Camp Shoes

[Scott Peterson]

I always NEED to put on a pair of sandals when I get to camp. They allow my feet to dry out while not exposing them to injury while puttering around. I have used a style of Teva’s in the past but found they are rather heavy, and if blisters develop on my heals at some point in the trip, the back strap serves to aggrevate them. I recently got a pair of plastic clogs made by Keen. I initially selected them because they are slip on’s (no back) which is really convenient in camp but they also have a toe post like rubber slippers so they stay on well. They also offer toe protection. On top of all of this they have a footbed that kills bacteria when exposed to UV. The only issue is that they weigh in at 20 oz. Does anyone have a light-weight camp shoe they find really comfortable???

[Ian Rae]

CROCS: http://www.crocs.com/consumer/product_details/beach/

I have had a pair for a couple of years, and they’re very comfortable, and surprisingly durable considering they’re made out of pretty lightweight closed cell foam. I also like that they are self draining, but they do make a model with no holes, which would be nice on rainy days if you are wanting to wear socks with them.

Here’s weight info: came from http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/appareldetail.cfm?PRODUCTS__productID=CRO100

# XS – 7.7 oz.
# S – 8.5 oz.
# M – 9.6 oz.
# L – 10.6 oz.
# XL – 12.4 oz.
# XXL – 14.2 oz.
# Sizing:
# XS – Wmn. 4-5
# S – Wmn. 6-7, Men 4-5
# M – Wmn. 8-9, Men 6-7
# L – Wmn. 10-11, Men 8-9
# XL – Wmn. 12-13, Men 10-11
# XXL – Men 12-13

[Thomas R. Conroy]

You might take a look @ water shoes [aka “aqua socks”]. I use a pair of Nike “ACG Aqua Socks 8” and they weigh in @ 20.1 oz. for a size 14. You could shave ounces if your feet didn’t tend toward the Big Foot size!

[Scott Peterson]

My buddy uses aqua socks, and I would consider them if they were not so heavy. My current plastic clogs are 20 oz.

I think Crocs are the way to go. It looks like the “aspen” which is the latest “no holes” model is slightly lighter than the “beach”.

[Douglas Frick]

Another vote for Crocs. Mine worked well for a river crossing, and they’re actually warm (in a VB kinda way). My men’s size 10 weigh 13.3 oz; they run big (I normally wear a 12).

My wife has some Croc knock-offs from Payless Shoes. They appear to be made from a lighter foam than my Crocs, so you might want to check those out first.

[Bob Gabbart]

There are new teva flip flops that weight 4oz

[Scott Peterson]

New Teva’s are definitely light! I am always a little worried about the toe into the rock thing while puttering in the dark. I tend to spend more time in camp than the average treker on this site too. You might find me setting up camp as early as 3 or even 2 pm…so I can while-away the day enjoying the area…and so more substantial camp shoes are a necessary luxury item!

[Mike Storesund]

I like the Speedo Surf Walkers, but they enclose the foot so kind of defeats (or is that de feets) the desire of air flow.
Keen Newport sandals have a rounded front to cover the toes in case you are worried about stubbing a toe. I have a pair of Keen’s and find that pieces of wood or stone tend to get stuck with no front to escape from…

[David C. Menges]

Exactly which Teva model weighs just 4 oz? It wasn’t obvious on their web.

[Chris Conway]

I have a pair of Teva Proton II that I like although heavy… then run big and a size 8 weigh 14.95 oz/pair.
I like the closed toes which protect me when I’m bumming around a river or lakeshore w sharp rocks. I don’t carry them every trip but the weight is sometimes worth it for safety purposes…. I know what it’s like to slice the bottom of my foot open in the middle of a 50 mile trek. My favorite light camp shoes are my barefeet…. cool earth feels great… just be careful.

Almost forgot… flip flops aren’t a good idea 4 some river crossings unless you want to chase them downstream. It’s funny watching some people try : )

[Dale Wambaugh]

Payless had the Airwalk-Croc-Knock-Offs for just $15.

I’d vote for any of the foam clogs. There must be a half-dozen now– Crocs, Holey Soles, Airwalk, ect. I have the Crocs Caymans which are stripped down a bit from the beach model. My size 10 Caymans are 13oz/pair.

I see that Crocs is offering a “turbo strap,” that holds them a little tighter. The straps are $9.95 pair, but Crocs wants another $9.95 to ship them– must be the fumes from manufacturing :)

Anyway, I live in them.

I can’t recall who did it, but one UberLiter strung some insoles with elastic shock cord to use as camp sandals– most resourceful!

[Scott Peterson]

I would also agree that foam clogs offer the most comfort/stability for the weight. I also have the Keen clogs, and while they offer a nicer footbed and are more substantial…they weigh in at over 20 ounces for a med. size men’s. My Crocs weigh in just over 12. None-branded foam clogs as has been noted here before seem to weigh even less and are definetly less expensive too.

In my opinion, save the $20 for custom straps. I removed the straps off mine all together. If you get a decent fit, you will not need the straps for regular use. And if you decide they will be used for a stream crossing, use a length of guyline to go around the backside of your upper heal and out the holes on the front where you can tie them. That may not be the most comfortable fit, but should keep them from getting lost if you face up stream while shuffling through.

[John Brown]

I take a couple of webbing straps and lash the flipflops to my feet for the river crossing. They’re light, and multipile use. Doesn’t help w/ the stubbed toe issue though.

[Al Shaver]

Dale,
Here’s the definitive link for this subject. A tip of the Foster’s can pot to all Out of the Box Thinkers!
http://www.cloudwalkersbasecamp.com/stove_stomper.html

[john Tier]

Saw China knock offs of Crocks in Wally World yesterday for $ 7.88….they may have been slightly lighter (no scale with me) but the foam was harder than the 3 year old Waldies that I was wearing at the time…

Pan

[Dale Wambaugh]

Al Shaver wrote, “Dale,
Here’s the definitive link for this subject. A tip of the Foster’s can pot to all Out of the Box Thinkers!
http://www.cloudwalkersbasecamp.com/stove_stomper.html”

That is the guy I was thinking about. I’m waiting like a spider to pounce on some insoles at a yard sale– I want to try some a little oversized and maybe a cross-strap arrangment. I love the fine art of Applied Junque :)

Y’know, that gives me an idea. I got a full-length REI yellow foam sleeping pad for $3 that I was going to cut down into a shorter pad and use the remainder for a sit pad. That still leaves plenty for a pair of sandals….. [cut to Frankenstein’s laboratory, lightning flashes illuminate the background, “IT LIVES!!!!!”]

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