wet shoes

[shannon stoney]

We went on a trip this past weekend where it rained a lot. Our shoes got very wet. It was a good thing we were not out for a long trip, because I think our shoes would never have dried out and we would have started getting blisters and things, because your skin softens when it gets wet. What is the solution to this problem? Do those new running shoe/sandal hybrid shoes work?

[cary bertoncini]

this weekend and they were great – though it was very hot and dry here.

I wore them walking through streams and even once swimming (quick jump in to cool off).

They don’t seem to get very wet in the first place and drain very well. Not sure how they’d do somewhere wet all the time &/or humid.

[Mark]

I also like the Salomon TAs for the wet. Very comfortable and very airy. I’d love them even more if the tongue was just slightly thinner and less padded. My only other quibble is that the heel strap loosens easily, so I won’t use them for more than a day or so. I think I’m going to see if I can just staple or rivet or bartack it into place. You might want to check out the recent article about shoe drying time that Carol Crooker did.

Another thing that’s worked for me is being diligent about taking off my shoes and wringing out my socks when they have been soaked. Yeah, it can be a huge pain to do this multiple times a day, but it helps a lot. Thinner socks that absorb less water in the first place will also put you on the right track.
-Mark

[shannon stoney]

I was wearing New Balance shoes, and (I blush to admit it) cotton socks. Somehow my wool ones got lost en route. Maybe if I had wrung out my cotton socks the shoes wouldn’t have felt so squishy and heavy.

[John S.]

Has anybody ever experimented with spraying dwr on socks to lessen the water load and speed drying time? I plan to try that at some point and see what the effect is.

[Dan Montgomery]

Andrew Skurka said he used SportsSlick (or Body Glide, or one of those, I forget which) on his Sea2Sea hike. The idea is that the stuff helps your skin repel water, even if you’re otherwise soaked. Which makes you more blister-resistant.
I rubbed Body Glide on my heels twice a day during a recent 40-miler. No blisters (though that doesn’t prove anything, of course).

[R K]

I hiked in these for about six months last year. They do a pretty good job. The only gripe I had was as Mark noted above… The heel strap loosened when walking. I solved that by sewing the strap in a comfortable spot. The most I ever walked in a day with them was 20 miles and my feet were pretty tired, but not anymore than other shoes I’ve tried. Durability is alright though the kevlar lace is cutting through the webbing.

Roy

[Jörgen Johansson]

I hike in the Swedish mountains. Very wet here. I’ve used Salomon Tech Amphibs for several seasons now and they work very well. The best socks by far are ordinary women’s nylons ankle socks. 30 denier. They don’t hold much water and prevents chafing. Never had a blister since i switched to runners while hiking. While resting I use a pair of dry wool socks or CoolMax.

[Eric Noble]

I love my Tech Amphibs. I often wear them as slippers, with the backs folded down. I’ve been using them for several years. They have been on week long treks in Costa Rica and the mountains of Colorado and numerous day hikes. I hiked a 14,000 foot peak in these. I have two issues with these shoes. One has already been mentioned. The heel strap does loosen, though this has not really bothered me. A bigger issue for me is that the mesh is too course. It lets too much dust in. After a day on the trail my feet are black. Sand will also enter when walking in the surf, or a sandy bottomed stream. It’s an inconvenience that is made up for by the many things I like about these shoes. I have never had a blister in these shoes. I use custom orthotics and wear one pair of Smartwool Ultralight Cycling socks. My younger son had the laces break on him after about 8 months, which was a pain. My older son and I haven’t had problems with the laces.

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