• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

LIVE from the Camino In Burgos- help needed

Tommybhoy

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino de Frances in September/ October 2016
Hey pilgrims, I'm in Burgos with my feet in bad condition. Lost all the skin and both toenails on my pinky toes, and it's very tender. Doctor at the medical centre ordered 3 days rest and I can only carry on if I get sandals. Trouble is I went all across Burgos to find a pair and none fit my size 12 feet.
If I don't get any sandals the Camino is over for me. Plain and simple. Any help/ suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thomas
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
So sorry to hear that! Have you already tried the Decathlon in Burgos? Buen Camino, SY

Also have you looked in the lost/found box in the albergue? Perhaps you get lucky there ...
 
Go to a shoe repair shop and plead with the owner to make something that will work for you.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
So sorry to hear that! Have you already tried the Decathlon in Burgos? Buen Camino, SY

Also have you looked in the lost/found box in the albergue? Perhaps you get lucky there ...

Here is the address of Decathlon in Burgos for sporting goods.

Decathlon Burgos
Centro Comercial Parque Burgos, Carretera N1, Km 236,
09001 Burgos, Spain
+34 947 27 91 27
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
So sorry to hear that! Have you already tried the Decathlon in Burgos? Buen Camino, SY

Also have you looked in the lost/found box in the albergue? Perhaps you get lucky there ...
Thanks @SYates , never thought of that, might have to give it a try. I'm on my way to decathlon now, praying I get a solid pair that fit.
 
Join our full-service guided tour of the Basque Country and let us pamper you!
Other than the good suggestions others have already made, I can't help with sandals--good luck at Decathlon!
And perhaps stop at a pharmacia and get some paper surgical tape for your feet. Once you start walking again, use it to tape your toes. A cheap and very good blister preventative.

And as you have days in Burgos while your feet heal, why not take a bus down to Santo Domingo de Silos for a night--a very nice excursion, and not far away. You can take a bus back in the morning. Searching here will give you a start in terms of information. Or here.
 
Oh no. Another shoe problem. A serious one.
Thomas you are in Burgos right now and where do you want to go. What time scale do you have for your camino?
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I saw one American bloke who had very bad feet from the Pyrenees, and he had to convert to Crocs to keep on his feet.
I know, these are probably the worst footwear for walking longhaul, but in his case, it made it possible for him as far as beyond Burgos. they are rather broad and roomy and with proper socks you might fill them out.
He was hobbling along but said he was fine and used walking poles.
 
Sorry to hear that. I arrived in Burgos on Sunday, September 18th to begin the Camino where I left off last year. You will probably be healed by then, but let me know if I need to bring you a pair of sandals from the US. daniel
 
I used my crocs once when I had some bad blisters. I was back packing, and they were the only extra shoes I had. I took the insoles out of my boots and put them into the crocs and an extra pair of socks. It improved the fit, but they were still loose. I have pretty strong ankles, but because of the fit I had to be careful not to roll an ankle. They do not have good traction, and can be quite slippery. The soles are not spider rubber. I think Burgos is the start of the meseta. Looking at the elevation charts it should be a little flatter.

What treatment did they suggest for your feet besides rest? They sound raw and painful, but a soak in epsom salt (sulfato de magnesio or sal de Epsom?) may help to dry them out and heal. A little provodone iodine, or betadyne in the water may help reduce the possibility of infection. The soak may sting at first, but should get easier. Make sure the bandaging and tape are NON STICK. Make sure they stay clean, dry, and get as much air as possible. Are you planning on wearing socks with your sandals or just bare feet? Socks may offer a level of cushioning, keep some of the trail dirt etc. off of your feet, and provide some protection including sun protection. I would change them a couple of times during the day with a clean dry pair. You might be able to give the dirty ones a quick wash at a rest stop and hang them from your pack to dry after washing, so that you always have a clean dry pair in reserve.

Make the most of your rest days, and keep us updated with your progress.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
You must absolutely throw your current footwear away - they are too short and too narrow at the front .. don't be sentimental, lose them now!
Decathlon has a good selection of trekking sandals though you have clown feet like me so I hope that you find your size. Best you can get - truly the best for feet like yours - are the Keen Newport H2 sandals (there is a shop in Astorga sells them, which doesn't help you much) ... so wonderfully wide at the toe end and with a real foot support sole -

Good luck with your searching (and your healing - this time obey orders and STOP until you are healed ... no more self-harm now ;)
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
If you have a Kindle or use the Kindle app, you might want to buy this book:
Fixing Your Feet, by John Vonhof
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I8S7U44/?tag=casaivar02-20
You have great advice above and hopefully get some reasonable footwear, but this book could help expedite the healing process.

