Sandals, Slippers, Flip-Flops, and Thongs

I'm not really a fan of chacos, because I don't like the way the straps rub against me, but I do LOVE hiking in Vibram Fivefingers. I don't use them on multi-day trips with a lot of pack weight, but mostly because I don't feel like I have the leg strength to pull it off. After a few more years hiking in them, I expect to use them for longer and longer trips.

All the benefits of barefoot hiking, but much less picking sharp stuff out of my feet, and no worrying about stepping on bees (very allergic)
 
I'm generally not a fan...However since the shoe bomber hit the scene they are great for air travel :)
 
Don't get TonyM started on wearing his thong.

Last time I saw him bushcrafting he had his camo mong on backwards. He looked nutty.




Me, on the other hand, wear Teva's in the woods at times.


TF
 
I've worn Gurkees around the campsite. It was car camping with all the city boys/girls but I wore them everywhere for a good year and they held up very well for how light they are. I still wear them but not everyday in the winter. If you can call what we have in SoCal "winter".

Frank
 
I wear a pair of keens that are basically a pair of tennis shoes with slits all along the sides. My friend swears by Chacos and wears them everywhere. He spent a summer in Belize doing archeology and that's all he wore. I'm going to switch to them I think because the Keens don't let rocks and mud out but they do let them in. When it's cold or really wet we switch to boots though.

Edit: I just remembered that the last time I saw my buddy he said he was playing around with using gore tex socks with his Chacos for winter time. That's how much he likes them. :)
 
Last edited:
I hiked up Volcan Baru in Panama in a pair of sandal/shoes. Closed toe, great tread, good straps, lots of mesh, essentially breathes like a sandal and grips like a shoe. They offered great venting for warm climates, but for jungle use where you'll climb over sticks and bark, they snagged often and I got stabbed by fallen bamboo shoots constantly. I'd have been happier with a tennis shoe or a hiking boot. For more typical hiking North American though - stepping over rocks and crossing streams, I love this type of shoe.

This isn't mine, but similar design.
http://www.rei.com/product/748162
 
Read a lot about barefootin' a couple months ago. I like the idea though I thought I'd want a little bit of protection for my feet. I'm still pondering these http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_footwear.cfm?CFID=4774841&CFTOKEN=43004025 and would wear them wherever they'd take me. Some people may not like the material between their toes but I wear injinji socks all the time with no problems so these should be ok... for me.

I have keens and tevas... wear them all over ..... easy hiking, kayaking, dog walks, gardening, whatever. Footwear.... it's a terrible addiction. :(:D
 
Go for the fivefingers, treechopper - you get weird looks from people, but they are awesome!
 
I bring a pair of light runners with lots of mesh for camp and creek crossing

. Used to do sandals/teva's until I stumbled and cut up 2 toes on shale rocks fairly badly. What a huge pain in the boots for the next 4 days on the trail.
Can't be a footsoldier with your feet busted up.
 
TreeChopper said:
Read a lot about barefootin' a couple months ago. I like the idea though I thought I'd want a little bit of protection for my feet. I'm still pondering these http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_footwear.cfm?CFID=4774841&CFTOKEN=43004025 and would wear them wherever they'd take me. Some people may not like the material between their toes but I wear injinji socks all the time with no problems so these should be ok... for me.

I have keens and tevas... wear them all over ..... easy hiking, kayaking, dog walks, gardening, whatever. Footwear.... it's a terrible addiction. :(:D
Click to expand...

I've got a pair of the fivefingers, and I think they're pricey, but great. I wore them a lot hiking this summer... I wouldn't carry too much of a load with them though. Against my better judgment, I went on a ten mile overnight with them just to see how they performed. They were perfect on the uphill, but flat rocky terrain and downhills combined with the pack made me worry about my ankles a little bit, and by the end of the hike, my feet were killing me. So, great for wandering around in the woods, and as water shoes, but not so comfy with heavy loads or steep downhills.
 
forestnomad said:
I've got a pair of the fivefinger
....
great for wandering around in the woods, and as water shoes, but not so comfy with heavy loads or steep downhills.
Click to expand...

