Buying water shoes in Kaş Turkey, enexpected experience with lifelong memories

 April 28, 2026

 

On our first trip to the beach in Kaş today, we discovered that it's rocky and we needed water shoes. We intended to go to the big grocery (Carrefour) store that we stopped at on our way to the beach to purchase beach towels. Pleasantly surprised that they were only $2!  Until this moment Turkey has been shockingly expensive. More than we spent for daily living in Avignon France in Fall 2025. So we were walking downtown looking for happy hour (there weren't any) and saw beach shoes at a small shop. We asked the price and as is sometimes the case here, the proprietor provided an hour of interesting hospitality. 

 

the entry was a few steps down 

 

 

these weren't all of his inside inventory

 

 

my shoes, make in Izmir Turkey,  need the lace repaired. 

 

He realized I wanted herbal tea without me explaining

 

His child on the plate

 

John went to get more cash than we had. While he was gone, the gentleman massaged my face, arms and shoulders. I was hoping for John to return soon! 

Then he did the same for John

 

As we were leaving, he gave us a handful of fresh almonds and cracked a couple using his shoe repair tools.   So much better than a great deal at Carrefour's big store.