Buen Camino!!!
 
Last edited:
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Chiming in with @Wokabaut_Meri, @Anemone del Camino, and @Anniesantiago. If you don't manage to get what you need, that will get you as far as Leon or Astorga where there are other shoe places.
And to clarify what I said about paper tape--yeah, definitely don't use it on raw skin. That's for after the toes have healed.
Let us know how you go, @Tommybhoy !
 
Last edited:
Chiming in with @Wokabaut_Meri, @Anemone del Camino, and @Anniesantiago. If you don't manage to get what you need, that will get you as far as Leon or Astorga where there are other shoe places.
And to clarify what I said about paper tape--yeah, definitely don't use it on raw skin. That's for after the toes have healed.
Let us know how you go, @Tommybhoy !

I just got back from the Camino about 10 days ago and I saw a pair of boots with the tops cut off in Pedrouzo, just before Santiago. They looked great as makeshift sandals! Not the prettiest perhaps (though they looked really cool to me), but they got the job done, and the pilgrim in question, to Santiago! :)

I hope you've already been able to find sandals to fit you, and that the relatively flat stretch from Burgos gives your feet a break and more time to recover.

Rachel
 
Hey pilgrims, I'm in Burgos with my feet in bad condition. Lost all the skin and both toenails on my pinky toes, and it's very tender. Doctor at the medical centre ordered 3 days rest and I can only carry on if I get sandals. Trouble is I went all across Burgos to find a pair and none fit my size 12 feet.
If I don't get any sandals the Camino is over for me. Plain and simple. Any help/ suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thomas
you are stuck anyway, try ordering online and getting by express post . I am sure you will find some. TEVA are the best I have found
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Hey everyone, I've managed to purchase a fantastic pair of Teva sandals from an excellent sports/hiking shop in Calle Madrid, Burgos. It's called 'base' and the assistant was very knowledgeable and was well acquainted with the plight of the perregrino. I also went to the pharmacy and got the necessary supportI will get the bus on Monday to link up with my Camino family, and transport my pack for a few days until I'm back to fitness. Thank you guys for your support/advice and suggestions, I'm a happy pilgrim again!
Buen Camino
 
Hey everyone, I've managed to purchase a fantastic pair of Teva sandals from an excellent sports/hiking shop in Calle Madrid, Burgos. It's called 'base' and the assistant was very knowledgeable and was well acquainted with the plight of the perregrino. I also went to the pharmacy and got the necessary supportI will get the bus on Monday to link up with my Camino family, and transport my pack for a few days until I'm back to fitness. Thank you guys for your support/advice and suggestions, I'm a happy pilgrim again!
Buen Camino


Ah good for you!

Also good to know that there is indeed another Base Deportes more in the city centre than the Base Deportes I posted above. If your feet hurt no one likes to walk more than necessary to a shop for new sandals.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Ah good for you!

Also good to know that there is indeed another Base Deportes more in the city centre than the Base Deportes I posted above. If your feet hurt no one likes to walk more than necessary to a shop for new sandals.
You are so right @SabineP , I was so fed up because my flip flops were so inadequate and doing the pilgrim shuffle was getting soooo old. The Base Deportes was a godsend, and I can't wait to get to get back on the camino
 

Most read last week in this forum

To me the most Dangerous stage on the Camino Frances was from Foncebadon to Ponferrada in the rain. Never forget the riverbed rocks from El Acebo to Ponferrada totally treacherous, seen several...
...I am on day eight of walking the Francés at the moment. It is quite busy. A lot of talk about beds (and the need to book ahead). I don't book. Today I tried really hard not to get a bed. I...
I started from Pamplona this morning for a quick week walking before starting service as a hospitalera next week back in Pamplona. The trail up to Alto de Perdón has only a few big puddles left...
I’m heading to the Frances shortly and was going to be a bit spontaneous with rooms. I booked the first week just to make sure and was surprised at how tight reservations were. As I started making...
Ultreia, y'all! I am excited to start my first camino soon and have a question about the first time I use my Pilgrim's Passport. I have one already (purchased from Ivar) but was still planning to...
Hello, I would be grateful for some advice from the ones of you who are walking/have recently walked from SJPdP :) 1 - How busy is the first part of the camino right now? I read some reports of a...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Similar threads

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top