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I'm currently debating whether to bring Crocs or walking sandals (Tevo) as my second pair of footwear for a May/June Camino.
Both are waterproof and therefore can be used as shower footwear. Crocs are more comfortable (IMHO--I've never been much of a sandals guy) but sandals would likely be better for walking if I need a spell away from the boots (likely ankle-high Merrill Moabs).
Thoughts?
Maybe flippers from all the stories of flooding I have been following!I'm currently debating whether to bring Crocs or walking sandals (Tevo) as my second pair of footwear for a May/June Camino.
Both are waterproof and therefore can be used as shower footwear. Crocs are more comfortable (IMHO--I've never been much of a sandals guy) but sandals would likely be better for walking if I need a spell away from the boots (likely ankle-high Merrill Moabs).
Thoughts?
Hi Zzotte, I wonder...are these Xerisoes? Xeri, being Greek for ' dry'.I gave up on my beloved crocs for a new sandals called xeroshoes they are great it goes with my new thing barefoot running (no I'm not walking the camino barefoot) but its durable enough that if I had to I could
zzotte
Hi Zzotte, I wonder...are these Xerisoes? Xeri, being Greek for ' dry'.
No its Xero as zero or nothing on your feet spin you can see it at xeroshoes dot com
Thanks for all the info on crocs vs. sandals! Are croc knock-offs really readily available on the Camino?? And are they essentially the same comfort and quality as real Crocs? Sounds too good to be true; I've always loved crocs |(and Teva Sandals too!)I pick up Crock knock offs for about €6-10 on the Camino, then leave them when I go home.
Thanks for all the info on crocs vs. sandals! Are croc knock-offs really readily available on the Camino?? And are they essentially the same comfort and quality as real Crocs? Sounds too good to be true; I've always loved crocs |(and Teva Sandals too!)
Makes sense. I'm an ardent gardener and while building my own, using the Xeriscaping method, I found many garden suppliers were incorrectly using the term 'Zeroscaping'.No its Xero as zero or nothing on your feet spin you can see it at xeroshoes dot com
If you weigh both pairs of footwear, I think you will find the Crocs weigh less.
It has been said that one pound on the back translates to five pounds of force at the ankles and feet. The little amounts DO add up. So you need to watch the fractional bits.
Also, the Crocs, if worn in a shower or on a rainy day, will dry faster than the nylon webbing or leather trim on most sandals.
On balance, if you are not planning to walk the Camino in the sandals or Crocs, but are planning to use them primarily for shower, lounge, or tourist purposes, I would opt for the Crocs. I do.
In 2014, I picked up a pair of BRIGHT Wasabi green Crocs in Leon. The color matched my overall livery, and people could see me coming from a block away. On Camino, most style sense is optional anyway...I mean who really cares?
Final point, it is highly unlikely that anyone will "misappropriate" my Crocs though accident or intention, as the color is so unique. "Borrowing" footwear does occur in some places. I experienced this second-hand with several folks I have walked with over the years. It is not rampant, but where and when it occurs, footwear usually goes missing from the communal boot shelves or racks that many albergues use near the entrance to keep the inside of the facility cleaned. So, I recommend you consider color if you have not yet bought Crocs or sandals.
I hope this helps.
You have me concerned. Is there a problem with losing my hiking footwear from a communal site at the entrance to Alberques?
I would not say it is a definite problem. What I stated (restated here using other words) was that on rare occasions, someone who feels they need your boots/ shoes more than you might, REPEAT MIGHT, take them. It happens...
The Camino, writ large, is very safe. The problems that do occur relate mostly to nuisance things like this. The occasional clothing item or towel disappears from a communal clothesline. A personal item left lying on a bunk "goes walkabout." Electrical adapter plugs an chargers get left behind and sometimes disappear.
But, hospitaleros are, as a group, very helpful. I have seen them place valuables in taxis to get them to the albergue in the next town so the pilgrim who lost the passport, credential, or other item can be reunited with the item. Do not worry. But, also, do not be overly attached to material items.
The Camino attracts all manner of people. That is the nature of the undertaking. In my experience 99.9 percent of all pilgrims are honest, diligent, caring and helpful people. But, we ARE talking about human nature here. One must undertake the Camino with their eyes wide open and not leaving all their street smart behind, at home.
Ideas I can offer to lessen the likelihood that YOUR footwear will be interesting to another person include:
On the other hand, last year, on the coastal route from Porto, a walked with a fellow who had his beloved long-term owned, resoled forever, work issued boots "borrowed" from the boot rack an albergue at Ponte de Lima. They were there when he went in in the evening, and gone when he awoke the next morning. He wore his auxiliary sports sandals on Camino, until he reached a larger town with a good shoe store where he bought a replacement pair of hiking footwear. It does happen, but not to everyone, and not on a regular basis.
- Do not place your boots/shoes at eye height on the communal rack. Place them so eyes are not drawn to them.
- Tie your shoelaces together so someone cannot slip the shoes on without taking extra time to untie them.
- With #2 above, loop the laces through the rack to "tie" the boots to the rack. It is not a lock, but is a deterrent.
- In 2014, at Roncesvalles, I actually saw someone use a small luggage lock to connect their two boots together using two eyelets. At the time, I thought this a very clever idea...just sayin...
Do not be paranoid. In the unlikely chance you do lose something you need, there are outdoor shops all along the Camino. There are Decathlon sports department stores at Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Ponferrada. Footwear can be replaced. I regularly buy clothing when I determine I forgot something, or something gets misplaced.
I note that other forum members with FAR more experience than me often state that one should not bring anything on Camino that you cannot afford to lose. The above discussion touches on this point. Your stuff does not define you. In my case, my adopted color scheme sort of does, but I digress...
That is why we all recommend bringing a zip lock bag, containing all your valuables and electronics into the shower stall with you. Never be separated from the impossible, or really hard to replace items.
This is also, anecdotally, why some folks state that it is possible to do the Camino with the clothes on your back and lots of money...
I hope this helps.
These are what I now bring with me for the afternoon: they are all plastic (no ribbon/neoprene straps that will remain humid like in Tevas) and better support and more antislip, inside the shoes and on the pavement than Crocs).I found these: for women, http://www.coolshoes.com/our-shoes/birkenstock/madrid-essential.html; for men, http://www.coolshoes.com/our-shoes/birkenstock/arizona-essentia-46551.html. Lighter than Crocs, except maybe their flip-flops, but you can wear socks with them. I'm a guy, size 11 (U.S.) Arizona weighs in at 260 grams.
I found these: for women, http://www.coolshoes.com/our-shoes/birkenstock/madrid-essential.html; for men, http://www.coolshoes.com/our-shoes/birkenstock/arizona-essentia-46551.html. Lighter than Crocs, except maybe their flip-flops, but you can wear socks with them. I'm a guy, size 11 (U.S.) Arizona weighs in at 260 grams.
I once had to walk with Crocs shapped like the old Dr. Sholl's wood and leather sandals for three or four days and was just fine. This was on the CF between Leon and Astorga.ok -- I have a really silly question. When you all are talking about crocs, are you talking about the traditional/original clod-type crocs? Or the "hurache" ones? Can one walk days on the camino in one or the other? Or are they JUST for non-camino use (i.e. auberge)? Having trouble finding 2nd shoes that could be worn on camino in a pinch. Have always loved crocs, but not sure whether I could REALLY walk in them!
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