Sandals
Hi i was looking at keen sandals I was looking for something i could use in the rain and at the camp any sugestions?
Many options
It really all depends on how often you plan on wearing them. Is your main footwear boots or runners? If they're boots you are probably not going to want to wear them in town, so you may want a sturdier camp sandal like a Teva. If not, I'd look into walmart specials for 9 bucks. Cheap, light, effective.
The other thing you want to think about is if you plan on doing any hiking in them. Many hikers will hike in there camp sandals/shoes for a few miles/or many miles quite often. walmart specials are not good for this. too flimsy, not enough traction.
Or do what I do, hike in Chacos. No need for camp sandals when you're already wearing them.
And lastly (sorry, feel like talking trail and your are bearing the first brunt of the evening), I saw the coolest thing today. Vibram Five Fingers. They are soleless gloves for your feet. Looks as weird as it sounds. But essentially it is walking in a thin vibram glove. Next best thing to barefoot, they say. Wouldn't mind giving it a try.
Short answer: Teva, Walmart, Waldies, Chaco.
The worst thing I've ever seen - ever - are Crocs. They are hideous and goofy and uncomfortable looking, plasticky and oh, turns out also soft, comfortable, light, sturdy and have little bumps that massage the bottom of your feet.
Never thought I could wear them. Now I'm taking them back with me. Great for water or wet camp areas.
Ckeck them out, they are also sold as Holies and come in every color it seems. Mostly, they're light.
Had to google 'em, they do look interesting.Originally Posted by Yahtzee
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products.html
Wow sizing has to be a pain for those vibram 5 fingers but i so want to try them out... and crocs are awful looking but as long as there confortable.
those chacos looks similar to
http://www.keenfootwear.com/pdp_page.cfm?productID=11
but no toe protection...
Ohh tevas forgot about them i have a pair of regular sandals they are so confortable ill have to check them out i saw http://www.teva.com/ProductDetails.a...arnali+Wraptor they look cool need to go try some on.... thank guys for ur ideas
I tried on a pair of Keens yesterday at EMS. Very intriguing. Quite comfy. If I didn't have a glut of hiking boots/shoes at the moment, and if my next big hike wasn't smack in the rockiest part of PA, I'd probably go with them.
Lotta folks these days seem to be carrying Crocs (or equivalent) as camp shoes and for stream crossings. The lightest are about 8 oz. for the pair. I don't believe Crocs suitable for hiking long distances. Wearing Keens might obviate the need for "camp" or "stream crossing" footwear. I'd also like to hear from those who routinely hike in sandals -- Keen or any other brand.
Chacos
My boots blew out after a brutal soggy Smokies in 2001. Had to hike in my walmart specials which were great on the flats but horrible on the downhill. However, I loved them on the flats and thought, man if you had sandals with traction that would be the way to go. I roll into Hot Springs and BAM! the outfitter had Chacos. Never heard of them before that. Bought a pair on the spot. Suffered a few days of breaking them in, but have hiked my last 4500 miles in them. I can't imagine hiking in anything else (some winter hiking excluded). As a matter of fact, and this is bordering on man/product morphing, but off the trail I almost exclusively wear my Chaco's.
In 2003, I stubbed my big toe twice in Georgia. Didn't do it again for the next 1500 miles.
In 2001, jammed the sh** out of my pinky toe in NH. A root sticking out sideways into the trail. Eye/foot coordination gets to be amazing. But peripheral stuff can be hazardous.
But none of these aches and pains would make me consider hiking in anything else (but I do want to give those FiveFingers a go).
Also, hiking in the rain is an enjoyable thing in sandals. Puddles are warm. It feels like you are getting away with something. It is beautiful.
Was ecstatic to hit the REI sale of the Chaco's I wear last year when the new, lighter version was rolled out. I got 3 pair for 100 bucks. Still haven't worn out my first pair.
Anyone else?
I have a pair of Keens and I will not use anything else. They are great. Comfotable and sturdy enough to hike in if I so choose. And they look better than Chacos. IMHO. YMMV
These are the ones I have; Keen
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What Chacos look like Keens? Chaco has been very true to its base form over the years. Teva has recently copied some of Keen's styles, which themselves are copies of Shakas.
There are many threads on this site about sandal hiking. They are worth searching.
I thru-hiked in Teva Wraptor IIs. The new Karnali Wraptors have fixed two of my major complaints about the IIs: 1) they now have toe protection 2) they now have a buckle strap instead of velcro. It seems the central distribution for the Karnalis is out of stock at the moment. I hope they restock soon. Some retailers still have stock. They are way more expensive than they were 4 years ago. I wear Chacos on a daily basis, but I prefer the aggressiveness of Wraptors for rock and trail.
The Vibram Fivefingers have me more excited than any product in a long time. I will be ordering soon.
Yea i like the toe protection.. I tend to stub my foot a lot. Im going to check out the tevas and keens..
I agree completely. When I hiked all of Maine with its many fords, numerous hikers admired my Keens. Not only were they sturdy in the streams, the toe covers offered lots of protection from stubbing, sharp rocks, etc.
Cooker, how are they on sharp jagged rocks -- like PA, or the high ridges in the Whites? They felt really comfortable at the store, but I was concerned that the soles just weren't rugged enough.
No, I wouldn't hike with them on sharp jagged rocks - especially me with my tendency to sprain ankles. And I agree that you need more substance on the soles. When I said I used them in Maine, I meant only on the fords and as camp shoes. My hiking was with Asolo boots.
I hiked with the Keens on a fairly short backpack in Africa (from my daughter's Peace Corps village to the nearest road) in a flat, hard-packed sandy setting.
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