Hking in Sandals

[whiterockjock]

I plan to hike 800 miles of the AT in sandals..any thoughts?

[take-a-knee]

One my June section from Wayah Gap to Amicaloa I ran into a young guy just north of Neel Gap sporting a brand new pair of trail runners purchased at Mtn Crossings, the sandals he started at Amicaloa with were on the way home, YMMV. He stated they had chewed his feet up badly enough it was causing him lots of problems.

[jrnj5k]

go for it, lots of reasons to do it ie: ventilation, water drainage ability, light weight. i would get used to it by training in them first to see if its for you because its not for everyone.

[Many Walks]

Just be sure you hike in something like Keen's or a similar type with good toe protection. You'll be kicking rocks along the way. Socks are optional as to your preference.

[Yahtzee]

Sandals have their own unique problems, but my own cost/benefit analysis weighs on the side of hiking in sandals.
Cons: Stubbed toes --doesn't happen as often as you would think. My last hike I stubbed my toe twice in GA and not after that.
Cracking feet --a definite problem. Moisturizer, oil or vaseline are a must.
Cold --socks.
Ankle support --my belief is that the ankle support from boots is overrated. I think the popularity of trail runners strengthens that point.

Pros: Comfort
No need to carry camp shoes
Rain is so much less of a hassle. In fact, hiking in sandals in the rain provides a perverse sense of fun. Puddle-jumping is fun. This aspect of hiking in sandals is so underrated. Hiking in wet shoes/boots sucks.

You can always start out in sandals and if it is not for you pick up a pair of kicks from Payless or Walmart to get you home.

[jrnj5k]

yep keens and teva both have toe covers

[Tinker]

Try Sealskinz socks. I used them for the Hundred Mile Wilderness with good results. They keep the feet cleaner than regular socks in mud, and keep sand from getting between toes, but are a bit clammy. I wore them under my trail runners in NY in temps as low as 10 degrees and feet stayed warm as long as I kept moving.

[garlic08]

I see a lot of sandal hikers and respect it. I haven't tried it, but most who try it swear by it. Cracking is a big issue for some, and I hear an ounce or two of bag balm will last a thru hike.

[JJJ]

I've not done any serious mileage in sandals, but do prefer them or trailrunners like a Montrail's Continental Divide.
Look at Bite sandals for support and durability.

[bigcranky]

The Keen toe box is way too tight for my feet. I've done some long days in Tevas, which worked ok. I liked the lightness on my feet, the flexibility, and the quick dry. Not sure I'd want to do multiday hikes, though, since my feet and legs were filthy at the end of the day. (I know, I could wash them.)

[berninbush]

I do day hikes and overnights in Tevas. My pair has held up to almost-daily wear for going on four years now. (Yeah, I wear them to work too.)

They are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. I love being able to wade across streams with them and have them almost dry within minutes. Air circulation on my feet is great. I don't think they've ever given me a blister.

You do have to watch where you step and try not to kick things. I've ended up with little scratches on my legs when I'm not careful and/or on an overgrown trail. Your feet will get dirty. To me, it's worth it.

[DCHiker]

I'm a holdout. I love my heavy leather boots, but I have backpacked in sandals when the trail's not to rocky and/or there's multiple river crossings. If you want to do it, go for it... personal preference is the way to go when hiking. The one recommendation I would make is make sure your feet are well broken in. I had my Chaco's give my a nasty cut on the inside part of my foot which took a long, long time to heal.

[YoungMoose]

do it. i saw a thru hiker doing the same thing. he had a good pair that had a vibram bottom so it was just as sturdy as a boot.

[CrumbSnatcher]

do it. i saw a thru hiker doing the same thing. he had a good pair that had a vibram bottom so it was just as sturdy as a boot.

two of my thruhikes were wearing chaco sandels. i just sent (2 pair) in to chaco customer service to have them restrapped and have them resoled(with the older vibram soles) for my upcoming thruhike. the chacos they sell today are not performance minded sandels like a few years ago. the new soles are more college campus than trail worthy. the person in customer service even admitted it. the soles are harder to last longer! if you buy chacos IMO don't use the z2 models. by the way i hardly ever kicked anything with my toes usually my heals after i stepped over something. very comfortable never needed campshoes!

[sticks&stones]

got 1,100 AT mls out of a pair of keen sandals. Stitching, lamentation, and tread held up wonderfully.

[Tinker]

I just thought of one negative to hiking with sandals. Several times in the Hundred Mile Wilderness, I stepped on a stick which stuck up in the air and found its way between the straps of my other sandal - an annoyance once, very painful the second time. I got used to it after a few times.

[streakerofAT]

its easy

[Montana AT05]

You won't have any more problems wearing sandals than you would have had with trail runners. The problems will just differ (dry and cracked feet, possible abrasions or blisters at contact points, etc).

I plan on hiking a portion of the AT this year and I may do it in Tevas.

I would never use Keen's (you know, the sandals that look like shoes with every other 1/2 inch cut out?). I tried Keen clip-bicycle-sandals on a cross-country ride last year--yeouch. The toe box killed my toes. They were like wearing iron. Keens, for me, seem to exhibit all negative aspects of a sandal, all negative aspects of a trail runner and all negative aspects of a rigid boot without delivering any of the positives.

Keens are best worn while driving Yuppie-Grocery-Getters (Subaru's) and for zipping in and out for a latte-double-frappe-dash-of-hazenut-soy-skim-recycled-material-cup-of-coffee.

That said, I've some hikers in Keens who love 'em and do very well in 'em.

[Marta]

I often wear sandals. The Morton's neuroma problem I'm having in one foot seems to do better when I'm wearing sandals.

Ditto to the comment that your feet are more vulnerable to bruising/stabbing injuries. The worst one, though, was when I was wearing toe socks. Something snagged my little toe, jerked it to the side, and dislocated it. Not fun.

I usually have to wear socks with the sandals, not for warmth, but to create a layer between sandal and skin that alleviates the friction.

Sandals are great in hot weather, and on trails that have a lot of stream crossings.

[nitewalker]

thruhiker roy uses sandals all the time. i hiked 100+ miles with him and he could move rather quickly in those things. he says that he has been using sandals for quite some time now. over ten years if i remember correctly..