Yes, no joke. There is a long history of divers, particularly freshwater divers in "cave country", having used Converse brand Chuck Taylor Classic All-Star basketball shoes as alternative to expensive drysuit rock boots and dive booties. Because they can be laced up for a good fit and they have a sturdy sole with a reinforced toe, yet are reasonably low profile, they actually do work as a dive boot solution. Of course they work well out of the water too but because CT's are intended for sports played on dry land, there are some problems with durability. Canvas basketball shoes don't hold up well to marine environments; they don't really dry out very well and the lace eyelets rust out (or rip out) fairly quickly. Designed for diving, the neoprene Poseidon "One Shoe" delivers the best of both worlds at the right price.