That's mainly because your legs and feet haven't built up the strength for steep downhills and and heavy loads with them. The problem is, we rely on our shoes for support most of the time, and then the relevant muscles are weak. If you build up to it slowly, you can definitely carry serious loads barefoot or in fivefingers, once your legs are conditioned for it.


I'm partway through that conditioning. I have converted to all shoes with absolutely no support in them, and the ONLY time I wear anything with any support is when hiking. Even there, I try to minimize the amount of support. I've seen significant increases in the strength of my legs, and while a few miles of easy walking used to really make me sore in the fivefingers, now it's a breeze. A few more years and I expect to be carrying much larger loads on essentially bare feet with no issue.


The trick is to build up to it slowly, because your legs just aren't used to it at first. As I build up strength, though, I'd much rather trust my leg muscles and reflexes to protect my ankles, than some boot that's laced up tight and restricts mobility.
 
Keens with a waterproof sock, insulated or non-inulated, give you a lot of options.

i expect that jungle boots will evolve in the layering direction like that.

in the jungle i was ordered to wear jungle boots in the military, but when i was there for my own reasons i gravitated towards rubber boots and TEVAS.

they need to improve rubber boots a bit too.

a leather sock with a good sandal on the outside is probably the best general footwear out there, if a heavy pack isn't present.

without a strong shank, the first time you step on something with the bridge of your foot on anything narrow, like a ladder rung or stick that doesn't give, especially if you are heavy or carrying a heavy load, and you will hear some new curse words coming out of your mouth - it doesn't take much to break a foot.

you can get away with a lot if you aren't carrying a lot of extra weight.

walking a bit barefoot or with unstructured sandals in the city can do alot for your health, and for your hikes.

vec
 
Carolina River Rat said:
During the summer I usually barefoot it on the trail. If not barefooting, I like these.
Click to expand...

So do I.

But I got some Speedo surfwalker a few years ago. I wear them over wool socks and I feel good, and can feel the ground.

Some friends have crocs, in khaki, so from a distance they don't look like crocs :P


I was so mad when I got to a natural park last summer, and all trails were covered with tiny rocks, had to keep my combat boots.
 
If it is upper 30s or warmer, Chaco Z/1s is all I wear. Great in the water and surprising well in the mountains (no heel blister or jamming your toes in a descent). With the Z/1s you could also wear socks or a neoprene booty. If you get'em, read how to do a proper fit which is on the box.

Here are my feet at the bottom of Death Valley
424DeathValleyFloor.jpg


Here they are after getting knee deep in a drainage that went into the Lamar River in Yellowstone. Had to hike through it to see this grizzly munching on a bison in the Lamar...
DSC03174.jpg


 
Good pics and vid, Abo. I loves my Chacos. Just ordered a pair of Gurkees for bummin around town and the like. They looked too comfy to pass up.
 
I like the split toe or thong type for bumming around camp or hanging out near the water, not for actual hiking though.
 
eomeo said:
I hiked up Volcan Baru in Panama in a pair of sandal/shoes. Closed toe, great tread, good straps, lots of mesh, essentially breathes like a sandal and grips like a shoe. They offered great venting for warm climates, but for jungle use where you'll climb over sticks and bark, they snagged often and I got stabbed by fallen bamboo shoots constantly. I'd have been happier with a tennis shoe or a hiking boot. For more typical hiking North American though - stepping over rocks and crossing streams, I love this type of shoe.

This isn't mine, but similar design.
http://www.rei.com/product/748162
Click to expand...
Baru has the elevation to hold the insects down.
That is similar to the terrain that I roam around in.
Did you do Baru from Boquete?
 
i had a stick shard go right between my toes and into my foot wearing sandals hiking...just say no and buy some shoes! granted it depends on the situation, some areas don't call for much in the way of footwear...especially on an established trail.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top