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Post by FarOutFarley on May 6, 2022 18:54:00 GMT -8
I just want to say "you were right" to the folks who have claimed that it's possible to hike in sandals. I arrived at a trailhead yesterday and discovered I had forgotten my boots! Fortunately I was wearing Teva Omniums and decided to give them a try. I was surprised at how well they worked. It was a short easy trail (total 1 hr 15 minutes RT) and by the end I was needing more arch support and cushioning. but I can see why people hike in these, especially people who are lighter in weight. The ventilation sure felt great. Maybe someone should design a boot with ventilation in the forefoot.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on May 7, 2022 3:55:20 GMT -8
I have never been able to hike comfortably in sandals because grit always finds its way inside and under my feet.
No problem on pavement and good for creek crossings or around camp, but do people who hike trails in sandals have some kind of magical method to keep out the grit?
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on May 7, 2022 5:46:10 GMT -8
It’s the ones who hike *barefoot* in sandals that really amaze me.I must have especially tender skin on my feet, because putting them bare into any kind of shoes (including dress shoes, if I ever bothered anymore) is a recipe for blisters and raw spots within yards.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on May 7, 2022 6:47:27 GMT -8
Yeah, but wearing socks with sandals is so gauche.
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Post by FarOutFarley on May 7, 2022 7:30:44 GMT -8
Driftwoody,you're right, I did have to take off my sandals a couple of times to empty them out. But that's easy to do. I often get stones in my boots and just tolerate them because it's a pain to remove boots. I should add that the Teva Omniums are very wide in the forefoot and the heel can be cinched tightly, so they fit my duck feet. I won't be wearing them regularly though. I just wanted to say that they worked better than expected in a pinch. I love the Omniums for biking! I don't wear them in the water as they take forever to dry (2 days).
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 7, 2022 8:10:32 GMT -8
I like dayhiking in my Tevas. Especially in well watered places where with sandals I just wade on in without a pause.
Yes, in gritty trails such as around Tuolumne meadows I’ll sonetimes have to tap my toe a bit to dislodge some gravel, but as mentioned, that’s far easier than all the work to empty grit from behind my Achilles’ tendon when I’m in boots. And far cooler than when I don gravel gaiters to block that issue.
And the in the water close to the surface photos I can get from in the stream or river are a great new perspective.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on May 7, 2022 9:40:21 GMT -8
Yeah, but wearing socks with sandals is so gauche. Ask me if I care. I'm a woman of a certain age so no one is looking at me anyway. I'm old enough to be comfortable and to heck with style. |
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swiftdream
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the Great Southwest Unbound
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Post by swiftdream on May 7, 2022 10:02:59 GMT -8
I’ve day hiked and backpacked many hundreds of times in sandals, Teva, Chaco and Keens. In canyon country where the constant water crossings, they are super but as Woody says they do collect sand and gravel. They rub raw spots around certain places of the straps. After a week those toughen up. Sandals are very nice in hot weather too. Sadly they didn’t offer enough support for the metatarsals and I had to put them aside. Birks do have the support but are not waterproof nor do they have any cushion, too much impact.
I’ve settled on Keen Arroyos with orthotic metatarsal support aftermarket insoles and plenty of cush but open ventilation all over. Yes they need to be shaken out occasionally. They and the insoles soak up too much water so not good for crossings, need light but secure sandals for that.
If they ever offer a good waterproof, cushy sandal with metatarsal support I’m in.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on May 7, 2022 11:01:48 GMT -8
Yeah, but wearing socks with sandals is so gauche. Ask me if I care. I'm a woman of a certain age so no one is looking at me anyway. I'm old enough to be comfortable and to heck with style. That is exactly the response I intended to elicit and I think functional comfort is the height of fashion for people like us of a certain age (providing the colors don't clash too much). |
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gabby
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Post by gabby on May 7, 2022 11:18:34 GMT -8
My feet are in such sad shape that I haven't worn sandals, flip-flops or any open-toed shoe since the late 80s. I used to get blisters between my toes, so I now wear toe socks all the time, even in summer. I know it's not all that healthful for my feet. I have chronic problems with fungus in all my nails, so I'm a habitual user of anti-fungal sprays. OTOH, I rarely get friction blisters on my heels, since I'm always wearing 2 layers of sock. I get cold feet at night, so my feet have little time to feel the open world of air and sunshine. 8^(
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on May 7, 2022 13:17:24 GMT -8
Good sandals have their place on the trail for some. I am not one of them. I had a pair of Teva Hurricanes that made three decades as crossing shoes. That was their sole purpose except in their last years I brought them into my shelter as exit foot coverings. I went with failed trail runner experiments as crossing shoes until now they are worn out.
The crossing shoe thing worked better than sandals for me as I could hike in them on multi-crossing days. Not just day after day. I have a street pair of Teva's that are great for long-distance driving.
I have a chance to pick up a pair of Bedrocks (sandal brand, much $$) next week and I am going to take it.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on May 7, 2022 14:11:54 GMT -8
This is a thing that can't be separated from where you are doing it. Sandals would be a very poor choice here in the Hudson valley. It is so rooty and rocky you would eventually hurt your feet.
Under some conditions you can even hike barefoot which I have done. I am close to that guy Cody in dual survival in what my feet can take. Having very tough feet hiking in Tevas the stuff that keeps getting under your foot is usually just an annoyance not a pain.
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Post by hikinggods on May 7, 2022 17:56:27 GMT -8
I had a pair of Keen Zerraports that I LOVED. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore, but I wore them backingpacking in Utah several times and my feet were never more comfortable, and no need for camp shoes. On a different hike, I had a problem with one of my shoes, and used my camp shoes, Teva Zilch sandals on my last day. They worked surprisingly well, too.
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Post by stevet on May 8, 2022 2:41:01 GMT -8
Several years back I tried sandals. My feet toughened enough that the straps didn't chafe or blister but about midweek the skin on my heels and the undersides of my toes would crack. Ouch!
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Post by FarOutFarley on May 8, 2022 3:24:59 GMT -8
If the sandals have a closed back, like the Teva Omnium, and you buy them large enough, you can put any insole you want in them to increase arch support or cushioning. |
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