Is this a thing I can do?

[pwgavin]

Hi everyone:

I'm hoping to hike the Camino Frances in July/Aug. I would love to, ahead of time, order and ship ahead a pair of my favorite hiking shoes (Hokas) so that, roughly halfway through the trip, I have a new pair of my favorite shoes. I've spent a year in Granada and I don't think Amazon lockers are an option here (for one, I'd be ordering from Hoka, not Amazon and even if I did order from Amazon, not every product on Amazon lets you ship to a locker so I don't want to rely on that). Are there other options? Perhaps I could ship ahead to a Decathlon or something? Any ideas/advice welcome and thank you!

 

[Corned Beef]

Have you tried using the store locator? Seems to be 2 outlets in Leon and one in Astorga. Burgos has some too.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

If you booked accommodation somewhere you could possibly ship to them (with their permission of course) however booking that far in advance is not really advisable.

Alternatively you could mail ahead via post-restante with Correos. Only once you're within the country! If you try and ship from outside (especially from outside the EU) it will very possibly get stuck in customs and you'll never see them again.

Poste restante - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Not sure if Pilgrim Pack- Paq Peregrino still exist, worthwhile if so. Put your mobile number on the package

Make sure you take a photo of your receipt from Correos, and that you can see the tracking code .

 

[David Tallan]

Or, you could just buy them on the way (see post #2 above). This is one of the ways the culture of the Camino tends to differ from the culture of the major American thru-hiking trails. A lot less shipping ahead packages of the things you will need to pick uo en route and a lot more buying things along the way. Probably because it isn't a wilderness hike but a walk between villages and even cities. Also because it tends to be a shorter walk.

 

[Grousedoctor]

From what I know about Hoka hiking shoes versus running shoes, a new pair of Hokas at the start of your Camino should hold up fine for you to reach Santiago in them. The hiking shoes are designed to last 500-800 miles which is significantly longer than their running shoes (300-500 miles). Shipping a pair of shoes so as to retrieve them later seems to overly complicate your Camino. León is just over the half way point on the CF. If you were to have shoe issues, I’m sure you could find a suitable replacement in a city that large. Buen Camino!

 

[Sirage]

I would be cautious about buying specific models and sizes of shoes along any Camino without wasting endless time looking for them. Whilst Decathlon can be quite useful it only has limited range of shoes, and specialist shoe shops are also limited in their range. (I have some experience in this matter.)

I suggest taking the second pair with you to Spain and then

you could mail ahead via post-restante with Correos

to say a Correos near the half way point or a bit later.

In the LIKELY case you DON'T need the second pair then mail them ahead, again, to Santiago, and take the new pair home. In the category of "a good precautionary peace-of-mind plan", at a cost of not too many Euros for the Correos, with no lost time looking for the elusive new shoes.

OR you could mail ahead the partly worn out pair to Santiago and have fresh shoes. Then you have 2 pairs of only half used shoes, in goodish condition, for endless walking back at home.

PS: I have walked over a 1,000 kms each in a few pairs of Keens, and they are still good for leisurely strolls at home for many months.

 

[Pilgrim9]

Might there be support for a thread discussing durability of various brands and models of footwear, and perhaps the results of cost-benefit analysis (plural) of investing in more costly footwear? Such a thread would complement the numerous very important discussions about fitment.

Before my first Camino, I shared the OP's concern about durability, and considered purchasing and carrying with me a spare pair of my favourite hiking boots, which fit me perfectly and provided essential arch support. But the weight and space-claim of the spare pair would have been problematical.

Hmmm. What to do?

I calculated the number of strides-per-boot that I expected to walk from SJPdP to SdC. I then wrote to the foreign manufacturer, explained how I was planning to use their boots, and politely inquired if the particular model of their boots that I was using could be expected to survive the experience. The manufacturer quickly wrote back (that was a pleasant surprise!) and reassured me that that model of boot could be expected to last for about twice the number of strides that I had projected. Their claim was correct. In fact they underestimated the durability of the boots. I have used that single pair of boots for the full CF, the Muxia/Finisterre loop, the CP starting from Lisbon, and the camino from Ferrol. Aside from periodically replacing the heel-strikes, those boots are still serviceable. It should be noted that I maintained them carefully by brushing off dirt and dust at end of each day, and waxing the leather every few days.

 

[trecile]

The store Trekk Inn is in Spain and carries Hokas. You can have a package delivered to a parcel locker. You would have to wait until about a week or so before you need to shoes and determine a town that's maybe 10 days away, because if you don't pick them up within a specifed time they will be returned.

I'm actually about to go to a parcel locker in Logroño to pick up some pole tips that I ordered from them.

The Hoka online store on Trekkinn

Hoka | Discover our catalog with news and discounts of up to 60% in outdoor | Fast shipping at Trekkinn.

www.tradeinn.com

 

[trecile]

Update: just picked up my package. The parcel locker was in a lavandería.
Super easy process. I entered my code, and the locker with my package popped open.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Might there be support for a thread discussing durability of various brands and models of footwear, and perhaps the results of cost-benefit analysis (plural) of investing in more costly footwear? Such a thread would complement the numerous very important discussions about fitment.

I understand your idea but the issue with it is we have such individual experiences with our footwear. For example Ultra Lone Peaks are supposed to last for approximately 800 kilometers. For some they last for only around 500, personally I've done over 1200 in one pair.
There are so many variables such as terrain, the care we give them, the way we walk, weather, and last but by no means least our individual weight.

There are hundreds of shoe reviews available on the internet, including very valuable comparisons: our individual experiences would count for but a fraction of the information available.

That said, there's no harm in you starting such a thread should you so wish, you'll soon find out how much support there is.

 

[davejsy]

It would be disappointing if any half decent pair of such footwear couldn't last 800km, unless of course the pair you are starting in are already way past their best. Also changing footwear halfway through unless absolutely necessary could lead to it's own problems.

 

[falconbrother]

We’re here now with HOKA speed goats. I trained in a pair that I pretty much wore every mile and I probably could have brought them here and done well. Yes, they are getting slick now but, the new ones I’m using here will surely get me to Santiago and farther, based on my last pair.

 

[jfgough]

Hi everyone:

I'm hoping to hike the Camino Frances in July/Aug. I would love to, ahead of time, order and ship ahead a pair of my favorite hiking shoes (Hokas) so that, roughly halfway through the trip, I have a new pair of my favorite shoes. I've spent a year in Granada and I don't think Amazon lockers are an option here (for one, I'd be ordering from Hoka, not Amazon and even if I did order from Amazon, not every product on Amazon lets you ship to a locker so I don't want to rely on that). Are there other options? Perhaps I could ship ahead to a Decathlon or something? Any ideas/advice welcome and thank you!

You can buy Hokas in the me major cities along the way. I walked with two friends who envied my Hokas and bought them in Burgos and Leon. Not sure if they have every model available. I wore my Hoka ATR Challengers the entire way. I bought new insoles in Burgos. By Santiago the soles were still in great shape but the inside linings were worn to the point I didn't want to bring them home.

 

[Flog]

I'm hoping to hike the Camino Frances in July/Aug. I would love to, ahead of time, order and ship ahead a pair of my favorite hiking shoes (Hokas) so that, roughly halfway through the trip, I have a new pair of my favorite shoes

A new pair of shoes will get you across Spain. For the sake of simplicity, would you not just get a new pair of your Hoka things, whatever they are.. now, before you go, and just walk to Santiago in them?

 

[LTfit]

It would be disappointing if any half decent pair of such footwear couldn't last 800km, unless of course the pair you are starting in are already way past their best. Also changing footwear halfway through unless absolutely necessary could lead to it's own problems.

Disagree. My trail ail runners start wearing out after about 500 km and by 700 km they are definitely ready for the garbage. It doesn't matter if they are Salomon, Saucony or Merrell. In all cases they were almost new before starting a Camino.

Last summer I started off with Saucony and after finishing the Olvidado (around 500 km) and arriving in Ponferrada I bought my first Merrell trail runners with Vibram soles (thinking that the soles would last longer). Trail runners do not need to be worn in and I finished the Invierno with them. They have since been replaced twice (I walk about 15 km a day at home).

As @Peterexpatkiwi mentioned, no two people are the same so although I need new shoes quite frequently, others may be able to walk a further 200, 300 or more km in the same pair.

 

[davejsy]

Disagree. My trail ail runners start wearing out after about 500 km and by 700 km they are definitely ready for the garbage. It doesn't matter if they are Salomon, Saucony or Merrell. In all cases they were almost new before starting a Camino.

Last summer I started off with Saucony and after finishing the Olvidado (around 500 km) and arriving in Ponferrada I bought my first Merrell trail runners with Vibram soles (thinking that the soles would last longer). Trail runners do not need to be worn in and I finished the Invierno with them. They have since been replaced twice (I walk about 15 km a day at home).

As @Peterexpatkiwi mentioned, no two people are the same so although I need new shoes quite frequently, others may be able to walk a further 200, 300 or more km in the same pair.

As you say everyone is different, and I guess people's gait dictates how much wear their footwear gets. I also guess everyone's idea of what constitute worn out or needing to be replaced is different also.

I hiked in North Face Vectives, and they did suffer quite a bit of wear on the heal and sides, neither of which I noticed or caused me a problem weirdly. However, the actual soles could have done another CF. They wouldn't really be billed as a robust pair of trail runners either so they held up very well to varying weather conditions and terrain.

 

[LottieNash]

I was just reading this as my - brand new before the Camino - Merrells have completely worn through the heels. This is after 24 days on the Norte but they’d started going after just 10 days. I did the whole CF is a pair of Merrell Antora last year without any problems. Currently googling where to buy a replacement (any brand) in Ribadeo …..

 

[MikeJS]

It would be disappointing if any half decent pair of such footwear couldn't last 800km, unless of course the pair you are starting in are already way past their best. Also changing footwear halfway through unless absolutely necessary could lead to it's own problems.

Agree. I normally get 2 or 3 caminos out of my Meindl hiking shoes. My last 2 caminos were the Olvidado/San Salvador/Primitivo and Madrid/Part San salvadors and eastern section of Olvidado. My shoes still have at least 1 more camino in them!

 

[trecile]

I was just reading this as my - brand new before the Camino - Merrells have completely worn through the heels. This is after 24 days on the Norte but they’d started going after just 10 days. I did the whole CF is a pair of Merrell Antora last year without any problems. Currently googling where to buy a replacement (any brand) in Ribadeo …..

TrekkInn carries Merrell Antora.

Tradeinn | Online store: sports, fashion, technology and DIY

Find everything you need with the best brands and the best prices. Buy securely. Finance your purchase. Easy returns. Discounts up to 70%. Brands like Nike, Adidas, Garmin, Levi´s, Apple, Superdry and Salomon.

www.tradeinn.com

You can order them and have them delivered to a pick up point. I would recommend someplace where you will be in a little over a week. Google the postal code for the town where you would like to make your pickup. You will then be presented with a list of parcel locker locations nearby. You can Google the address to determine exactly where it is. The delivery/parcel locker company I chose was In Post for my order. I placed my order on May 23, and initially was given an estimated delivery date of May 30th, but received notification that my order law in the parcel locker on May 28th.

 

[LottieNash]

TrekkInn carries Merrell Antora.

Tradeinn | Online store: sports, fashion, technology and DIY

Find everything you need with the best brands and the best prices. Buy securely. