Camp shoes?

[katherineaw]

Hi All

I'm just curious what people are using for camp shoes?

I think ideally, I need something fully enclosed (bug/ant bite minimisation is a key priority), somewhat cheap and not too heavy.

Any advice based on what you use, have used, like, dislike would be very welcome!

[slparker]

I just use trail runners and air my feet after setting up camp and then put them back on. I don't have any other footwear that is more comfortable than my trail runners to bring as spares except.. more trail runners.

I do often take waterproof socks to change into if my shoes are wet, though. As i hate sitting around in wet feet and it macerates the skin.
If I am in tne snow ditto with my goretex boots and tbe WP socks are very warm to sleep in.

A few of the people in my bushwalking club take crocs or thongs as a change of footwear as they are very light. Not antproof though unless you sock up. Crocks and socks wont win any fashion prizes but would probably achieve your aim.

[Warin]

Aqua shoes - light - cheap - packable. Just bits of neoprene.

[bobcrusader]

Crocs.

[Moondog55]

Crocs.

Yep Crocs
[color=#00FF00]Flourescent Lime Green Hi-Viz [/color]ones so I don't lose them. Next ones will be Hot Pink

[Ms_Mudd]

In Winter I would normally wear traditional crocs with socks, sounds like a Dr Seuss rhyme. A clean dry pair of socks, not the sweaty gross ones I walked in for the day.
I will need to buy some more as this Summer on a 49C day, I accidentally left them at my back door and they warped and shrunk inwards. Perhaps I shall take a leaf from Moondog's book and go super lairy coloured! My 'Love Your Sister' super giant socks are pretty bright already to match in.

In Summer I wear my Crocs swiftwater sandals, I pretty much wear those same sandals anytime I am not at work - in the house included. I may have even worn them under a long dress to a farm wedding last weekend...

Plenty of people use disposable type footwear or hotel slippers to save weight. I have plantar fasciitis so can't get away with anything else, Crocs are lightweight enough, durable (when not cooked in the sun) and give me just the right amount of arch support and heel cushioning.

Don't ask me why I have Crocs pics, but anyway.... Winter Croc'ing with two pairs of socks on Barrington Tops Plateau, Summer Croc'ing Six Foot Track last week.

[Huntsman247]

Cheapest sandals from rivers for the warmer months. The cheap ones are out of a lightweight plastic. Paired with socks. Socks get a chance to dry out too.
Then in winter I've got macpacs down booties. Super comfy.

[emma_melbourne]

ULTRALIGHT
For gram counting and weighing only 50 grams for the pair, these disposable hotel slippers, which I wear with an extra pair of hiking socks:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Men-Tra ... 25805.html?

WATER SHOES
If I want water shoes, then these Vibram Furoshiki, which are quite a bit heavier however at 312 grams for the pair. You will want to order a size BIGGER than your normal shoe size. (As they're sized a bit small for size. So I got a size bigger in the Furoshiki on advice - a size 41, and they fit perfectly, but I'm normally 40.) They are good though and I recommend them.

LIGHTWEIGHT & IN-BETWEEN WEIGHT
I have these Vibram Five Finger shoes, which are more comfortable than they look. However they'd been advertised at 100 grams for the pair on Massdrop, so I was disappointed when they arrived and it turns out that should have been per shoe and not for the pair. They weigh 195 grams for the pair. They're about true-to-size. And they're more comfortable than I would have thought.

I've heard Crocs are really good, but a bit heavy and bulky for a pair of camp shoes is the only negative.

[andrewa]

Yep, whilst I love my Crocs, and bought them many years ago for camp shoes (?2005), they are too bulky for me for bushwalking.

I use either Croc thongs, or Kmart aquasocks( or similar) for bushwalking.

A

[dagsands]

Mine are Aussie soles 'starfish' thongs. They weigh only 180 Gm for a pair of size 45/46. They are one piece so the bit that goes between your toes doesn't pop out from the sole... which is the failure point that turned many a good Aussie thong into a mere frisbee.
If I wear socks I wear injinji toe socks with them so the thong style isn't an issue.
At other times my camp shoes are my weighty but awesome tevas - 630gm per pair, but I can cross rivers and swim oceans and climb mountains in those - so are they really camp shoes? Hehe

[katherineaw]

Thanks everyone = some good suggestions. Very keen on fully enclosed, as my blood seems to be the elixir of life for the bugs up here! Might investigate those Vibram's and the aqua socks in the first instance - I wear trail runners during the day, so not worried about getting them wet (would be a nice cool change, in fact).

