One pair of hiking footwear or two?

[Sheepdog19055]

HI,

I'm wondering if most people bring one or two pairs of hiking footwear? Shoes and hiking sandal? 2 pairs of shoes? etc.

 

[Anamiri]

Usually shoes/socks to walk in and flips for after.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

HI,

I'm wondering if most people bring one or two pairs of hiking footwear? Shoes and hiking sandal? 2 pairs of shoes? etc.

I take one pair of shoe only. . . the pair I walk in. I also take two pairs of insoles; the insoles that i purchase for walking in, plus the insoles which came with the shoes.

If my feet are comfortable walking in the shoes, then they are comfortable for me AFTER hiking all day. When I reach my lodging or campsite for the night, I will swap my walking insoles for my AFTER walking insoles, change into a fresh pair of socks that I will use for tomorrow's walk, and I am good to go.

I walk around town looking at the sights, have dinner, relax, do my washing, chores, etc.

 

[Vacajoe]

I prefer my crocs (sandals) after a day if walking simply to change things up!

 

[jungleboy]

You won’t need two pairs of shoes to walk in - that’s a lot of extra weight and space taken up in your pack. Most people have one pair for walking and flip-flops, crocs, sandals etc for the rest of the time. If your walking shoes are uncomfortable, causing problems etc, there will be shops on the way where you can replace them.

 

[Dorpie]

Hi @Sheepdog19055 and welcome to the forum.

Personally I don't carry two pairs of footwear but I've certainly had days when I've changed into my flip flops a few kms before reaching my destination because I've started to feel the accumulation of pressure over the day. People may say this means I have bad shoes, I think it's more a reflection of the fact that I'm a very heavy guy and that load inevitably goes through the feet .

I am actually considering two sets of walking footwear for my upcoming camino which will mostly be in October. I favour a walking sandal but at that time of year, especially towards the end that might not be practical.

Buen Camino,

Rob.

 

[trecile]

I have seen more than one pilgrim's Camino be saved because they brought a pair of hiking sandals and wore them while their feet were healing from blisters.

 

[Phil71]

I have carried a spare pair of boots but came to the decision that was because I didn't trust my main pair enough. So they got changed. Now I always have only 1 pair of boots and trekking sandals. The sandals do for night time but can also be used for walking if my feet tell me they need a change.

 

[Robo]

I have my walking footwear, currently light boots and 'evening' footwear to give my feet a break.
My evening footwear is hiking sandals. So not only gives my feet a break but can be used for hiking if I have foot problems......

Swapping my boots for trail runners next time.
But will still take the sandals.

 

[t2andreo]

I have always worn mid-high Keen boots and carried BOTH cheap flip flops (changlas) for shower use, AND a pair of Ecco sporting sandals. This is to change-off, apres walking, to allow my boots to air and dry out, and to provide a lighter pairt of footwear for rest days en route. On longer Caminos, 4-weeks or more, I always take the odd day off, usually in a large city.

This said, Davebugg's approach (post # 3 above), two pair of insoles with one pair of boots makes logical sense. But I always recommend the flip-flops for shower use, especially if you are staying in albergues.

Hope this helps.

 

[John Sikora]

No one has stated perhaps the obvious. If you have you use transport of the luggage you have more options. I find that one pair of sandals and one pair of walking shoes works just fine, but if you need more for any one of a thousand reasons and use transport, it's not an issue.

 

[trecile]

No one has stated perhaps the obvious. If you have you use transport of the luggage you have more options. I find that one pair of sandals and one pair of walking shoes works just fine, but if you need more for any one of a thousand reasons and use transport, it's not an issue.

Backpack transport does work for many people, but it does limit your flexibility. I'm one who prefers to have everything that I need with me at all times.

 

[John Sikora]

I would agree but it depends on your definition of flexibility. I used to backpack in my younger days but can't carry that much of a load now. So, the ability to ship stuff perhaps reduces the flexibility on where to stay but increases the flexibility of being able to walk in the first place and more importantly to walk without discomfort or additional worry due to individual requirements.

For me, knowing where I am going to stay increases my flexibility to walk as slow as I want to to enjoy the walk or the scenery without any concern as to the night's conclusion. I truly appreciate the ability to just live off one's back, but many times, the passage of time becomes the inflexible factor. Buen Camino.

 

[Priscilla NC]

In 2 caminos I've packed Keen sandals as my second pair. This was a case of 'packing my fears': if anything happened to my Altras, I would be hard-pressed to find a comfortable pair of shoes, as my feet are hard to fit.

I have not ever had to wear my Keens for walking and may rethink this next time, as my back is fragile and the sandals are heavier than other options.

 

[Terry Callery]

On my Portuguese Camino from Lisbon I took two pairs of ultra-light Columbia water-proof sneakers (different models) Both over-sized at 12 for 10 1/2 feet. Half a size for thick alpaca socks and a full size bigger for my foot to swell. I would switch back and forth and never got a blister and never walked with a wet or damp shoe.
The second pair hung off the loops outside my Osprey Talon backpack. I did my Camino in February-March and did not take a sleeping bag or a bath towel. I always had a pair of clean dry shoes to put on arriving at some of the nicer places, hotels and quintas where I stayed. The wet muddy ones could be placed upside down on the heating unit to dry overnight.
I do like Dave Bugg's suggestion of taking two pairs of inserts!

 

[Rick M]

HI,

I'm wondering if most people bring one or two pairs of hiking footwear? Shoes and hiking sandal? 2 pairs of shoes? etc.

I take two pairs of shoes, but I'm not most people. Full disclosure, I have three pairs. Shoes and socks are the items that get the carte blanche treatment in my pack weight budget.

I walk in running shoes for the most part. For 90% of the trail, running shoes are fine. I also carry a set of gortex hiking shoes, which I change into when a) its raining, b) the rougher parts of the trail like the descent into Acebo, c) when my feet request a change of footwear. This third pair are nearly weightless crocs for use in the albergues. There are the less-than-perfect weeks where I change my shoes every few hours as the weather and trail change. There are sunny weeks where the hiking shoes are so much dead weight on my back. So be it.

As an aside, gortex shoes are no panacea for wet weather, your feet will still get wet. But they do buy you an hour of comfort when the rain starts or stops, or the trail is muddy. In most cases, that's all you really need, because the weather and the trail change. On rainout days, I do what everyone else does: slog along in soggy misery, or head for shelter until it stops.

As others have said, most people carry a walking set plus an albergue spare. I find that the ability to change shoes on the trail is worth the extra weight in the pack. This is not a calculation that should be made lightly, as pack weight is a huge factor in having a great versus miserable experience during your camino. My math says that the ability to change shoes on demand has a better overall outcome than taking a kilo out of my pack. For most people, this is not true. You will need to find out for yourself where your preferences lie.

Buen Camino