I was looking for a water shoe to take hiking with my dog. He loves the water, so I wanted something I could ford in. Like all Merrells I've had, they are comfortable right out of the box. Water doesn't build up at all in them, but they do take a while to dry off which isn't surprising for a shoe. I'd give a perfect score but the soles are beginning to separate from the shoe near the balls of my feet. But I rarely find an athletic shoe that this doesn't happen to for me because of my gait.