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I am planing to start my Camino in early July for about 2 weeks beginning from Leon. I had read many opinions on how boots is the best option to walk but at the same time, many pilgrims had complain about blisters.....y haven't read the experience from pilgrims that walked the camino with Sandals....I would appreciate if I hear from them. Try many boots, bought merril gore-tex, and they feel very heavy and not comfortable on my feet at all! Do you think sandals will be a good option beginning from Leon?
I wore my Keen closed toe hiking sandals Sept/Oct last year with wool socks in the rain and had no issues, socks got wet but were not uncomfortable. I wore shorts every day of the trip, we didn't have ponchos but rain gear with tops and pants. The sandals provided a nice break from the trailrunners I was wearing. Buen Camino!I am tempted to walk a good portion of the Francés in Tevas and wonder if they would work well in the rain/mud with shorts and an Altus rain poncho. Does anyone have any experience they care to share?
It is difficult to find a good fitting shoes, do you have an outdoor footwear store nearby. I would not want to walk with sandals because i could not find a proper fitting boots. The question you should ask is do I need boots. As others have stated, if you don't have any issues with ankle, heel or arc support then go for an outdoor sandals that have good traction and some support (like keen daytona, lowa urbano, ecco yucatan). If you choose sandals, you still need to handle mud and rain which would necessitate some type of shoes anyway unless you are willing to walk in the wet muddy conditions in sandals as well. That is why most people compromise and carry a lightweight breathable walking shoe that is sufficient to handle steep ascent/descent, rough uneven terrain and wet conditions. Or carry two, an outdoor sandal and a shoe.I am planing to start my Camino in early July for about 2 weeks beginning from Leon. I had read many opinions on how boots is the best option to walk but at the same time, many pilgrims had complain about blisters.....y haven't read the experience from pilgrims that walked the camino with Sandals....I would appreciate if I hear from them. Try many boots, bought merril gore-tex, and they feel very heavy and not comfortable on my feet at all! Do you think sandals will be a good option beginning from Leon?
I am tempted to walk a good portion of the Francés in Tevas and wonder if they would work well in the rain/mud with shorts and an Altus rain poncho. Does anyone have any experience they care to share?
Thank you Rajy62, I will go to REI this weekend and try running shoes and sandals and see how they feel on my feet.It is difficult to find a good fitting shoes, do you have an outdoor footwear store nearby. I would not want to walk with sandals because i could not find a proper fitting boots. The question you should ask is do I need boots. As others have stated, if you don't have any issues with ankle, heel or arc support then go for an outdoor sandals that have good traction and some support (like keen daytona, lowa urbano, ecco yucatan). If you choose sandals, you still need to handle mud and rain which would necessitate some type of shoes anyway unless you are willing to walk in the wet muddy conditions in sandals as well. That is why most people compromise and carry a lightweight breathable walking shoe that is sufficient to handle steep ascent/descent, rough uneven terrain and wet conditions. Or carry two, an outdoor sandal and a shoe.
REI shoe experts should guide you in the right direction. If you do like some models, buy them and try them at home for a week, You can return them as long as they are not worn outside. Do try the Merrell ventlator hiking shoes ($90, light under 2 ibs). They also have them in mid height with or without waterproof. But no gore-tex. Enjoy shopping.Thank you Rajy62, I will go to REI this weekend and try running shoes and sandals and see how they feel on my feet.
I am tempted to walk a good portion of the Francés in Tevas and wonder if they would work well in the rain/mud with shorts and an Altus rain poncho. Does anyone have any experience they care to share?
Mike, I'm doing the same as you - taking lightweight trainers but also hiking sandals - in my case Eccos. I intend to wear the sandals in the wet and mud too. As always on Camino, I'm staying flexible. Getting it wrong seems to be my path to wisdom.
I think you should think about becoming a foot model....@Rajy62 these are the ones I wore: http://au.shop.ecco.com/mens-shoes/mens-sport-shoes/ecco-mens-offroad-sandal-069564.html
And this is what they looked like after a long dusty day!
View attachment 22548
During our May - June Camino this year my walking buddy, female, 62, developed a blister under the toenail of her second toe, left foot, wearing her boots. At Burgos she switched to her everyday walking sandals and made SdC in 24 days. I would have bet money she could not have done it, but she did. For her, sandals was the answer. Gave me a new perspective on sandals.Thought it was time to report back on this thread. I finished up by wearing my Ecco Off-Road hiking sandals for the whole of the May/June Camino del Norte (840km), and September Camino Frances, including in the wet and through muddy tracks, and on hard roads. For me they worked well. They have a tough purpose built sole which shows not the slightest sign of wear. I tended to wade through mud and water without concern. If it was very cold I wore Sealskinz waterproof socks. Otherwise I did not wear socks. My friend who was walking the Camino Frances for the first time, on my suggestion, also wore Ecco Off-Road hiking sandals, but with socks. She found them perfectly comfortable and I can't recall her getting any blisters. I did not. Neither of us had problems with getting stones or pebbles inside the sandals, the pebbles just shake out, although it was a little more difficult with socks.
I have bad knees from old skiing accidents, and broke my ankle several years ago, but my trekking poles give me all the extra stability I need.
@KristinSdV I bought the mens - they don't look so good but the footbed suits me better. In the womens size my arch is sort of in the wrong place. They are also half a size bigger than my normal shoes. Do you think it was the particular pair or size you were wearing, or something wrong for you about the whole design? I personally think it is great that the sales staff cautioned you against something that did not feel right. And I agree with them. But maybe you could try some other styles. Everyone's feet are different. Keep looking! There are lots of other makes out there too, not just Merrells and Tevas but also Keens as mentioned, and not just the makes in hiking stores. Some of the German manufacturers make good walking sandals and I saw some Birkenstocks today that looked possible.
Perhaps not the most elegant footwear, but Ecco Cerro sandals are pretty good for walking long distances on rugged paths..
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Have a look at the Northland sandals. Bought mine in Astorga. Good arch support and thread.Thanks Kanga! I didn't think to ask to try the men's version of the ECCOs, which was silly of me. I will do that first and then look at Birkenstocks - though they haven't really appealed to me in the past. Are there other German brands you can recommend?
Have a look at the Northland sandals. Bought mine in Astorga. Good arch support and thread.
Kanga, Great that these sandals worked for you. Can you be specific about which sandal you used. Here in NA, the model names may be different. I see Ecco sport yucatan and Ecco sport offroad lite. I couldn't find any 'offroad hiking' model per se. I use the yucatan for walking around town. They are so comfortable.
I guess I will just have to try it out and see. Thank you.@FrPeter I know it is adjustable but I don't think I've changed the heel strap since I walked out of the shop. I really don't want to try to talk people into anything - these work for me, and they may work for others, but it is a matter of being happy and satisfied yourself that you find them comfortable.
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