Sandals/Hybrids? Keen,Teva, hiking, water sports, pos/neg experiences-recommendations

I liked using them for stream crossing, rafting, canoeing, etc. I hated them on trails, and I didn't like them around camp. My feet got significantly more tired (sore arch, cramping toes) and blister prone (back of heel, and near side toe strap) when hiking. Around camp, rocks &/or sticks came in the holes and my feet got really, really dirty.

I tried both Keen and Teva models with full heels (not just a strap) and 4-5 vertical side straps. They were much better than the Teva ones with just one horizontal side strap with respect to my comments above. (My comments above were based on the heel cup / 5 strap versions).

The Keen model was a whole lot hotter feeling. Too hot for the summer (unless frequently in/out of the water) and sweaty in late spring / early fall. The Teva model smelled like really bad foot odor within a few days after each time I washed them, but the Keens never had this problem.

Hey Eric, I used to strap tevas to my pack every time I went out. Now that I am lightening up I dont want the weight penalty(getting out of my boyscout habits). I loved them for everything except hiking, and have been considering the wraptor type sandals to try myself lately. The addition of toe-box protection and a more stable strap system have changed 2 f the 3 reasons I didnt hike in them full time. Heres a link to Ace at Thru-hiker and his switch to the wraptors – http://www.thru-hiker.com/articles.asp?subcat=1&cid=54

My other reason for not wearing them full time while hiking is found here – http://caseyandemily.com/Backpack/2006/2006_08_SonoraPass/Feet.htm

I am also interested in some long term use reviews from folks. Casey if you read this, Has going back to switching your socks during the day helped your feet out? Or have you gone away from the mesh shoe altogether?

I am actually looking at this teva right here – http://www.teva.com/ProductDetails.aspx?g=m&categoryID=336&productID=6148&model=Omnium

Kind of a mix between shoe and sandal. I have tried on keens at rei and didnt like how they fit my feet but I am sure most of their stuff is in the same realm. Maybe ill play around this summer and see if I like the tevas again. But I would use them full time, I have no interest in carrying two pairs of shoes anymore.

For the past few years I've been hiking almost exclusively in Chacos – winter excepted of course. Nice to be able to splash through all that water and just carry on. I find that recommending any foot ware is a bit of a mug's game as fit of course is entirely individual. But aside from the very beginning of the hiking season when I can experience some rubbing and chaffing before my feet are broken in again, I enjoy walking in sandals very much. I don't seem to have any issues with ankle support, and over the years I've been operating with confidence over increasingly rough terrain. Many sandal wearers report dried and cracking skin, particularly on the heels. Me too, but there are many excellent salves available that will take care of this problem. The best advice I have for anyone contemplating hiking in sandals of any kind is to ensure your feet have thoroughly adjusted to the sandals before trying a long walk over difficult country. Not for everyone of course, but Roman soldiers wore sandals, and their pack loads would never have qualified as ultra light.

Cheers

I wore my teva spoilers at disney, walking around for about 12 hours and ended up having to bandage my feet (base of big toe near the strap, mostly)

Based on this experience I would never wear them if I expected to walk more than a mile under any circumstances. Others may have different results, but I was really glad I had a pair of sneakers with me for the next few days.

I have seen people backpack in Chacos and I own two pairs myself which I wear from April until November on a daily basis. I would not go backpacking with them and have seen too many bloody messes with people who have. It all depends on how "tough" your foot is. One should also not forget that shoes do offer protection against abrasions of all kind.
Cheers,
Sven

Neither Chano nor Teva fit my feel comfortably, so I didn't get them. I got a pair of Keen sandals (Zeraport) and find them OK. They at least fit me well, but they are a little uncomfortable when my feet sweat.

I'd rather wear trail runners than sandals. The mesh allows air in and out for ventilation and drying, and they're a lot more comfortable.

I love my Tevas. Backpacking in spain, sea swimming, around town on hot days. Mine are the straps only version, and once your feet are toughened to their pressure points,no problem. Much less sweaty than trail runners, just give the soles a scrub with some sand and water.

They're not light, but cushion the sole of the foot really well on stony terrain. They last well too, mine are 8 years old and still going strong, no cracks, still have sole pattern, straps look new.

