Shoes

[Bob Hummel]

Hello all!
Can any of you experienced Peregrinos recommend a light weight shoe or something to wear around the Albergues in the evening?
I assume my dogs will be barking by the end of the day and I'll want to get out of my boots.
Being ever concerned about the weight however, I really don't want to carry a pair of shoes.
Thank you!
Bob

 

[Bradypus]

I carry a pair of neoprene beach shoes with a thick rubber sole. Lightweight, good for indoor wear and also for a stroll around town in the evening.

 

[Kanga]

Crocs. Weigh nothing, comfortable, can be worn around town, good in the shower.

 

[kaixo]

This is a popular topic with much variation.
I'm over-the-top in the shoe category as I wear boots for walking, I wear a cheap pair of flip flops in the shower, and I wear Keen Whisper sandals after that (I like having my feet protected).
Some will say "that's too much" and "you don't need all that" and "watch your weight" and I will agree with all of them!
But this is what works for me and it is a beautiful thing to know and to do whatever makes you feel good and comfortable.
Buen camino.

 

[Mark Lee]

Look at the various sandals made by Teva, Keen or Columbia. They're all good and do double duty as a shower shoe and a shoe you can wear around the albergue. You can even use them as a walking shoe in a pinch, if your regular shoes/boots get stolen, lost or just plain fall apart.
They all dry pretty quick after you get them wet in the shower, and you definitely want a shoe to wear in the albergue showers. Avoid da foot funk and fungi.
Here's an example of the type of sandals I'm talking about. It's a Teva, but the other brands are similar.

 

[DMG]

Bob, I took Merrell Trail Glove lightweight 'barefoot running' shoes (0.4 kg) for use in the albergues, walking around the villages at the end of the day, etc. Photo on my gear list here (see also the in-hindsight comment about flip-flops).

 

[Anemone del Camino]

EVA Birkinstocks: all plastic so good for the shower, and with support because of the way they are built.

 

[Bob Hummel]

Bob, I took Merrell Trail Glove lightweight 'barefoot running' shoes (0.4 kg) for use in the albergues, walking around the villages at the end of the day, etc. Photo on my gear list here (see also the in-hindsight comment about flip-flops).

I see your overtrousers were not used. How did you keep your pants dry when it rained?

 

[DMG]

I see your overtrousers were not used. How did you keep your pants dry when it rained?

I walked in shorts, Bob, and my raincoat pretty well covered them. The bottoms would get a bit wet sometimes, but they dried quickly once the rain had passed or in the albergues. I really only took the overtrousers in case I encountered inclement weather, particularly in the Pyrenees. As it happened, the weather gods were kind to me and when it showered or rained (some showers between Pamplona and Burgos, a bit of rain in Galicia) it generally wasn't cold.
Now, on a flippant note, if you asked the same question of the fellow walking in near to his birthday suit on the way to Villafranca del Bierzo (see photo in this post) you might get a different answer!

 

[Ian T]

Bob, I took Merrell Trail Glove lightweight 'barefoot running' shoes (0.4 kg) for use in the albergues, walking around the villages at the end of the day, etc. Photo on my gear list here (see also the in-hindsight comment about flip-flops).

Hey just checked out your kit list, very helpful, one of the most sensible and a great guide

Cheers

Ian

 

[GreatDane]

Boots by day, Keen CNX Clearwaters by night. Nice and light.

 

[spursfan]

Crocs. Weigh nothing, comfortable, can be worn around town, good in the shower.

Sorry, Kanga, but joining the list of other Camino myths - the weigh nothing Crocs; such as, from other posters, the lightweight 2kg pack because weight carried on the hips again weighs nothing

I bring just one pair - the casual shoes that DMG mentions in his later post - Merrell Trail Glove trail runners - they do exactly what they say on the tin - walk in them for 10 hours a day during May or September, dry out from foot warmth alone during walking, even mud rarely sticks and fine for walking around in the evening - these are even lighter than the Crocs so, on Kanga's measurement scale, might even have negative weight! (just teasing)

 

[Anemone del Camino]

How can you bring just one pair? Do you walk barefoot in the albergue? Most, if not all albergues make you leave your walking shoes at tne front door, for obvious reasons, so another pair becomes important to have, including for showering.

Sorry, but at 7 ounces per shoe, the Merrel glove is not light. I'm with Kanga. My EVA Birkies are 352 grams for the pair.