Thanks!

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Yeh I use the vibram furokishi (sp?) things too. Not ultralight but comfortable, good water alternative and at a pinch a decent backup if I have a trail runner blow out.

I also have these: https://goosefeetgear.com/products/inst ... r-booties/

They *are* ultralight, waterproof and work well over socks, but not overly robust and limited to camp use only. Horses for courses really.

Sent from my F8131 using Tapatalk

[wildwanderer]

I usually dont bother with camp shoes unless im staying in huts and/or want to keep my main footwear dry during river crossings. (and I have time to change shoes, not always a given!)

For this dual purpose I use crocs as they lightweight(sort of),virtually indestructable and thick enough to deal with river rocks. If just using huts and no stream crossings then I like emmas hotel slippers idea. cant beat 50 grams!

[wildwanderer]

I use either Croc thongs, or Kmart aquasocks( or similar) for bushwalking.

A

How much do the Kmart aquasocks weigh? for a pair.

[lseries92]

I use some Ballops Skin Shoes /Skinfits V1 - they are enclosed lightweight water shoes. I pretty much wear them as camp shoes only - the sole is quite thin however Ballops also make a V2 version which have different styles and a thicker sole at the expense of an extra 80-100 grams.

My pair of skinfits weigh 240 grams for the pair including the removable insole - this is for the XXL which was ok for me (I wear EU 44 size boots). If you wear much larger shows than me you may have to look elsewhere though. They cost SG$39 delivered a couple of years ago ...

P.S. Another bonus is that they pack flat when not in use - I pop them in the bottom of my pack or carry them in an outside pocket if I think I may need them for a water crossing ...

[Snooze]

I packed fake crocs recently for the Overland—cheap knock offs, that cost probably $2.80, from Daiso. In a pre-OT weighing frenzy I had discovered the Daiso ones were significantly lighter than the real thing.

Due to the constant rain we enjoyed on our walk (in early February, the driest month they say ), and thanks to a tip from a poster on this forum, I ended up lining the fake crocs with transparent plastic bread bags (clean new ones obtained from my local Baker’s Delight).

Those bread-bag lined fake crocs worked like a charm. On the trips from the hut to the far flung toilets, socks and feet stayed warm and dry, in the heaviest rain, and on a couple of times at Narcissus when I had to carefully make my way through a thick layer of new snow.

Footnote: once we reached our motel unit in Lake St Clair, with heavy rain still falling outside, I was banned by my partner from wearing this look to the restaurant. (For the celebration lunch I wore the old, still wet but respectable hiking boots. In retrospect I can see that was the wiser choice.)

[ribuck]

I used to use a pair of thongs - 250 grams per pair, and awkward to wear with socks (I don't always bring Injinjis).

Then I tried hotel slippers - 68 grams per pair and super compact, but not stable enough for walking over uneven ground to collect water at camp.

Then I tried Kmart fake crocs - 250 grams per pair (lighter than real crocs), which were ideal in most way but too heavy and too bulky.

For my next trip I'm trying a pair of 200 gram water shoes. Not much sole underneath, but I don't anticipate walking over too many sharp stones. I will also use them for a short compulsory swim and wade that I'm expecting.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

But these clever and lightweight DIY sandals impress me:
https://gfycat.com/focusedfairarabianhorse

[trekker76]

I use semi heavy duty thongs, find crocs uncomfortable. I like something to handle easier parts of the trail if my feet need a break from boots.

[Neo]

Tried the Furokashi. Nice idea...

Good old thongs for camp, with or without socks.

Exped hut booties! I added a cheap thongs-sole inside for more comfort and insulation wandering outdoors.

If I go with spares, its one emergency undies and several spare socks. Changing socks is the bomb!

[warnesy]

I've always been a crocs guy. At 360g for the pair I reckon they are pretty good for the weight, but I agree with some of the above that the bulk can be a pain.

For Fathers Day I got the vivobarefeet aqua bloom IIIs, which on the website were 208grams. I'd always been eyeing these off, but hadn't bit the bullet given the cost. Anyway, turns out it was 208 per shoe (well actually one shoe was 230g and one shoe was 250g)! I was less than impressed and have returned them.