A hint for strap users, if your velcro starts to fail. I bought a pair of tevas once that had o-rings with it. You can use the black hose gaskets in the gardening section in home depo. Just slip them on and the little rubber finger grip on the big strap will keep it from going anywear. Also comes in handy if your in fast moving water(which is why I believe they where packaged with the sandles in the first place).

I prefer sandals to shoes for all terrain except lots of loose debris. Chacos are my preference b/c Tevas in my experience have too much hardware, which breaks and/or chafes, and generally aren't as good.

I prefer sandals for foot-hygeine reasons: fewer blisters and odor when the foot is able to breath and dry out, particularly in wet-dry hiking. The extra dirt never really bothers b/c it's so easy to wash your feet and your sandals in the field (compared to dirty socks).

I've never had a problem with sandals absorbing foot odor, but I've known people who had that problem with Tevas. (Not sure whether this is a Teva problem or a person-specific problem. The Teva midsole on most their sandals does seem more porus than the Chaco midsole.)

David, do you wear socks with your chacos?

and anyone else, socks or no socks??

I myself only wore socks in the morning or at night if it was cold.

No socks while hiking; but great for warmth and comfort at the campsite.

Cheers

In the UK this is a seriously uncool thing to do. If its cold I wear my trail shoes.

I wore Teva's for a 2 week hike in Nepal after I lost my boots. They worked great apart from having dirty feet at the end of the day. I replaced them in the snow with plastic bag lined sneakers (not so great) but they did the trick. Sandals and socks are the best combination for style and comfort!

I love wearing my Chaco Z2's. I've tried Teva's and Nike Deschutes (which I like best for sandals that don't have a toe strap), but they never gave me the confidence on the trail that Chaco's do. For a while I wore Z1's, but the lack of a strap to hold the toe in position caused the sandal to move around too much and hiking in them on steep, rocky terrain was painful. I've never had that problem with the Z2's. I can even run in them on rough terrain.

I've been wearing Chaco's since the company was still called Gecko and have found that, though they dry faster and don't stretch, the newer polyester straps are harsher on my skin than the older nylon straps, perhaps because the nylon ones stretch. I've also found that wearing the sandals a long time makes the the straps more supple and that, too, is easier on the skin. But, like others, it is still necessary to harden your feet for walking in difficult conditions. If you perspire in the sandals, return home, and then let the sandals sit around for a while the straps will harden again until you wear them and soften them up again.

I would wear only my sandals if it weren't for the lack of grip on wet rock in the slopes, and also because when it gets cold I can't even put on socks in the Z2's (even my toed socks don't fit). I'm now thinking about an insulation system that works like sole-less bicycle overboots… they're made of a lightweight shell that fit over my sandaled feet to keep them warm. That way I have the benefit of sandals with the benefit of shoes but without the worry of getting grit all over my socks. I can even sew in a toe bumper and wear the overboots in loose terrain when it's too easy for your feet to get injured. Have to see how the system works.

to:Rog Tallbloke
"In the UK this is a seriously uncool thing to do. If its cold I wear my trail shoes.''

speak for yourself!
If people are so stupid/ignorant to think such nonsense there is no need to perpetuate it.

I wear sandals all year round (yes even in snow – with sealskins) these are the only footwear I'm comfortable with
having very hot feet! and yes I often wear socks.

I'm trying out some teva raptor trail's at the moment. these
grip feet better the the source and noname sandals used previously .

I wore my chacos for a 2 mi stretch of gnarly river crossings last month with a full (25 lb) pack. The 1st day no socks and I got blisters. 2nd day I wore injinji toe socks with my chaco z2x's and felt much better.

I've been looking at the mion line of water shoes for camp/river shoes for my PCT hike next season. They are very light and durable. I think they're lighter than crocs. The style never really caught on so you can get them pretty cheap on the internet.

Has anyone logged any miles in sanuks?

http://www.sanuk.com/

I am just curious. I have tried them on at rei and they are supper comfy. For me, ankle support is never an issue in shoes. Just wondering if they stretch or anything and loosen up to much with heavy use.

Thanks
Jeff

The following is just my personal experience (and by watching others):

I just think anything with a toe box increases the risk of blisters, bacteria, hammer toe, blackened toenails, and other ailments— so much so that wearing a shoe or boot has been more risky for me than wearing a sandal for lightweight backpacking.

The keens I’ve tried (with toe protection) were too hot and sweaty for me, produced blisters, heavy, and were slow to dry.

