What sandals for low level hiking ?

The North Face Hedgehogs and Hedgefrogs were built specifically for this purpose-trail hiking sandals. They'd be my first stop froogle shopping.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
I must say I'm surprised at the number of people who hike wearing sandals. The question that occurs to me is, if you are careful about carrying a suitable knife, many ways to make fire, etc. in case of a survival type situation, why would you wear sandals?

Would this not be a weak point in a survival type situation? Just askin'.

The other thing I would never wear in the bush is shorts for obvious reasons, but I guess a lot of people do.

Once again, I guess, different strokes................

Doc
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Yeah, the human foot is completely unsuited for the wilderness. That's why we died out millions of years ago ...

Gordon
 
Keens man. I've used cheaper keen knock-offs before but when you try a pair of keens on you can feel the quality. Perfect for kayaking, fishing, canoeing. I reckon I'll pick up a pair before I go back to the BWCA. Should do fine for light hiking, I wouldn't climb in them.
 
Chaco's! I have had mine for 5 year, wear them everyday, use them on all my trip, and just cant say enough positive things about them. I prefer them on backpacking trips and just love the support. They are extremely functional, provide excellent support and traction, and the longevity of them is compared to none! Recommend them with complete confidence!
 
PayetteRucker said:
Nor did we ever wear sandals or softsoles as combat or wilderness exploration gear :)
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We did for the last 10,000 years or so. The preceeding 2,000,000+, no. Two million isn't a number out of a hat, either, a recent fossil find show that our feet haven't evolved at all in that time. Might be longer. Pretty good design.

Of course, if you've worn shoes all your life, you'd be nuts to leave them at home.

Gordon
 
I've gone through many sandals over the years, but my search is over - permanently. Go to MEC and buy two pairs of Chacos ... tough, comfortable, made in the USA. They sport Vibram soles. Seriously, they're very very good.
 
I love my KSOs, and have been wearing Teva for years. Right now my most comfortable shoes that I wear daily and for light hiking (under 5 miles) are my sandals from nomadicstate.com. They are comfy as hell and I get tons of questions about them.

Joe
 
Having worn Chaco Tokay's, Z1's and Z2's for the last 15 years I'm a big fan of theirs, but my original test of them was what sold me. I wanted a sandal that didn't have any velcro, but more importantly, a sandal that could give tennis shoe performance and the Chaco Tokay and Z2 are the only sandals I've tried that gave me that confidence to run over rocks, through the woods, and take hard turns on with confidence. The toe loop makes all the difference and I've routinely left Alaska for months at a time with nothing but a pair of Chaco's for footwear.

Very interested in the FiveFingers shoes but am really hoping to see them offer a version with a split only between the big toe and the rest, which would not only be easier to put on, but look less geeky too! I'll probably buy a pair of the KSO Trek soon but will be waiting right in line if they ever do the version I just described.
 
I have a pair of Vibram Five Fingers Sprints which I bought primarily for running but have also used for hiking. Walking on a pine-needle carpeted forest floor or smooth bedrock is absolutely awesome in the Sprints. Feeling the difference in various surface textures and temperatures is cool, and they also breath really well (beneficial if you have sweaty feet like mine). I have had zero blisters or rubbing problems in 5-10 miles hikes with them, probably fewer than I have had in regular sneakers or boots.

I would say that you absolutely have to try them on in person. I normally wear a men's 13ish in US sizes which translates to a 47 in Euro sizing. I ended up in a 45 with the Sprints. Vibram's QC apparently isn't great either, so there might be fit difference of a size or so between different pairs of the same model depending on which batch and which Chinese factory put it together.

The biggest hiking-related limitation is that a lot of hiking trails and roads in New England are stabilized with egg-to fist-sized rocks, carted in and dumped by the truck-load. These are absolute torture to walk on in the Sprints. Vibram does make a model called the Trek which has a thicker sole and slightly more interior padding. I haven't tried them but they might make a big difference.

I also don't think they are as durable as regular shoes. Mine are showing significant wear to the sole after under 100 miles in them (although it seems to have slowed down some). Many people also experience problems with the fabric tearing on top of the toes after catching their toe on something, or with the fabric separating from the sole. I have had neither problem, but I can see how it could happen.
 
Already been said, but Keens are the way to go. They protect the toes and they have a solid, rigid sole. Have them for all of us, Dad, Mom and three kids. Remember, with sandals comes debris which must be cleaned out when walking.
 
theamazingdrew said:
I know they look retarded but I really love mine!

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_footwear.cfm
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++1 on the FiveFingers. I love mine too. I have both models of the KSO (meshed original and leather Trek). You feel your feet reacting much, much more to the terrain. A sharp rock can be painful if you hit it wrong or are of a heavier frame like me, but the feel is so much better than a boot or shoe overall. I find I'm wearing the Trek more and more as a everyday shoe. You get some stares, and sometimes people are brave enough to ask about them. I use the mesh KSO for circuit training, weightlifting and running. My feet used to fall asleep with running shoes when I did this and I had a nerve getting pinched on the balls of one foot. No more with these.

The first time you put them on, it takes about 15 minutes to figure it out. Then after you wear them around for a few hours a few times the break in a little and you can put them on about as fast as a pair of lace-ups.

On a side note, they are great for long road trips and air travel. No metal in them to set of magnetometers. Beware of knock-off's and fakes from China. There is some info on the FiveFingers website on how to spot them.
 
C_Kyle said:
I'm disappointed in my Keens. As soon as I got into mud, not only did they have no traction, my foot slid around way too much on the inside. I cannot tighten the sandals enough to keep my foot from sliding around, so they don't work for me.
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Had the opportunity to try on several pairs of Keens while on a short trip this weekend. Very nice with the protected toes, and seemed well made. I immediately wanted a pair of Newport H2s, but they would always shift with the slightest twist of my foot, so I passed.
Same place had some Teva sandals that were built heavier than the older ones I was familiar with, and looked very well made. They had a pair in size 16 that were as long as my arm from elbow to fingertips:eek:(but none in more normal sizes).
They had good prices, though. Got a spare pair of the Merrell hiking shoes I use at $40 less than I paid for the first pair.

Guess there's enough miles left on the Eccos to shop around. Much as I love them, and bragged on them earlier in the thread, their sizing is a bit hit and miss in my experience, so I'm kind of hesitant to order online. Had to size down in spite of a wide foot, and mine are still too long at the toe. Still hoping to find that "perfect" fit...
 
I wore a basic pair of Tevas while on a week long trek through Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs a long while back. I was unsure at first but got tired of water crossings and taking my leather boots off. 7 out of the 8 days were spent in the Tevas. Just be careful of banging your ankle bones when going through boulder fields...

Jay
 
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