Saga of the Sandals

[jo webber]

My Ecco Yucatan sandals feel great on the top. The straps are comfortable and I really like the fact that all of the straps, including the back, are adjustable. The foot pad has no give so the bottom of my feet hurt.

Just got the Teva sandals. Wore them for several hours for two days. The foot pad is very nice, the heal has a cushioned area my feet love. The straps are not comfortable at all. Too narrow and the webbing type of strap rubs my feet. As the heal strap isn't adjustable I have to tighten the top strap too tight.

If I could get the bottom in Teva and the top in Ecco = happy feet. I don't have princess feet, promise.

The next chapter will be socks.
I have street wear socks that I wore with liners all over Europe and had happy feet. Just ordered liners from Amazon and they will be here later this week.
The thick super short socks help my feet in either sandal. But they are too thick and I would need a larger sandal.

Tonight my feet just hurt, both top and bottom. So for the next few days I will go back to being barefoot most of the time. It's still 34C in the heat of the day here. Once my feet are rested, I'll go back to experimenting.

 

[jo webber]

Quick up date. I have a small blister between my front foot pads, left foot. So a few days off from all of the sandal, sock ...... experiments are on hold.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Tonight my feet just hurt, both top and bottom. So for the next few days I will go back to being barefoot most of the time. It's still 34C in the heat of the day here. Once my feet are rested, I'll go back to experimenting.

So sorry! You must be getting really tired of trying to find the right sandals.

I know I am in a minority, but I didn't think sandals were all that necessary. I know plenty of people advocate walking the trail with them--but I am not one of them. If you have a pair of boots or trail shoes that will fit your foot after walking for 6-8 hr (it will probably be one to one and a half sizes larger than you have in your closet), that have the right correction for pronation and supination, and are well cushioned and well broken in, you could walk with them and a pair of flip flops (for wear for a couple of hours around the albergue). People who say they had to stop wearing their boots/shoes and walk in their sandals did not have the right boot/shoe.

good luck on the hunt

 

[jo webber]

So sorry! You must be getting really tired of trying to find the right sandals.

I know I am in a minority, but I didn't think sandals were all that necessary. I know plenty of people advocate walking the trail with them--but I am not one of them. If you have a pair of boots or trail shoes that will fit your foot after walking for 6-8 hr (it will probably be one to one and a half sizes larger than you have in your closet), that have the right correction for pronation and supination, and are well cushioned and well broken in, you could walk with them and a pair of flip flops (for wear for a couple of hours around the albergue). People who say they had to stop wearing their boots/shoes and walk in their sandals did not have the right boot/shoe.

good luck on the hunt

I live in sandals, have for years. The old hiking shoes I have are worn out and no longer made. After trying on several pair of shoes, I gave up. My heel is narrow and my foot is very wide.

I am sending the Teva sandals back.

Hope the sock liners or thicker socks work with the Eccos, which I really like for the most part. After a couple of weeks of short 2 mile walks with my pack 1/2 packed - I would like to have them work out.

 

[Dancing Rain]

For what it's worth my Topo trail shoes, which are designed to be very similar to being barefoot, did me really well without one blister. They were very comfortable from the time I first put them on. They have a wide toe box and narrow heel. I wore them with Ininji toe sock liners and woollen Tilley socks.

All the best with finding your perfect solution!!

 

[jo webber]

For what it's worth my Topo trail shoes, which are designed to be very similar to being barefoot, did me really well without one blister. They were very comfortable from the time I first put them on. They have a wide toe box and narrow heel. I wore them with Ininji toe sock liners and woollen Tilley socks.

All the best with finding your perfect solution!!

REI has Topo trail shoes, will check them out the next time we go there. Thanks.

 

[Felice]

Jo, apologies if you have already said in a previous thread, but where and when are you walking? Could make quite a difference.

I've lived in the middle east for a while, and have wide feet, so I understand a little where you are coming from.

 

[HikeTall]

Growing up on the beach, I'm the type of guy who looks at shoes as "prisons for my feet". If I could go barefoot all year round I would, but as I live in NYC now, um...that's not possible.

However, I wear my sandals as much as I can. Always bring a pair when I travel, as I even prefer to hike in them. I own the Teva Terra Fis & the Teva Tanzas. Both are Velcro adjustable, comfortable, vegan-friendly and very rugged sandals. I've never gotten a blister wearing them, and hike in them all the time.

