BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,990
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Post by BigLoad on May 8, 2022 8:12:25 GMT -8
Some old school sandals for desert hiking
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swiftdream
Trail Wise!
the Great Southwest Unbound
Posts: 569
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Post by swiftdream on May 8, 2022 8:55:55 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. thanks for the heads up on those. Those look similar to what I’m using right now while hiking, Keen Arroyos with large open vents all around. The footbed is different though so I have to wonder if it has any molded in arch support that would be under an aftermarket orthotic and how that might work. These are more shoe/sandal hybrids. I wear thin ankle socks with mine but around the house and yard we wear Birkenstock sandals all year round with no socks.
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Post by hikerjer on May 8, 2022 18:29:56 GMT -8
I don't mind "hiking" in my Tevas for a short distance in the right kind of terrain but for actual hiking I much prefer my regular hiking shoes/boots.
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ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 10,011
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Post by ErnieW on May 9, 2022 4:41:23 GMT -8
When newbies ask me about equipment I tend to stress getting the right footwear for their feet and the terrain over most other equipment. The simple explanation I use is that if you are out in the woods and can't walk you are stranded.
So besides the longer term performance of your feet I also think about incident related stuff. I worry about with an open shoe like Tevas one unseen pricker vine or sharp stone and a foot might get damaged. Then keeping the wound clean and bandaged will be harder with an open shoe. There can be a lot of bad stuff in the dirt and mud you walk through. I know that previously I have hiked barefoot but I haven't done this since I was in my twenties.
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on May 9, 2022 5:13:24 GMT -8
Just saw a woman backpacking the southern PCT desert in Chacos .. and know another woman who hiked the AZT in them. If it can be done in those desert areas, imagine only getting into too much cold, ice, and slush is the only limit.
There’s snakes but trail runners/light hikers only offer so much protection.
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Post by dayhiker on May 9, 2022 7:00:49 GMT -8
I would have to brake them in(or my feet in them), rubbing from the straps doesn't seem bad at first but if you dont do it allot dont think your feet will take to it right away?
I walk allot around town , sit has been awhile that I remember going for more than an hour in them and it is too rainy until summer. I think even in socks they bother me but not sure. Would have to build up some calluses(sp?).
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swiftdream
Trail Wise!
the Great Southwest Unbound
Posts: 569
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Post by swiftdream on May 9, 2022 14:54:52 GMT -8
Just saw a woman backpacking the southern PCT desert in Chacos .. and know another woman who hiked the AZT in them. If it can be done in those desert areas, imagine only getting into too much cold, ice, and slush is the only limit. There’s snakes but trail runners/light hikers only offer so much protection. When I was much younger we did a 57 mile backpack plus explorational dayhikes in the evening in southern Utahs canyon country crossing back and forth as the creek winds from wall to wall. You have to keep aiming for the benches but have to stay in the water for stretches at times. I never wore anything but Chacos on the entire trip. They felt great then. I’m not sure my Keens would have any protection against the vipers here except maybe the sole and toecap…maybe. Surveyors wear heavy leather boots and Kevlar snake gators that cover from laces to knee. Heavy and hot.
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ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 10,011
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Post by ErnieW on May 10, 2022 6:32:39 GMT -8
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on May 10, 2022 6:52:36 GMT -8
The last line of the article makes the flip-flops sound reasonable.
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Post by leadbelly on May 10, 2022 11:58:33 GMT -8
Depends on what i'm doing and where i am. Locally, there are a number of easier day hikes that i'll do in sandals. Chaco Z-1s or Bedrock Cairn 3-Ds, usually. Bedrock's Cairn is a pretty nice lightweight camp shoe for hiking, i'll wear them with toe socks after hiking all day. I will also often wear sandals on hikes on riverside trails or with water-slicked rock. if the trail is mostly jagged rocks, no sandals. Bedrocks have the advantage of straps that really keep your feet in place, a nice grippy sole, and a fairly minimal design if you prefer that sort of thing. one upside/downside is that they have a toe post like original flip flops, which some might not like.
whoever said Keen discontinued the Zerraport, that's half-true. The strap design dates back to Keen Hydro Guides, which were discontinued a long time ago - a great sole for hiking, nice open strap design that allows water to drain and has enough room for a neoprene bootie for cold water rafting/canoeing. the original Zerraport was sold in the US for a while, then overseas, then discontinued. I have a pair of the Zerraports, straps are loud (red/gold/purple), bought a pair that was 'used' but hadn't been worn more than a few times. [only downside was they smelled like cigarettes, it took some serious soaking in a water/vinegar solution and a run through our clothes washer with bleach to kill that]. Keen now sells the Zerraport 2 for men and women. Pretty bland color schemes, but the shoe looks like mine minus the flashy colors.
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swiftdream
Trail Wise!
the Great Southwest Unbound
Posts: 569
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Post by swiftdream on May 11, 2022 5:49:29 GMT -8
Some here might be familiar with the author David Roberts. In his narrative Sandstone Spine he and a couple hiking buddies explored the entire length of Comb Ridge, backpacking all the way. Vaughn Hadenfeldt wore sandals as he always did.
We have done some Comb Ridge adventures and did the section that Roberts called the roughest and toughest. We almost didn’t make it through before darkness fell. There is no way I’d do that in the dark even with the best headlamp. They stopped at dark too. Their packs were around 90 pounds and Hadenfeldt did it in sandals.
The literary forum doesn’t seem to get much traffic here but that book told the tale of their interesting journey through an incredible area.
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ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 10,011
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Post by ErnieW on May 11, 2022 6:29:48 GMT -8
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Post by FarOutFarley on May 18, 2022 7:32:44 GMT -8
UPDATE: After hiking in the Teva Omniums I gradually developed plantar fasciitis in one foot. This is a chronic problem for me, and worsened by wearing shoes with inadequate arch support and cushioning. I had not had PF in a long time while wearing hiking boots and Klogs insoles several times a week, so I blame the sandals.
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