Hiking in sandals or shoes?

When I am not barefoot (I am barefoot most of the time), I wear sandals. I look for light and minimally foot covering sandals.
 
One day backpacking last summer I hiked 14 miles one day in a pair of Keene sandals and only got 1 blister and that was on the bottom of my foot from the mileage. I also hiked about 11 miles over 2 days in the same pair but wore socks part of the way.

Tevas eat your feet up.

Tip: if you feet get muddy or sandy wash off asap. If I hike more than about 3 miles in muddy sandals the straps start removing skin off the sides of my foot:eek:
 
i am with evolute there, i go barefoot when i can. i mostly just wear flip flops when i want some insulation or i am going somewhere that wears off the soles of my feet. hiking trails generally don't hurt me too much at all.

i vote for a minimalistic shoe that doesn't weigh much and will give you a good cushion for your foot. i can't speak to any brands or specific styles though...
 
I wear sandals about 7 months out of the year. I hike, work, play and everything else in them.

I like Teva the most, Keen second.

The closed toe of the Keen's are great for brush and sharp, pokiey things but they hold in the sand and dirt alot more.

If you opt for the Teva style, get the better models that have a neoprene backer on the straps. The cheaper kinds are just bare nylon and they will give you blisters.

If you do hike long distances, wear the sandals alot before you go, they do need to break in just like any other shoe even though they are adjustable.

Keep a few pair of socks in your pack, just in case you do end up with blisters.

Like was said before, clean them out if their wet or risk major blisters.

And lastly, don't forget suntan lotion on your feet.
 
Wow, alot of people wear sandals to hike in...... With a pack, am I better w/ shoes though?
 
If you are gonna get sandals the only way to go are Chacos. Much better than teva theyre the choice of professional river guides. Very secure and very comfortable. Vibram outsoles too.
 
Sandals are great on nice flat easy terrain but once you hit hard rocky stuff you have no ankle support.
I once forgot my hiking boots and had to do a hike in the UK with just my sandals ( much to the amusement of Mrs pit! ) anyway even though they were decent sandals ( Merrels ) my feet still slid around on the rocky stuff and I must have cricked my ankles a dozen times....never again !!!!
 
I'm with Pitdog,

I hate sandals. I like footware that covers my feet and give me support.

Edit - I hate low riding shoes too :) :)
 
j williams said:
Wow, alot of people wear sandals to hike in...... With a pack, am I better w/ shoes though?
Click to expand...

Depends on how heavy your shoes are, how heavy your pack is, and the terrain.

My ankles are fine so the sandals dont' bother me that way. The problem for me is mud. Once you get mud down in there the straps of the sandals act like wet dry sandpaper;)

If I have to do a lot of stream crossings I bring crocks or tevas. The crocks are super light, but they are slippery so I go with the Tevas if I'm doing that. I'll tell you though the soft crocks feel wonderful to wear after setting up camp and taking off your boots:thumbup:;)
 
j williams said:
wouldnt the ankle support be the same in sandals as in a low hiking shoe?
Click to expand...


That's right, I was speaking about Boots compared with sandals.
Thinking back though my feet were also sliding about within my sandals as well at times, this wouldn't happen even in proper low footwear !
 
That is true. Shoes would be a little more versatile. I have gortex danner boots, was wantin somethin to wear w/ shorts on moderate difficulty trails.
 
I bought a pair of Salomon trail shoes a couple of years ago and they have been the best shoes I've ever worn. Durable, very light and very comfortable. I have quite a bit of trouble with my feet because they're as flat as pancakes, but the Salomon's solved 90% of my problems.

With regard to sandals, they wouldn't be my choice for hiking - but then again, the greatest empire the world has ever known was conquered in sandals, so they probably have something going for them.
 
I am super flatfooted as well, maybe I should stick w/ shoes. Those solomans look pretty nice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top