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View Full Version : FiveFingers: Camp/Water/Shower Shoes?



Coffee
02-26-2013, 21:52
I'm looking into taking some lightweight shoes for camp use, stream crossings, and public shower facilities but I really want to keep things lightweight. There is, of course, the flip flop option which would be OK for camp and showers but not for stream crossings. So I've been looking at Vibram FiveFingers and found one model that claims to weigh only 3.88 ounces per shoe:

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-Signa-Mens.htm

Has anyone gone down this path for camp/shower/stream crossing shoes?

I'm hiking in traditional boots, not trail runners, so I need to change into something prior to crossing streams or my boots would be wet the rest of the day.

starbright
02-26-2013, 22:01
Would like to know about this as well my son is taking skeletoes.

trublu
02-26-2013, 22:11
so, we live in five fingers, best option to barefoot. we are section hikers. cannot compliment enough, could never wear a hiking boot, aka coffin box for foot. warm up to them though, one month before long hike recommeded. smart wool toe socks.recommeded for warmth in colder climates.

Coffee
02-26-2013, 22:47
so, we live in five fingers, best option to barefoot. we are section hikers. cannot compliment enough, could never wear a hiking boot, aka coffin box for foot. warm up to them though, one month before long hike recommeded. smart wool toe socks.recommeded for warmth in colder climates.

I'm a runner and I have wanted to try barefoot running for a while. I'm thinking that if the five fingers can double as backpacking camp/shower/river shoes, that will be money well spent. I just haven't heard of very many people actually doing this. Crocs and Tevas seem to be more popular and that's more weight than I want to carry (my Tevas weigh in at almost two pounds !!)

Blackbeard30
02-27-2013, 00:43
I have backpacked in Skele-toes and in Five Fingers. I really like them for hiking but always take flip flops or crocs to wear around camp. I like to let my feet air out at the end of the day.

leaftye
02-27-2013, 00:48
I would hate an enclosed shoe for showering. I want my feet to be showered too. Check out xeroshoes.com. They'll armor the soles of your feet for creek crossings, and be nice and open for camp and showers.

shelb
02-27-2013, 01:10
I much prefer either flip-flops or crocs because it is a pain to deal with specific toes!

Jeff
02-27-2013, 07:19
I much prefer either flip-flops or crocs because it is a pain to deal with specific toes!

Getting those toes into a Five Finger in the middle of the night while making a quick privy run is tough to do.

jeffmeh
02-27-2013, 07:56
http://www.amazon.com/Vivobarefoot-Mens-Ultra-Pure-Running/dp/B0078J10R8

8.4 oz. for the pair, size 10.5-11 mens.... Less if you mod them to remove the tongue.

Hole-In-The-Hat
02-27-2013, 12:45
Leaftye, have you used the xeroshoes for creek crossing? - I'm wondering if your feet would slip around on them, and how good the traction would be?

leaftye
02-27-2013, 13:02
Leaftye, have you used the xeroshoes for creek crossing? - I'm wondering if your feet would slip around on them, and how good the traction would be?

That's a great question. I haven't. I use trail runners, so I just walk through creeks without changing footwear. Another hiker said she found these shoes slippery on wet rock.

Berserker
02-27-2013, 13:02
I dayhike in five fingers, and I love them. I wouldn't use them as a camp shoe though as they basically fit like a glove, and I want something where I can air my feet out and slip them off easily. They also get pretty smelly after about a week of use if you wear them bare foot, and are harder to clean then something like a flip flop or crocs (my choice for camp).

1Greywolf
02-28-2013, 12:02
Have you heard of Crocs? Light, easy to put on and take off, will dry easily and great for fording. They may not be as sexy and novel looking as five fingers.
Used them in my AT thru-hike and were also used by the majority of other AT thru-hikers.

run2hike
02-28-2013, 12:24
It's important to me that camp shoes are a) easy to slip on and off and b) allow my feet to air out. Five fingers do neither. If you use them in the shower, you'll never be able to wash your feet.

If you're into minimalist footwear for hiking, Five Fingers are a great option. If you hike in normal shoes or boots and just want something for camp/showers/stream crossings, Five Fingers are a terrible option.

Tree Nerd
02-28-2013, 22:59
I have a pair of treksport five fingers and they resulted in a loss of all faith in Vibram. When I first found out about them, I had to have them and picked up a pair asap. Things were great for awhile but that changed. I have many problems with them, but this is only my experience, take everything with a grain of salt.

First, if you have oddly shaped feet, it is hard to find a pair that fits right. I have toes that are shorter than most people, my big toe fit in than the other four were smaller than the "fingers". I also have one foot that is a half size bigger than the other which made it really hard to find a comfortable fit for both feet.

Since they cover each toe individually your feet get really cold fast. If your toes are fatter than the "fingers", they seem to reduce circulation to you toes and make it even worse. Also the "fingers" make them a major pain to get on quickly.

You have to wear some type of socks with them or they will smell outragously bad in a short period of time, especially if you get them wet often.

Walking long distances in them takes awhile to get use to. The longest I ever walked in them at one time was 8 miles and my feet were killing me. This was several months after I owned them and worn them on a regular basis.

I owned my pair for less than a year before they started to fall apart. The soles started to pull off the toes. After a run one day I found that the cloth material between my big toe and index tow ripped and rendered the shoes worthless. When i contacted Vibram about it they refused to do anything about it.

Again, these are just my experiences, take what a say with a grain of salt and make your own experiences. Today I purchased a pair of chaco rex sandals. They are 40% lighter than previous styles (excluding the Unaweep). They are nice to hike in, easy to put on, open toed, and I like them much better than the five fingers even though they are not as lite and you cant really run in them.

SCRUB HIKER
02-28-2013, 23:08
I'll stem the flood of FiveFingers hate and point out that two of my friends on the AT had them for camp shoes and LOVED them. Like, talked all the time about how good it felt as they were slipping them on at the end of the day. They specifically liked how the FiveFingers force your toes to spread out after they've been squished inside a sock-and-shoe combination doing work all day.

All that praise may just be because pretty much everything besides your hiking shoes feels good to slip into barefoot at the end of the day (I had el cheapo rubber flip-flops and pretty much felt the same way), but FiveFingers can definitely work.