After hike shoes

[proszach]

adidas slippers with clean socks, or my old new balance's, which don't seem to be too heavy and are almost like a comfort blanket for me

 

[crazymama]

I vote for Allhearts (or Waldies, Crocs, etc). They are MUCH lighter than Tevas (probably half the weight or less), and do the job. They are stiff bottomed, dry quick, easy to put on, comfortable, are kind of elevated so are good for walking through mud puddles around camp, and are cheap. I love them.

I also wear them when I go swimming in the St. Lawrence River, and find that they stay on my feet, even though mine are a little bit loose on me.

I had a bad experience with flipflops one time...fell off my feet while walking uphill. That really hurt! Plus, its hard to wear socks with the kind that have a thingy between your toes.

I got the Allhearts because they are so much cheaper than the Waldies/Crocs, but are basically the same.

 

[crazymama]

Okay I weighed my Allhearts. They are 9 oz for the pair.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Nothing. I'm surprised nobody else suggested it. I LOVE being barefoot after a hike. Try it. You get used to the mud, rocks, roots, sticks. Feet become tough. It is so much more sensual than wearing something.

 

[ChrisB]

recently picked up a pair of Crocs

Do check out Crocs.

I bought a pair in FLA last year and used them a lot last summer.

Very light (11 oz), well-ventilated, and pretty grabby for wading in streams.

They used to be hard to find here in the NE, but I see EMS now carries them.

cb

 

[Pat T]

Tevas and a Crazy Creek chair

Two things always go with me on backpacking trips--Tevas and a Crazy Creek chair. The Tevas are worth their weight for evening use, stream crossings and just stream walking at the end of the day. The chair is great for resting and can be stuffed with clothes and used as a wedge pillow for sleeping.

pat t

 

[Sara]

I agree whole-heartedly with Teva's. They may be a bit slow to dry, but they have gotten lighter over the years. I remember my first pair was quite heavy- even dry, but my newer pair is lighter. After being strapped to the outside of my pack during a hike they dry out, and in the evening with socks they are cozy and my bare feet don't get bitten up by the bugs!

 

[nartreb]

I'm with Pete Hickey. I'll go further: why would you wear boots on a summer hike in the first place? (Winter is different: you need a place to attach your crampons, and you don't want snow getting in at your ankles.) You do want good treads to help on slick rock, but there are much lighter, cheaper, and more comfortable options than boots. See the cheap canvas shoes I'm wearing in my photo?

 

[twigeater]

I'll do barefoot around camp sometimes, but no flip flops. One trip I was slipping and sliding with the flip flops, took them off and went barefoot, then cut my toes bad enuff to need stitches, but it was night and we were 7 miles from the road.

I hiked Katahdin via the Abol trail and North Traveller (to name a few) in cheap canvas sneakers (as in 2 for $5 things) when I was younger. Traveller really beat up my feet, so I moved up from the canvas sneakers to low hiking shoes, to better shoes, finally to all leather above the ankle boots, and my feet love me for it.

Everyone's different, but I need ankle support and protection from the rocks.

 

[weatherman]

old running shoes

Last year when I climbed Owl's Head I brought a pair of old New Balance running shoes and ended up wearing them the whole time except on the slide, and even then they probably would have been OK. Both together weigh as much as one Teva. And I decided to just go ahead and ford Lincoln Brook rather than rockhop, and discovered that after about a mile, all the water had drained out and they were good to just keep right on going. Of course, a few days of that and they could get mighty ripe, but....No blisters, and I'm sure there would have been with boots. So now they go on top of the pack (or outside it) on backpacking trips. The soles are good enough for all but slick rock.

 

[Doc McPeak]

Well, EMS has crocs, and now Price Chopper has their own version.

I kid you not. I was just walking in to one in Saratoga and saw a display with pairs of blue and green ones. They aren't the ventilated kind (easy enough to diy) and they have a removable insole, but for 5.99 a pair, I'll be picking up another set.

5.99. What these pieces of molded closed cell foam should cost!