 

[spursfan]

How can you bring just one pair? Do you walk barefoot in the albergue? Most, if not all albergues make you leave your walking shoes at tne front door, for obvious reasons, so another pair becomes important to have, including for showering.

Sorry, but at 7 ounces per shoe, the Merrel glove is not light. I'm with Kanga. My EVA Birkies are 352 grams for the pair.

Bare foot / light socks are perfectly fine for the albergue - and, as I said, the trail gloves are great in that in Summer the soles are never dirty

Not sure that weight is really a problem here - one pair of trail gloves weigh just under 400g (my shoes are not much heavier than your sandals anyway)

If I were ever to bring a second pair, I would rather bring an alternate pair that I could walk in during the day rather than a shower pair

 

[trecile]

Bare foot / light socks are perfectly fine for the albergue - and, as I said, the trail gloves are great in that in Summer the soles are never dirty

Not sure that weight is really a problem here - one pair of trail gloves weigh just under 400g (my shoes are not much heavier than your sandals anyway)

If I were ever to bring a second pair, I would rather bring an alternate pair that I could walk in during the day rather than a shower pair

No shoes in the shower for me either, and I often walked barefoot in the albergues. I wore lightweight trail runners for walking and a pair of sandals in the afternoon / evening that were also sturdy enough to walk quite a few miles in.

 

[oldchieft]

Vibram FiveFingers Men's Trek Ascent Trail Running Shoes
They weigh nothing and you can use them indoor, or out.
They are the closest to walking bare foot.

Jon the Chief

 

[spursfan]

Vibram FiveFingers Men's Trek Ascent Trail Running Shoes
They weigh nothing and you can use them indoor, or out.
They are the closest to walking bare foot.

Jon the Chief

But I prefer for my feet not to look like I've just arrived from the set of Planet of the Apes!

 

[jayree]

I used Sanuk Vagabond "sidewalk surfers" for three caminos. They are essentially a flip flop with a closed toe. The rear heel panel folds flats to covert to a slipper. The entire sandal folds flat and is easily carried in your backpack. One link is

https://www.sanuk.com/last-call-sale/vagabond-perf/1013186.html?

 

[dougfitz]

Vibram FiveFingers Men's Trek Ascent Trail Running Shoes
They weigh nothing and you can use them indoor, or out.
They are the closest to walking bare foot.

Jon the Chief

I often wonder how much hot air it takes to offset the actual weight of all these items that weigh nothing.

My own preference for 'evening' shoes are the Salomon Techamphibian. There is some vanity in this choice - they are a closed toe conventional shoe that avoids the sock in sandals geeky look, and they can be worn as loafers with the heel down in the albergue.

 

[Mark Lee]

I often wonder how much hot air it takes to offset the actual weight of all these items that weigh nothing.

My own preference for 'evening' shoes are the Salomon Techamphibian. There is some vanity in this choice - they are a closed toe conventional shoe that avoids the sock in sandals geeky look, and they can be worn as loafers with the heel down in the albergue.

Water shoes like that look like a happy medium and although I never carried any on the Camino, I wondered if they would be a good choice for a lightweight shoe to carry and be worn around the albergues, towns, etc.

 

[oldchieft]

But I prefer for my feet not to look like I've just arrived from the set of Planet of the Apes!

I don't much care what they look like, I call them my Hobbit feet.

Jon the Chief

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Bare foot / light socks are perfectly fine for the albergue - and, as I said, the trail gloves are great in that in Summer the soles are never dirty

Not sure that weight is really a problem here - one pair of trail gloves weigh just under 400g (my shoes are not much heavier than your sandals anyway)

If I were ever to bring a second pair, I would rather bring an alternate pair that I could walk in during the day rather than a shower pair

EVA Birkies are not shower shoes, but can beworn in the shower. Perfectly good sandals to walk with on the trail as well as in town. As for soles not getting dirty, I doubt hospies will want to get into a discussion about is. Would not want to get caught barefooted on cold Spanish tile, and anyone with platar fasciitis should not be walking barefoot at all.

 

[dougfitz]

Water shoes like that look like a happy medium and although I never carried any on the Camino, I wondered if they would be a good choice for a lightweight shoe to carry and be worn around the albergues, towns, etc.

I have found them to be a good choice. They were lighter than the Merrell sandals that I used in 2010, but not as light as Crocs or thongs/jandals/flip flops. I first used them in Norway, which even in summer was still quite brisk in the evenings, and socks were needed much of the time. This year on the CF, I just wore my liner socks if I needed to walk around town in them.

 

[Mark Lee]

I have found them to be a good choice. They were lighter than the Merrell sandals that I used in 2010, but not as light as Crocs or thongs/jandals/flip flops. I first used them in Norway, which even in summer was still quite brisk in the evenings, and socks were needed much of the time. This year on the CF, I just wore my liner socks if I needed to walk around town in them.

I like them. I've worn them before here in the US for wade fishing and canoeing. A lot of different brands, styles and weights available. I think they are a good idea for the Camino.

 

[HeidiL]

CROCS! Also good for wading unexpected new rivers on the way, if you walk during the rainy season. And machine washable.

I have also walked several kilometres on the trail in my Crocs, a day I was starting to worry about a blister. Worked fine - but I have ankles of steel.

 

[J Willhaus]

EVA Birkies are not shower shoes, but can beworn in the shower. Perfectly good sandals to walk with on the trail as well as in town. As for soles not getting dirty, I doubt hospies will want to get into a discussion about is. Would not want to get caught barefooted on cold Spanish tile, and anyone with platar fasciitis should not be walking barefoot at all.

I also have a pair of EVA Birkinstocks that I wore for evening shoes. At the end I threw away my boots and had only these for walking about in Santiago, back to Paris, and for the trip home. I used them as shower shoes, but also as walking around shoes.

 

[HedaP]

I took crocs on my first and to date, only Camino. I won't be taking them on the next one because they were bulky and did not pack well in my frameless backpack. Next year I'm trying a pair of plastic scuffs that I bought in a Chinese bargain shop for a couple of dollars. The pair weighs all of 124 grams which is about half the weight of my crocs. I'll be lucky if they last the distance as the plastic is a bit soft but they are very comfortable and the good thing about walking the Frances is that most gear can be replaced without too much difficulty.

 

[OLDBIKERIDER]

As someone else mentioned, EVA Birkenstock worked for me with double socks, thin under wool thick ones. In fact I walked from Burgos on in them, perfect comfort up and down all the hills after my Hola Hola hiking shoes caused problems. People did look at me strange, but they worked fine. I went on to Paris and Istanbul and back to US wearing them. Great in airports.

 

[zzotte]

I vote for crocks I tried ever thing else

zzotte

 

[Anemone del Camino]

As someone else mentioned, EVA Birkenstock worked for me with double socks, thin under wool thick ones. In fact I walked from Burgos on in them, perfect comfort up and down all the hills after my Hola Hola hiking shoes caused problems. People did look at me strange, but they worked fine. I went on to Paris and Istanbul and back to US wearing them. Great in airports.

I'm the Birkie marketer, defender, promoter. And LOVE them. I bought them and bragged about the, when they first came out, and black, red and white was all that was available. Mine are black. They now have yellow and other perky colours, including, if you like to "pink it up", fuschia!

 

[Addicted]

My wife and I walked several Caminos. We found the Keen sandels to work well. They are great with or without socks depending on the temp. We wore them in the evenings to give our feet a chance to air out. In addition they offered enough protection/ support that on days when the path was largely through town or on roads that they could be worn for the entire day. Price was about 80 dollars Canadian .

 

[Deleted member 43985]

I took crocs on my first and to date, only Camino. I won't be taking them on the next one because they were bulky and did not pack well in my frameless backpack. Next year I'm trying a pair of plastic scuffs that I bought in a Chinese bargain shop for a couple of dollars. The pair weighs all of 124 grams which is about half the weight of my crocs. I'll be lucky if they last the distance as the plastic is a bit soft but they are very comfortable and the good thing about walking the Frances is that most gear can be replaced without too much difficulty.

Crocs do also make flip flops which are easier to pack and quite comfortable assuming you're not going for Doug's 'sock in sandal' look but their biggest feature is they weigh half of nothing (only when compare to full-sized Crocs of course )!!!

 

[SanJo]

I walked in shorts, Bob, and my raincoat pretty well covered them. The bottoms would get a bit wet sometimes, but they dried quickly once the rain had passed or in the albergues. I really only took the overtrousers in case I encountered inclement weather, particularly in the Pyrenees. As it happened, the weather gods were kind to me and when it showered or rained (some showers between Pamplona and Burgos, a bit of rain in Galicia) it generally wasn't cold.
Now, on a flippant note, if you asked the same question of the fellow walking in near to his birthday suit on the way to Villafranca del Bierzo (see photo in this post) you might get a different answer!

Thank you for the great laugh. #birthdaysuitpilgram