The rule in one sentence
A rafting shoe has to do two things: stay on your foot and get wet. Everything else is preference. The Köprüçay is twelve kilometres of moving water, you climb in and out on rocky banks, and at the swimming stops you are standing on wet stone. A shoe that comes off in that is not a shoe, it is flotsam.
That is why the operator of rafting from Side has exactly one hard clothing rule, and it is about feet. Nobody will discuss your shirt, your shorts or your sunglasses. They will discuss flip-flops.
Why flip-flops are banned on the river
A flip-flop is held on by a toe post and nothing else. The first step into flowing water lifts the sole, and the shoe is gone — downstream, out of reach. The guest is now barefoot on wet, smooth rock, which is the quickest route to an injury that ends the day.
So nobody gets into a raft in flip-flops. Not because the guide is fussy, but because the guide is the one who would have to pull the consequences out of the water. Arriving at the base in flip-flops does not send you home; it gets you offered water shoes to rent or buy before anyone goes near the river.
Three options compared
Three kinds of footwear satisfy the rule. Which one you choose depends on what is already in your suitcase.
- Water shoes: the best choice. Light, held at the heel, quick to dry and almost weightless when wet. Anyone who holidays by the sea often owns a pair.
- Old trainers: they pass the rule, but they soak through and stay heavy and wet for the rest of the day. Bring a pair that does not need to survive, and a dry second pair for the drive back.
- Sandals with a heel strap: allowed if the strap really closes and the shoe does not slide when you walk in water. Your toes stay exposed, which is a drawback on rock.
Nothing suitable with you? Rent or buy at the base
Water shoes are not part of the tour price — the price covers helmet, life jacket and paddle, not your footwear. At the rafting base you can rent water shoes or buy them. Whether you rent or buy is decided there; the price for either is set by the operator on site, and because we do not control it we do not print a figure.
So do not let the shoe question hold up your booking. The tour is €18 per person, you pay on the day, and if footwear is only sorted out at the base, that is fine. The only thing that does not happen is a raft leaving with someone in the wrong shoes.
Children, socks and toes
Children follow the same rule as adults: the shoe must stay on and be able to get wet. Children aged 4 to 11 pay €12 and go down the same river, and a small foot slips on wet rock exactly like a big one. It is safest to bring your own water shoes or old trainers for a child rather than rely on what the base has in stock.
Socks are a matter of taste. Thin synthetic socks in trainers prevent blisters but soak through. Water shoes need none. Anyone with sensitive feet can wear neoprene socks — they keep feet warmer on the water and chafe less.
After the river: the second pair
The most common mistake after the flip-flop one: bringing only one pair. Go into the water in your trainers and you have no dry shoes for lunch and the drive home. Pack a second pair — and here the flip-flops that were banned on the river are exactly right. On the bus they are ideal.
On the combo tours with a quad or buggy stage there is one more argument for closed shoes: the forest track is dusty and open sandals fill with grit. The packages are listed on the Side rafting packages page. If you only want the river, rafting from Side plus one pair of water shoes is all the kit you need.