Ultralight camp shoes suitable for water crossings

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marty

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I have yet to find an ultralight camp shoe that is suitable for water crossings. Some ultralighters have suggested "Walmart special" Teva knock-offs that weigh less than 8 ounces, but I have not yet found such a thing. Any suggestions?
 
Waldies rock!

The Walden Store (Rick's link) seems to be considerably expensive and much of the sizes are out of stock. I get mine through AllHeart Medical supply. For the same $25 they'll sell you 2 pair instead of just 1. See
here . I recommend them as a vendor.
 
I'd love to dump my Tevas for something more lightweight.

A few questions:

  • Exactly how much do they weigh?
    Has anyone actually tried them out on a water crossing? Do they stay on?
    How long does it take for them to dry afterwards?
    Are the holes big enough to clip them to the outside of your pack to dry them off?
The thru-hiker I met at Garfield was wearing them. Looked neat.
 
I picked up a pair at Kittery Trading Post a year ago for about $15 (maybe more now). I haven't weighed them but they are just ounces. They are bulky so hanging them from the pack is a good plan. The major drawback that I have found is there is almost no lateral support and wet feet slide like crazy in these things. I've used both these and Tevas for water crossings and feel much more secure in the latter. That said, however, I take the Waldies and go slowly and carefully. The light weight and comfort are hard to beat. They are also perfect to slip on for those midnight latrine runs!
Bob
 
Can't tell you exactly on weight except to say that they're trivial - they're just molded foam. I can't justify buying a kitchen scale, however, to give you an exact, but I can have them with me next time I drop in.

I find that my feet stick to them surprisingly well; however, there is as noted little lateral support so if you try to step other than flat, your foot will rotate within the Waldie. As a person who pronates, I have to step carefully.

They don't absorb water, so drying is near-instant by just shaking them off. Contrast to my Tevas, which take at least a day.

Yes, the holes are easily big enough for a good-sized 'biner or strap.
 
I got a pair of Waldies this year as a birthday present from my daughter. I love them!!!!! Weight - less than 8 ounces!!
 
Waldies

Ryan and I both bought Waldies last year. They're the best!!

In fact, I'm wearing mine at work right now :) Yes, it's a casual work atmosphere, which is great, as I often wear mine out of the house in the morning not meaning to!

For backpacking, they are super comfortable as camp shoes, dry quickly, weight nothing, and I've used them to cross a few streams this spring-- they've remained in place on my feet every time.

We purchased ours at Allheart.com, as they're less expensive there. In fact, we each have a 2nd pair each sitting at home in the closet since they were so cheap! I'd definitely recommend them!

-Danielle
 
I had been thinking about Waldies for a long time... then MichaelJ showed me how light his were and I had to buy them.

I have a pretty red pair -- they weigh exactly eight ounces. I use them as camp shoes instead of my tevas but haven't used them specifically for water crossings. I usually just do those barefoot.

You do have to be careful walking with them. On my last trip, I managed to get a big stick stuck into the holes in the front and cut my foot up a bit. But then, I'm a klutz too so that doesn't help.

- Ivy
 
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I had the waldies, then got the allhearts. Not only are the allhearts cheaper, but the fit is better.

I wear mine to work too, plus I have some without the holes to wear in winter.
 
This thread reminded me that I just recently had someone ask me if my Waldies were Crocs. I went to their website yesterday to check them out. The Crocs seem more expensive, but they have a few varieties without holes, plus they also have straps. Here is the link. Might be worth checking out, and might be worth it for winter wear!
-Danielle
 
I like the tevas to wear at camp, asssuming a backpack, and they're good for crossings. Otherwise I try to figure out a way to cross either sockless or bootless.

Another nice thing about the tevas is that a friend, whose boots were bothering her so badly on a three day backpack, switched to tevas about halfway through the trip and her feet were quite happy thereafter. Can't guarantee that result for everyone in a boot bind, but worth considering as to what you're going to carry.
 
Thanks to all posters for your suggestions! Guess I might have to give the Waldies or Crocs a try. Was hoping there was a suitable shoe that was a tad lighter, but maybe such a thing does not exist. Best regards, Marty
 
I picked up a pair of Crocs at the Mountaineer in Keene today. Primarily because I remembered this thread and was looking for a lighter alternative to my Tevas.

No actual trail or camp use to report back to you but I will say that the Crocs I picked up (without holes) fit much MUCH more comfortably and securely than I would have ever imagined from looking at the pics on various websites. I attribute part of this to the strap that the Crocs have, but since I have no experience with the Waldies I can not comment. I can say that if I flip the Croc strap up and walk around without it, its a different animal all together. One I wouldnt have bought.

They are also pretty substantial throughout the sole. Again, my impression from the pics was that they would be flimsy and thin. Not so. The ones I picked up are rather sturdy and I can see myself doing easy terrain with a pack on, and absolutely walking around camp.

of course, as for how goofy they look.... not much can be done about that I guess ;) either way I'm happy with the purchase so far ($34)
 
Just bought AllHearts

Thanks MichaelJ for the tip on the AllHeart site. I bought a pair and they arrived today.

This is what I can tell you:

Cost $12.98 + $6.79 S&H= $19.77

Weight (size medium) about 9 or 10 oz by my kitchen scale (compared with my Tevas at 22 oz)

Seem to run a bit wide for me (I have AA feet) and look kind of goofy but are comfortable to wear.

Best test: I decided to try them out in the St. Lawrence River, which at my house is lined with big uneven stones, and slippery surfaces. They worked great, did not fall off, and gave me good footing. They wanted to float (but not in a problematic manner), and did so in a way that pushed my foot deeper into the toe, and so stayed put on my feet. (MUCH better than flipflops).

I will take them with me on my upcoming backpacking trip, and look forward to using them at the end of a long day on the trail, and for those 2 am trips into the woods. And if I've got a water crossing, I'm all set.
 
Excellent! I hope you have good luck with them!

I wonder if this medical supply company ever wonders why so many people seem to buy just a pair of one type of their footwear...
:D
 
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