Killing crocs

Nice Robert!

I, too love the shoes, but hate the bulk. I like my Crocs flip-flops, too, but the "toe-thong" is sub-optimal for camp shoes when wearing socks for warmth.

For speed of putting them on, I might poke holes in the sole on either side of my foot, tie knots on the bottom and then tie them on top like normal shoe laces.

Hmmmmmmm

Will report back…..

Nice. Your project makes me think an awesome product would be a Croc sole with a Chaco strapping system!

Nice project, hopefully it will work out for you.

Personally, I hate crocs. They look like clown shoes and I honestly have a hard time understanding why anyone is willing to wear them. With that said, I can't say I was surprised to read a recent report that says the company is on the brink of collapsing as the fad has officially ended and the business wasn't run terribly well. So, if there are any other MYOG folks out there who want to modify their clown shoes, now might be the time as otherwise you might need to join the circus in the future :)

I think another part of this decline in Crocs business has to do with the fact that everyone and their brother is making a cheaper version of these shoes. They are very popular in the health care industry, but you probably see more knockoffs then you do actual Crocs.

Very true. I believe they were born from the healthcare industry because the original foam had anti-bacterial qualities. The knockoff's look the same, but don't have the anti-bacterial aspect.

I was told I was not allowed to wear crocs by my better half.

I was at the supermarket yesterday and they had a bin of knock-off Crocs… picked up a pair for $7.50. I'd imagine that kind of thing has had a huge impact on Crocs as a business.

(As a side note, although the things felt like air, and I'm generally good at estimating weight, they are heavier than I thought… 8.75 ounces for my men's 9s. I'm not sure I'm willing to carry an extra half pound. Bummer.)

I'd love a pair of lightweight chacos made from crocs style foam.

too bad chacos weigh 1.8lbs… they are my favorite sandals/watershoes

I used a pair of Crocs on a 2 week hike last summer. The first time I got to a river to fish a bit I fell flat on my a**. Never had that problem like that with Tevas. Crocs are light but are too bulky for my taste and do not work on river crossings too well. I will not be taking any extra shoes on my JMT hike this year. Can't justify the weight.

since when does cool have to do with gear? youll most likely be in an evironment (hopefully) that you won't see anyone anyways. Can we agree we are posting in a MYOG forum not a fashion one, and if so, nobody seems to care that we are cheap and "cheap" goes hand in hand with bad taste —-or cool in this case?

Its cooler to strap a pair of soles to your feet?

Who cares about looks… They feel great around camp and if I wake up to pee I dont want to be bothered to tie straps around my feet.

These things are great.

I don't like Under Armour but these things rock.

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/footwear/slides/pid1200739-Men-s-Locker-Slide/1200739-001

The material can't be any heavier than crocks….aka weighs nothing.

You can put on with socks.

They are very comfortable.

Easy to loop to the back of the backpack.

Oh yeah, $20.

Those Under Armour shoes already have holes in the bottom. You could cut off the strap over the foot and then use the holes to make a custom lacing system. Maybe you could even use nylon webbing and thus make your Chaco/Croc combo.

As to the fashion issue, imagine the looks I'd get sporting my hot pink Crocs with my pink tie-dye hiking skirt on the trail.

What do the UA ones weigh? Anybody have an actual number?

Thanks!

I had been meaning to pick up a pair of croc copies as soon as I saw a pair at a grocery store or something, mainly because the heel strap would be more secure in a stream. Well, I went to CVS to have some prints made for a mother's day gift and say a pair of "dogger's" for 10 bucks.

I got home and weighed them. They were about 11 or 12 ounces for a pair of size 10/11's. Well my flip flops were 8.65 ounces. I was beginning to weigh the advantage of the heel strap vs. 3 or 4 ounces.

I searched around for some home made sandal strap ptions and came across this:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Minimalist-Running-Sandals-Huaraches/

The strap setup is great. It's tight enough to be secure with the heel strap, but once you dial it in, they slip on and off with no adjustments. And 5 or 6 feet of paracord, or whatever else you have lying around, doesn't weigh much at all.

Anyhow, this is what I came up with:

The soles of this particular knockoff were solid, not sectioned blocks like other crocs. So they still weigh 8 ounces for the pair, but they're more secure than flip flops and saved me half an ounce, so that's not so bad.

Alternatively, you could go the route of the instructables site and use something like a car mat and go even lighter. The cord lacing is a proven design and the bottom is a blank slate. Try whatever material you like.

My UA slip-ons are size 13 and weigh 8.5 oz.

Nike had the Usurper some years ago (2005-2006) that weighed 6.2 oz for size 9.

That is impressive and a lot lighter then my size 12 crocs even without the heel straps (my dog got rid of those for me one afternoon).

I wore a pair of my Vibram fivefinger treks on a 4 day/3 night trip through Hells Canyon (Idaho side) earlier this month. These were the only shoes I took. Only traveled a total of 30 miles but my feet felt great in them, can get them wet, dry out quick, very light (12.3 oz for the pair). I have spent a lot of time in these things so I don't recommend going and buying a pair and taking them on a 20 mile per day trip without any other shoes.

One thing I have to add. Those open toe saddles/slipons hurt like heck when your racing around packing up your site and kick the tent stakes. Oh my god it hurts, and I usually do it more than once.

FYI, I bought some UA sliders under the recommendation of this thread. They shrink in size under a solar load in the desert heat. These were size 12. They shrunk in my backpack side pocket, during my last multiday trip.

An unfortunate event, but typical of that kind of plastic.

This Link Might Help.

I just stitched a strap of hook and loop to some hard bottomed insoles. Insoles by day, camp slippers at night. Dual use, no packspace required.