Isle Royale Forums

What do people like to wear once they get into camp and out of their boots?

On past trips I've brought my moccasins. But, i'm thinking sport sandals or those funny looking Crocs may work out.
The Crocs seem lightweight and functional regardless of their looks.

Chaco's. IMO the best sandal made.

Last trip I picked up a pair of cheap Croc knockoffs for camp shoes. As you said, they're lightweight and functional, and I'll add easy to slip on/off and cheap. I'll didn't find them the most comfortable and had to be careful on rocks, etc., but I'll probably use them again.

I take a pair of cheap (about $10) water shoes that I bought at Walmart. They have an elastic/nylon upper and rubber soles. They work well for river crossings because they have a nice, durable rubber bottom and the uppers are built so they stay on my feet, in a river or in camp. Only problem is that they don't dry out very quickly and they are heavier than the croc-type shoes.

Crocs or water shoes. Which ever is lightest. The Nike classic (original) water shoes are great for this if you can find them. They have a very thin neoprene sole and are very light.

I like my Keen's. They're not all that cheap, but I wear them all summer. They're good for water, and the toe protection for a sandal has come in handy many times.

niners wrote:Chaco's. IMO the best sandal made.

+1

Kevinl wrote:I like my Keen's. They're not all that cheap, but I wear them all summer. They're good for water, and the toe protection for a sandal has come in handy many times.

This is my plan also. They are a bit more heavy but if I want to pull them out and hike in them for an hour or so on a flat trail, I can do so. If I want to setup camp and take a day hike, these will be what I will be wearing.

This was posted to a blog I subscribe to a while back and referenced just recently in the same blog.

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/003625.php

ETA: And like everything else in life, your mileage may vary. The comments are a mixture of pros and cons.

Tampico wrote:This was posted to a blog I subscribe to a while back and referenced just recently in the same blog.

They remind me of the shoes construction workers wear in Japan. When they work on scaffolds they don't wear safety shoes, rather they have these heavy sock-like shoes where the first (big) and second toe go on one side and the other three toes go on the other side. It sort of looks like the feet on Ninja Turtles. Unlike American construction workers, they hold their work with their feet.

[quote="Tampico"]This was posted to a blog I subscribe to a while back and referenced just recently in the same blog.

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/003625.php

Yeah, I saw those in the local outdoors store (The Outpost - Holland, MI). They looked very cool but compared to my Keens, which are about the same price (around $80) they seemed a bit more flimsy. I have now had my Keens for about 4 years and wear them a lot. I have had to restitch them a little but basically I am planning to replace them only cause the tread is finally disappearing (I wear them as street shoes).

Heck, I might end up getting a pair anyway. Its hard to pass up cool.

My wife and I both use the Croc knock-offs. They are so light that they are no problem to add to your pack. Plus they have the protective toe covering and can be worn in the water and dried quickly.

Chaco's and Keens are nice, but they are heavy enough that they're just not worth carrying for me. They may be comfortable and durable, but they are heavy.

Thank you for all the valuable feedback. As I suspected, there's a lot of passion about the topic.

I ended up with a pair of Croc Prepairs for $20. We'll see if they really reduce recovery time.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned insulated booties. I've taken a pair on every trip, backpacking or just camping. Most of my camping is in the spring or the fall and it just feels great to have warm feet, out of my boots, at the end of the day.

I add one of those Dr. Scholl's full soles to protect the bottoms of my feet from sticks and rocks and I wrap a strap around my instep and ankle to keep my foot from sliding in them if I'm walking on a slope. Of course, they stay in the pack when it's muddy or rainy.