When not wearing sandals, I prefer a light minimal trail runner for hiking like the Merrell barefoot access or the Merrell mix master move.

I plan to walk as much of the Camino in my Tevas next year. If not the whole thing. But I will bring one of my Merrell trailrunners as well.

Bien Camino!

 

[Stefystar]

My Ecco Yucatan sandals feel great on the top. The straps are comfortable and I really like the fact that all of the straps, including the back, are adjustable. The foot pad has no give so the bottom of my feet hurt.

Just got the Teva sandals. Wore them for several hours for two days. The foot pad is very nice, the heal has a cushioned area my feet love. The straps are not comfortable at all. Too narrow and the webbing type of strap rubs my feet. As the heal strap isn't adjustable I have to tighten the top strap too tight.

If I could get the bottom in Teva and the top in Ecco = happy feet. I don't have princess feet, promise.

The next chapter will be socks.
I have street wear socks that I wore with liners all over Europe and had happy feet. Just ordered liners from Amazon and they will be here later this week.
The thick super short socks help my feet in either sandal. But they are too thick and I would need a larger sandal.

Tonight my feet just hurt, both top and bottom. So for the next few days I will go back to being barefoot most of the time. It's still 34C in the heat of the day here. Once my feet are rested, I'll go back to experimenting.

Hi Jo Webber,

I so understand your quest for the footwear that will help
In your walking.
I have a large bunion , difficult to accommodate size versus comfort. I wear Keens Durand mid and use smart wool socks and a liner.
I found Keens Venice sandals good and I wear a thin cotton sock for walkabout after the day hike, they are waterproof too.
You probably would need to try them with the socks you plan to wear, to get the right fit.
I also massage my fetch after a long walk with a Weleda massage oil. It seems to work for my feet.

Best wishes with your search.
Buen camino

 

[Mark Lee]

Realistically nothing you do will replicate walking 15-30 km a day, with a pack, up and down elevations and over multiple types of terrain from muddy roads, scree, gravel and a whole lot of blacktop and concrete.
In other words, the best laid plans.....

 

[jo webber]

Jo, apologies if you have already said in a previous thread, but where and when are you walking? Could make quite a difference.

I've lived in the middle east for a while, and have wide feet, so I understand a little where you are coming from.

We will walk in Sept and Oct of 2017.
We were in France in Oct of 2015 and my long socks and heavy hose kept me plenty warm. I will take short sock liners for warmer days.

When I have looked at the current weather in Sept & so far in Oct, it ranges between very warm to fairly cold. Just like the desert we live in.

 

[Dancing Rain]

REI has Topo trail shoes, will check them out the next time we go there. Thanks.

The model I wore were Runventure, which may have been superceded. I had a pair of Rocky Goretex waterproof socks for when it was really wet.

 

[Priscilla NC]

Sorry that your time of experimenting is on hold. I hope you can get back to it soon, I found it to be the key to a comfortable walk in all conditions.

I have a stack of sports socks in my drawer that didn't work for me in my experimenting. I ended up with a pair of Injinji sports liners (toe socks) and Darn Tough wool socks over them -- these were the combination that worked for me. But your mileage may vary, and the only way to find that out is to experiment.

And I think that Arizona is a great place to do that in.

Buen Camino,
Priscilla

 

[Stefystar]

Quick up date. I have a small blister between my front foot pads, left foot. So a few days off from all of the sandal, sock ...... experiments are on hold.

Hi Jo webber,
I made a spelling errors in my previous post, I obviously I ment feet, not fetch.
With regard to blisters , friction or loose fitting footwear is most probably the reason. I experienced in my last walk ,going downhill, that I felt my foot sliding forward. I did not bother to promptly do my boot up tighter, as I did not want to interrupt my walking pace .... I did get a toe blister, fortunately just the start.
Hope yours will clear soon,best of luck

 

[VNwalking]

Hi, Jo. Have you tried Keens?
They did the trick for me.

 

[HikeTall]

I'm curious, which Teva sandals did you try? I find the Teva Tanza sandals are the best fitting on me. Very adjustable. Very comfortable. No hotspots & NO blisters.

 

[jo webber]

After a bit more walking, I will wear the Ecco sandals. They are comfortable in all ways except the foot pad. I have now been wearing them for several days with sock liners and socks, which do help. In the next few days Amazon will deliver three different types of hiking socks, two different thicknesses and two different brands. So I'll give each sock a tryout over a few days and see which one works best. At least socks are less expensive than shoes. lol