Chacos have nice arches but they did this to me:
1. They’re heavy
2. It takes me way too long to get the straps situated
3. The straps tighten on me in the wrong places
4. I twist my ankles easily :(
5. The straps rub in the wrong spots.

I’ve never had smell problems with Teva’s. I have extremely sweaty feet so, in the summer I always wear a coolmax sock with the sandal. This not only prevented blisters but kept my feet dry– by quickly wicking the sweat away. Plus the underside of my feet would never dry w/o the sock.
To get rid of the ‘tacky’ sock/sandal look that my kids despise, I wear black socks with black sandals. Then the feet don’t stand out near as much. In the winter, I wear a wool sock over the coolmax sock to maintain warmth.

Not all Teva’s fit me right. Sometimes the strap is at a joint that rubs me wrong. The TerraFi2 fits me just right (when the back strap is fitted correctly and not touched again). I wear one size big. This gives a little room for toe protection and to wear down booties on some days. That’s the beauty of the sandal: I can go from ultra thin socks to ultra fat sock layers and never squish my foot (like what happens in shoes).

I play basketball and racquetball in my terraFi2’s because they provide good cross-lateral support (ironically, most teva’s do not).

I’ve also had good luck in a $20 set of teva hurricane 2’s.

In summary, I’ve experienced the following joys with sandals:
1. no need to wear blister treatment.
2. no need to carry blister treatment.
3. no hammer toes
4. lighter footwear (10oz for terrafi2) gave me way more energy. I noticed that right off the bat.
5. wiggle room for the toes.
6. much harder to roll an ankle (vs a trail runner)
7. excellent traction on wet rock.
8. Maybe once/day I have to get the twig out between foot and sandal (it used to be every hour; but not with terrafi2).
9. Instant slipper for camp. Just loosen the straps; no extra weight needed.
10. Shoe smell is gone.
11. Don’t have to stop and change socks or take off boot
12. They’re cheaper than the boots and shoes I bought
13. Excellent tread and arch life. I’m getting 500-1100 miles per Teva. It depends on the terrain.
14. Can expand or contract with different socks without squishing the foot.
15. Very quick to loosen/tighten straps as the foot expands/shrinks while trekking

I use sandals on sloping scree and bushwacking. I have never stubbed a toe (knock on BIG wood).

Before trekking or playing sports, there’s a method to cinch my straps just right, but I’m writing too much already. That’s for another post.

Here’s my mystery: when I switched over to terrafi2’s a couple of years ago, my heal callus softened up and almost went away. Is it because the heal cradle is a different design?

May everyone find their foot zen :)

-Barry

Wore socks only when cold

Miguel, I also have been wearing Chaco since the Gecko days. I switched to the Z1s b/c of the softer straps (the Z1s still have the soft straps). I wish the Z2s had the soft strap.

As someone who have tried Chaos, Teva and Source sandals, I must say that Source are the only oes who gave me full support in whatever I did..!

Im talking about thing from playing Soccer to Hiking to Rafting, anything.Right now I have the Source Gobi Model, which is specially built for these activities. Also.. They look very cool :P

My Model – Gobi: http://www.source-vagabond.com/b-sanperformance.html

Features & Materials..
Non-marking Non-slip bottom sole: Super abrasion A.R.T2 rubber compound. Rubber sole sticky in wet conditions with 3 times the abrasion resistance of other sandals.
Mid sole: Impact absorbing molded EVA with anti-microbial agent.
Edge- lockers secure strap edges.
Top-sole inserts: Hi grip A.R.T1 rubber compound with anti microbial agent.
Additional lateral support ensures stability.
Straps: Soft and Fast-Drying Polypropylene tubular webbings.
Rubber inserts on the foot bed for exceptional long lasting grip and ventilation with anti-microbial agent that ensures no sandal stink.
Pads: Sweat management Drilex lining, high grade 3mm PE close cell and durable 2tone PES fabric.
Triple-layer padded heel, arch and forefoot for unmatched sensation of cushion, comfort and support.
Fasteners: Hi-Sheer, Hi-Peel Nylon hooks and loops.

Love my chacos, but as far as hybrib sandals are concerned, my Salomon Techamphibians are possible my favorite hiking shoe. Most mesh, so they are light and dry extremely fast. Comfortable when worn with or without socks, great for hiking, boating and everything in between. Right now they are only $50 or so at finishline.com