Originally Posted by Wilfred Laurier

Two thoughts:

Higher-end shoes often have buckles that require a bit of thought to undo, as well as plain Velcro straps. I could easily remove my MTB shoes from my feet, but it would be much more complicated with my road shoes.

and

The canal in Ottawa has little to no current. It is controlled by locks at either end, and so there might be a very slight current when the locks are being opened, but otherwise none at all.