for years. Unique for it’s sneaker silhouette and is supportive enough for portaging but slim enough to fit in your cockpit too”. We’ve always wanted the Brewer to be a unique water shoe that you could count on for just about anything. The years of feedback and testing across whitewater, raft guiding, and canoe trips have helped us keep refining that balance of performance with style. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gsY3yQkw

For more than 20 years, we’ve challenged conventional approaches to outdoor gear, rethinking everything from life jacket materials to footwear construction. The Techyak carries that thinking forward with a 100% recycled PET knit upper, glue-free construction, and a design built around natural foot movement. Working with footwear designer Tuan Le, we’ve continued to ask how outdoor shoes could be uniquely improved. Thank you to COOL HUNTING & Michael Frank for taking a closer look at the thinking behind the Techyak. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/g6Ha9JNk

The Pusha was developed out of a problem: our expedition team needed a river shoe as rugged as the environments they were getting into. So we started looking for a way to make one tougher without making it heavier, stiffer, or slower to dry. We went back through 15 years of warranty claims and found a pretty good place to start: Stitch & Bond construction. That became the foundation for the Pusha, alongside a removable midsole and wider toe box. The result is an expedition-grade river shoe built to take the abuse. Read Philip Curry’s behind the design here: https://lnkd.in/dCfv5gwi

Chris Burkard has shot volcanic fields in Iceland and crevasses in the Arctic. He knows what earns a spot in his bag — and this summer, in Men's Journal "Adventure Kit," he told the world the TR1 Mesh 2.0 earned one. His words, not ours: no more shoes blowing out mid-trip. Just something light, breathable, and toe-protected that stays fresh no matter how long, far, or humid the trip gets. Getting called out by someone who's spent his career deciding what's worth carrying into the world's harder places is the kind of validation we don't take lightly. Thank you, Chris and thank you Men's Journal for the feature.

We’re stoked to continue supporting American Whitewater and the work they do to protect the rivers that have shaped Astral from the start. From keeping wild rivers wild, to removing outdated dams, to putting water back where it belongs. As we head Back to Nature, we're giving back to it too. 5% of every sale from Aug 28–Sept 7 will be donated to American Whitewater

Pacific Crest Trail Days was a great chance to reconnect with the trail community and spend time with hikers nearing the end of their journeys. With many hikers arriving at our booth in the final stretch of their PCT journey, we heard firsthand how the Nosobo and TR1 Mesh held up over hundreds of miles and what they’re looking for in their next pair. Between trail stories, product feedback, and a few shoeys along the way, it was a good weekend in Cascade Locks. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and spent some time with us and another huge shoutout to PCT Days for creating a space for all of us to come together. We can’t wait for next year.

The Loyak has become one of Astral’s most popular shoes by doing something pretty simple: it works wherever the day takes you. What started as a water shoe quickly became a go-to for travel, everyday wear, and life around the river. Naturally, we started asking ourselves: how do we make the Loyak useful when the weather changes drastically while traveling from multiple environments? That’s where the Loyak All Weather came from. We took the familiar feel and versatility of the Loyak and built a version that could handle rain, wet streets, and colder days without losing what made the original so useful. The goal was never to make a winterized version of the Loyak. It was to make the Loyak useful in all weather (hence the name). With the All Weather 2.0, we took what we learned from the first version and refined it further. We updated the fit, improved the waterproof and breathable construction, and continued to dial in the balance of ground feel, flexibility, and everyday comfort that made the Loyak a favorite in the first place. The result is a more refined All Weather Loyak, built to go wherever you do—regardless of what the forecast looks like. Meet the Loyak All Weather 2.0

Introducing two new colorways for one of our most versatile water shoes. Meet Shadow Black and Salty White. The Brewer is designed for the days that don’t fit neatly into one category. Built for time on the water, but ready for wherever the adventure continues. It’s a shoe that bridges the gap between performance and everyday wear, and these new colorways are built for the same reason: a style that feels just as at home by the river as it does anywhere the day leads next. Take a peek at the colors here: https://lnkd.in/g28T8wNS?

ASTRAL Spring events recap via trail and water: This season our team spent time at Appalachian Trail Days (hosed by Appalachian Trail Conservancy) in Damascus and the North Fork Championship, connecting with thru-hikers, paddlers, longtime friends of the brand, and people discovering Astral for the first time. At AT Days, we shared Billy Meredith’s film, where he talked about his TR1 Mesh 2.0 as a trusted companion during his Te Araroa FKT. We spent the weekend talking product, swapping trail stories, and hearing firsthand what people are experiencing and needing out on trail right now. At NFC, that same spirit carried over to the Center of the Universe. We watched the best paddlers push limits on the North Fork. We were stoked to hold the title as the official safety sponsor, which gave us the opportunity to outfit the entire safety team. A special shoutout to Nouria Newman for placing second in womens, alongside Jeremy Nash, Jude Franczyk, and Isaac Hull for placing top ten in mens. After being inspired the whole week, we are excited to keep working with James and Reagan Byrd, Aaron Pruzan and Carli Beisel on something even more special for next year... Thank you to everyone who shared their time out in the wild, and we know it’s the people that continue to make the Astral community something special.

This past week, the ASTRAL team headed to Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect to introduce our Spring ’27 collection and share what we've been working on for the seasons ahead. Over four days of meetings, we met with specialty retailers, sales reps, and industry partners to showcase new products, walk through key innovations, and gather feedback on the direction of the line. Events like Connect provide a valuable opportunity to present new ideas in person and have focused conversations about the future of the outdoor market. We're encouraged by the response to the Spring ’27 collection and excited about what's ahead as these products continue to take shape. Thank you to the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance team and everyone who took the time to meet with us throughout the week. While the products are what bring us together, it's the outdoor community behind them that continues to move the industry forward. And a special shoutout to Bryan Owen, Judd Salvas, Christian Mason, Spencer Cooke, TJ Parnell, Daniel Miller, Joe Giordano, Dan Miller, Tory Brydge, Jack Smith Hayden Lopez, and Jacob DePriest who made it a great week.