Is the French Way paved?

[Sofie]

Hi,

This is my first time going on the Camino, and first time posting in this forum.

I am planning on going the French way, and are having problems finding the right shoes.
There are big differences between shoes made for paved roads, terrain and gravel.

So therefore I am asking you guys :
Is the French way composed of mainly paved roads, gravel or pathes in the terrain?

I hope some of you can help me here, I'm planning on leaving for Spain 12th of June, and I have to "walk my shoes in" as we say in Norway.

Sofie

 

[wayfarer]

Welcome Sofie, The Camino is a mixture of all of the above. Get a good pair of hiking mid boots or shoes and as you are walking in June I would suggest a good pair of walking sandals too.
Buen Camino.

 

[Sofie]

Thank you for your answer
It's so difficult deciding, because these shoes is the ones I will be stuck with for the rest of the trip, therefore I need imput

 

[nidarosa]

I wore Salomon non-goretex trainer type shoes with vibram soles to walk in and Teva Terra Fi Lite Sandals. Not saying you have to get the same ones, but Google them and it will give you an idea of what many pilgrims wear on summer caminos. Choose goretex if you want, or boots instead of shoes if you prefer. The footwear I had was light, durable and dried quickly after rain. Remember to get your shoes a bit bigger than normal, but not necessarily the sandals. Hope this helps!

 

[naplesdon]

The Brierley guide lists 3 categories of surfaces for each stage: path/track, quiet road and main road and goes on to details the percentage of each surface for the day. Unfortunately path/track could mean dirt or gravel paths among other surfaces. Obviously quiet road and main road means solid concrete or paver sidewalks and/or asphalt pavement.

 

[dougfitz]

Is the French way composed of mainly paved roads, gravel or pathes in the terrain?

It is paved with good intentions ... or was that the road to hell

There is enough asphalt and gravel to benefit from footwear with a reasonably compressible sole. I wear classic Scarpa boots with hard Vibram sole, and it can get a bit tough after a long stretch of walking on asphalt.

 

[Icacos]

You might also consider getting some good, soft inserts for your boots/shoes, to cushion your soles. They add to the expense but, at least to me, are well worth it. Buen Camino.

 

[Jo Jo]

Sofie,

I wish I had asked that question--it would have saved me some incredible blisters. There is very little "dirt path through a forest with lots of stones" kind of walking for which you need boots (the day after Roncevalles through the natural area is the only extended instance I can think of). Other than that is wide gravel roads (basically farm roads), paved roads and sidewalks. I would omit the boots and take hiking sandals for the rougher sections (gravel roads), and running shoes designed for concrete/asphalt for all of the paved roads and sidewalks. A fuller explanation of what happened with boots on a summer Camino is here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...id-not-for-a-summer-camino.31137/#post-304777
Two pairs of walking shoes for the different surfaces is not unreasonable, and well worth the weight (alternatively, take all three. Stash your running shoes in Pamplona with someone, and take your boots and sandals from SJPP back to Pamplona. Mail back your boots at that point, pick up your running shoes, and walk on).

Buen Camino,
Jo Jo

 

[Mark Lee]

Whatever type shoe you decide on, you don't need it to have a gore-tex or similar type of waterproof lining for a summertime Camino Frances. The non-waterproof shoes are lighter, dry out quicker and keep your feet cooler. Cooler feet equals less perspiration on the feet, which means drier feet. Drier feet equals less or no blisters.
cheers

 

[dcorrea951]

Don't forget the Roman Roads ..... very uneven cobblestone and rounded stones (happens over the course of 2,000 years) . The insoles are a good tip, and be sure you have support for the arch. It's easy to end the day with sore feet !

Buen Camino !

 

[CJ Williams]

Hi,

This is my first time going on the Camino, and first time posting in this forum.

I am planning on going the French way, and are having problems finding the right shoes.
There are big differences between shoes made for paved roads, terrain and gravel.

So therefore I am asking you guys :
Is the French way composed of mainly paved roads, gravel or pathes in the terrain?

I hope some of you can help me here, I'm planning on leaving for Spain 12th of June, and I have to "walk my shoes in" as we say in Norway.

Sofie

Hello Sofie,

You will find all the types of terrain you have mentioned on the Camino: earthen tracks through the hills and the mountains; gravelled contry roads; asphalted highways and cobbled city sidewalks.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Sofie, you are going to get 100 answers, all different.
People are passionate about THEIR shoes.

So am I!

I have walked the Camino Francis 7 times.
I have walked many of the other routes also.

I always wear a good pair of trail shoes - not boots.
I wear New Balance because I have very wide feet, but people have had good luck with other brands such as Solomon, etc.

The important thing is that you get shoes with a wide, deep toe box.
It is also important the shoes are not so large they flop at the heel or so small they bind.

Most people's feet will swell from this amount and type of walking.

It is much easier to fill the extra space with socks or tighter laces, than it is to stretch your shoes!
I recommend people buy their trail shoes 1 to 1.5 sizes larger than they'd normally wear.
I stand by that recommendation based on my experience.

There are always exceptions - I get reminded every time I post about this - but my experience is that I've seen a lot of pilgrims.
I take small groups on the route.
I meet MORE people with blisters and foot problems because of either
1) too tight shoes,
2) poor fitting shoes,
3) BOOTS that leave blisters around the ankles,
4) walking too many kilometers when their body isn't used to it.

I know some people LOVE their boots and if you have a pair of boots you love and they are WELL broken in, wear them.
Also, if you have weak ankles, boots might be a good bet.
Some people definitely ARE boot people and I know they have better boot choices in Europe than in the USA in my experience.

But if you have never worn boots, I suggest you are much better off with a good flexible pair of trail runners.

They are cooler in the summer weather.
If they get wet, they dry by morning.
They are more flexible.
They are more lightweight

The Camino is not a mountain hike.
It is a trek over varying types of terrain.
A nice pair of trail runners will keep your feet happy, in my opinion.

 

[VNwalking]

Sophie, welcome!
I second Anniesntiago's post....
I took boots and trail shoes this year as it was the end of winter. The boots I used for only 2 1/2 days, and most of the time they were heavy dead weight in my pack. The trail shoes were perfect. (they were Keens, but the way.)
You DON'T need boots!
Buen Camino............

 

[Chris White]

Hi Sofie,
I'm on the Camino France's right now (8 days in) and the weather has been incredible. First 3 days were above 30 degrees celcius. Only 1 day below 20 degrees so far. With that in mind, I started this walk wearing Salomon boots. They did not breathe at all, and I found myself with blisters. I have now bought a new pair of Salomon shoes which do breathe, and I bought them 1.5 sizes bigger and I'm enjoying the space, as your feet really do swell a lot. Make sure your shoes breathe, are not goretex, and are bigger than normal. I'm speaking from current experience and hope you don't get what I did
Buen Camino.

 

[november_moon]

I took hiking shoes with a vibram sole. They worked well, but the hard sole was difficult on the pavement. Several days in I bought new insoles - these squishy, gel insoles that were selling at the local farmacia like hot cakes. These were terrific - cushioned the feet on hard surfaces. They weren't good for trail walking though - not enough side support, so I switched out my insoles depending on the terrain.