Back to searching for something lighter and better than the crocs

[keithy]

I currently use this brilliantly light and cheap EVA sandals I picked up from Daiso. I find them more comfy than thongs, and weighing in at 140g for the pair, they have been a surprisingly good buy. I've worn them with my down socks when it was dry at camp. I picked it up in Feb 2018 and it's been on a number of trips with me, as well as a few South East Asian trips.

Daiso EVA Slide Sandals.jpg (70.78 KiB) Viewed 34111 times

I tried modding them with a sling back using a short length of bungee cord I always have in my pack (I use the short bungee cord to occasionally to blouse my pants on my boots instead of gaiters). My bungee cord sling back idea was to keep it on my foot if I'm doing river crossings. But this didn't work out so well, as the sole isn't the most grippy and if there is a reasonable current, it didn't feel secure.

Previously I have used various Vibram FiveFingers. My favourites are the Komodo Sport I picked up in NY in 2012. The downsides are the weight at 360g for the pair, and the sometimes getting two toes in one toe slot, and how long it takes to dry out. Newer Vibram FF don't have the issue of getting the toes jammed in together somehow. I use this pair for watersports now, not so much for bushwalking.

Vibram FF Komodo.jpg (84.01 KiB) Viewed 34111 times

I had been eyeing off the Spyridon LS (lace up version) for ages, but gave up after a while, and then picked up the Spyridon MR Elite from Massdrop in 2017. However, the MR Elite version are a higher cut than the Spyridon LS, and a bit heavier. I didn't like the feel of the cuff coming so high up the ankle, and tried to off load them to my brother in law who runs marathons, but he's not a fan.

This year, my sister went to China, and she spotted something that looked similar to the Spyridon LS, but without the toes. I asked her to grab me a pair (they were about $20). They are surprisingly good. The soles look very similar to the Spyridon sole, and without the toes, it is easier to get in and out of. There are small "drainage" holes at the sole, and the insole is removable, and is honeycomb patterned. These weigh 320g for the pair. The downside is the honeycomb insole is not the most comfortable material with or without socks. I've replaced it with an equally light but significantly more comfortable insole. I haven't tested these out in earnest yet, but will take them for my river crossing footwear. I found a few places since that sell them on ebay and aliexpress as water shoes including my old goto place for lithium batteries Fasttech https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/100 ... cks-wading

Chinese NoFinger Spyridon LS

Chinese almost Spyridon LS copy.jpg (78.84 KiB) Viewed 34111 times

[flingebunt]

Daiso Japan sells a number of slip on ranging in price from $2.80 to I think $5.80. They are actually pretty lightweight. I use the open toe slip on sandals because they are both cheapest and lightest, but I think they sell a closed toe one as well.

[Biggles]

CROCs.
Simple, unfussed and easy to tote along.
I also pack a pair of polartec hut booties for cooler nights. There is no great bulk added to my pack with both these nifty options added. It's the flotsam and jetsam I collect along beaches that weighs me down (buoys, floats, ropes etc,.)

[Xastorm]

Daiso wearer here too

[rider]

I am adding another vote for the Daiso shoes.

Thanks so much for the suggestion!!

My previous fake crocs are light at 240 g a pair - and good insulation, but are bulky.

I picked up a pair of slides at Daiso

They weigh 110g for the pair.

Imagine dropping 130g from your base weight for $2.80 in any other bit of gear!!

[ChrisJHC]

I use Teva sandals.

A bit heavier than some of the other options listed, however the biggest benefit for me is that they act as my backup hiking shoes should my boots fall apart.

They’re also waterproof, robust, easy to slip on (especially at night), etc, etc

[ggorgeman]

I use Teva sandals.

A bit heavier than some of the other options listed, however the biggest benefit for me is that they act as my backup hiking shoes should my boots fall apart. They’re also waterproof, robust, easy to slip on (especially at night), etc, etc

Not a bad idea at all.... I've often pondered the thought of a boots-fail. They are a critical part of the transaction.

[Neo]

I've ordered some Neos Villger overboots via Mont. Should be good as a campsite boot for wet grassy areas and getting up during the night.

[Rai]

Wonder how much these weigh https://havaianas.com.au/products/zip-top-market-black?variant=42310118178995&currency=AUD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=AU%20-%20Multiple%20Feeds&utm_content=Zip%20Top%20Market%20%20Black&gclid=CjwKCAiArNOeBhAHEiwAze_nKAl4axIV6LqlwnhFJ5Sse-FVlicDKprynQ0cm7BcIfNOobBuROI9TRoCJXIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds