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Son Driven
03-02-2013, 14:01
I found some light weight fast drying running shoes. I plan on rotating them as my feet get wet. Is it worth the weight to have a second pair of shoes?

Stink Bug
03-02-2013, 14:11
Dry your feet out at rest stops and put on dry socks. If it's not raining, hang the wet pair off your pack to dry. If it's raining, you can wring them out as best you can and dry them off under your pad while you sleep.

MuddyWaters
03-02-2013, 14:42
You will get different opinions.
Different approaches work for different people.
Some approaches, are based on fears.
Fear of wet feet is common.
With lightweight, breathable, draining, quick drying trail runners, no other shoes are needed.
Having wet feet isnt even an issue, (maybe if prolonged for days on end with no chance to dry out).

I have hikedwith continuously wet feet, crossing water every 15 - 30 min, multiple days in a row.
Never a single problem, never discomfort, never blister.
Cool , happy feet.
Light thin socks, light trail runners, light pack.
Feet get to dry out at night.

Water doesnt cause problems. Your body is 70% water.
Footwear causes problems.

Standing in a cold flowing stream on a hot day, is a treat to be welcomed.

If you have boots, and a heavy pack, things are different.

wcgornto
03-02-2013, 15:00
At camp / shelter, I always wore dry clothes and socks on the AT. Throughout ME and NH, there were many times when I put wet clothes and socks and shoes back on the next morning to begin that day's hike.

Del Q
03-02-2013, 16:05
I would say no, I hike in low tops so when I am walking around camp I just slip them on with no socks..............8 ounces is a lot. Flip flops were nice to have but to me not a must have item. Also walk barefoot around tent sites a lot if safe.

Rasty
03-02-2013, 16:07
No for me also. I walk around barefoot as much as possible so being barefoot in camp is comfortable.

rustmd
03-02-2013, 16:19
i like my crocs for in-camp, either w/ dry socks or bare. my feet are the tender type, so while i might sit and rest bare-footed, i can't walk around bare-footed. i love the chance to soak my feet in those cold, cold streams, i remove my low-hiking shoes & socks, soak, dry off completely and re-shoe. that's my experience thus far.

this summer i will hike all of maine, it's much wetter in maine and there are more frequent stream crossings. . .not sure how i will manage to keep my feet dry so as to avoid the blisters that seem to come when my feet are wet while hiking. will watch this thread for comments!

.com

Don H
03-02-2013, 16:40
Keep your feet dry in Maine? Ain't gonna happen!

wcgornto
03-02-2013, 23:43
Keep your feet dry in Maine? Ain't gonna happen!

I agree with this. In Maine and New Hampshire from mid June through the end of August, there were almost zero days when I began and ended the day with dry shoes, socks and feet. I usually started wet and ended wet.

Wise Old Owl
03-02-2013, 23:59
No... Stinkbug and Muddy Waters have well answered the question - change the socks... FYI although I am having trouble finding it I had a pair of Solomon Waterproof hiking shoes and I would plow thru streams with them... They held up well.

hikerboy57
03-03-2013, 00:03
vivobarefoot

leaftye
03-03-2013, 00:39
Hiking in wet shoes is fine. It's nice to have something very airy in camp and for showers though. Flip flops or slides are pretty good for this, and they're light and dirt cheap too.

Now if it's truly cold, like snow cold, and it severely limits your pace, then keeping feet dry is important because there's not enough activity to pump warm blood through the feet.

Firefighter503
03-03-2013, 02:42
I used to carry a pair of crocs with me for in camp. I also used to hike in high top boots. Switched to trail runners and dropped the 13 oz pair of crocs (big feet) all together. Couldn't be happier.

not_possible
03-03-2013, 02:57
I went back and forth on the camp shoe subject myself. I decided I'll just start with the ugly Crocs I used to make fun of my ex for wearing...if they don't benefit me I'll throw them in a hiker box.

Karma13
03-03-2013, 06:45
I've gone back and forth with this probably more than any other issue. I finally decided I'll start without them and figure it out as I go -- either have my Vivobarefoots shipped to me when I dump some of the winter-weight gear, or pick up a pair of flipflops in town. But at the beginning, for me at least, the weight has to be the line in the sand.

garlic08
03-03-2013, 09:31
I've done it both ways and prefer hiking in lightweight shoes, no camp shoes on board. It's not the water that bothers me, it's mud and dirt. If my feet are clean and wet, they're fine. I have more foot problems in dry country.

If you're concerned about wet shoes and carry an extra pair for that, you're just going to be carrying an extra pair of wet shoes especially in the humid AT country.

Charlie Redwood
03-03-2013, 09:55
I'm surprised how many packers use light weight trail shoes. What about the lack of ankle support? I thought everybody hiked in hiking boots.

Slowbo
03-03-2013, 10:18
I used oi hike in Merril Moabs but switched to mid-weight boot. Not for the ankle support, but to protect my toes. I always seem to stub them. Works good for me. As for extra shoes for camp, I've considered it but have never carried them. I think it's a luxury item. Got caught in a T-storm last summer where the water ran down my legs and filled my boots. It was unpleasant, but after I stopped and poured the water out, I did what others have suggested. I put on dry socks and hiked on. No blisters and no problems.

hikerboy57
03-03-2013, 10:20
I'm surprised how many packers use light weight trail shoes. What about the lack of ankle support? I thought everybody hiked in hiking boots.
youre ankles can turn just as easily in boots as they can in trail runners. the support you get from boots is mostly psychological.

BirdBrain
03-03-2013, 10:30
I have some of the most flexible ankles you will ever encounter. I rolled my ankles tons of times as a young person. This was not because they were flexible, but rather produced the ankles I have now. I can stand up, turn both feet in so that the bones on the rear outsides touch the floor. High boots do not help me. In fact, I cannot wear high boots period. I wear a hybrid med height pair of new balance shoes. I have heard the high boot helping ankle support theory. It might work for some. For me, it just tears mine up.

Train Wreck
03-03-2013, 10:30
youre ankles can turn just as easily in boots as they can in trail runners. the support you get from boots is mostly psychological.

I like my mental crutches!

MuddyWaters
03-03-2013, 16:29
I'm surprised how many packers use light weight trail shoes. What about the lack of ankle support? I thought everybody hiked in hiking boots.

"ankle support" is pretty much a myth.

To support ankles significantly, you would have to have a high, stiff boot, laced up tightly.
Think like a figure skater.
It would be hell to hike in that.
I have seen people get rubbed raw by the top of their boots, even not laced tight.

They do have a nice secure feeling having your ankles covered though.

Pingus
03-03-2013, 18:47
If you can find a pair of 8 oz. shoes that you're happy to hike in, they are toatally worth it. As to ankle support being a 'myth'.... that's an opinion, not a 'fact'.

Wise Old Owl
03-03-2013, 19:01
I still have High topped boots from EMS for ankle support... I use them when there isn't a trail and a lot of rock involved.


Folks this is more about taking thick smart wool socks and a second pair of socks to best answer the question - not a second pair of shoes.

1azarus
03-03-2013, 19:29
if you want those light shoes to work for more than just camp shoes, consider something like superfeet inserts. they are hard enough to make a huge comfort difference in a lightweight shoe -- any shoe weighing less than 1 1/2 pounds a pair. you might find that you like your second pair of shoes enough to leave behind your first pair!

Son Driven
03-04-2013, 14:53
Thanks for your incites,

I have decided in lieu of camp shoes, or flip flops, I am going to pack a second pair of running shoes. I have decided on bringing two pairs. This way I will have options, I can choose to use one pair for fords, and one to wear on high ground. However, if it is raining I will probably just keep the dry pair in my pack.

Plan on stepping off of Springer Mountain 3/7/13

JAK
03-04-2013, 15:27
If you try and keep stuff dry by carrying more stuff, you will just have more wet stuff.
Easier to keep stuff dry if you carry the right stuff, without spares. 2-3 pair socks ok.
Spare underwear good idea also. You can dry a pair while wearing a pair.

MuddyWaters
03-04-2013, 20:19
As to ankle support being a 'myth'.... that's an opinion, not a 'fact'.

The suggestion thats its only an opinion, is just an opinion.

Id like to see a scientific study that can show, how much support a boot can lend to an ankle.

It is so small, as to be inconsequential.

If you can rock your ankle side to side in your boot, (and you can), there is little lateral support there.

Especially not relative to a 150-200 lb load on it

But just like those that think a thin liner can add "up to 15F" to a sleeping bag, some will not question marketing BS.

I DO think boots can help you with a heavy load however.
A more solid stable platform underfoot helps
A slower pace with more careful foot placement also helps
From what Ive seen, you may actually be as likely to injure yourself with trailrunners and light loads
But its because of going too fast.

Dogwood
03-05-2013, 17:10
I found some light weight fast drying running shoes. I plan on rotating them as my feet get wet. Is it worth the weight to have a second pair of shoes?

UHH, you are asking us to tell you what is right FOR YOU? Uhh, can't do that.

Tinker
03-05-2013, 17:45
I'm surprised how many packers use light weight trail shoes. What about the lack of ankle support? I thought everybody hiked in hiking boots.

Not everybody on Whiteblaze. Heavy boots make it hard to make a change of direction if you don't like where you're stepping, and they require a lot more energy in the long run. I used Limmers for over 10 years (If you know about heavy boots, you'll know about Limmers). When the ultralight craze hit in the early '00s I lightened the load on my back and I found I didn't need as much ankle support. For hikers who routinely carry 40+ lbs., the ankle support might be welcome. I found the extra heat and chafing to be problematic - occasionally leading to painful nerve damage (temporary) where the cuff hit the outside of the ankle (and these were boots custom-made for me, with a personal fitting by one of the Limmer family).
I go light and low now (occasionally hiking in sandals), loving every minute.
Do I twist an ankle now and then? Sure, but I did with the heavy boots, too, and I felt as though the ground was insulated from the feelings in my feet, causing me to trip and stumble much more than I do now (but it may be that I'm just more careful).:-?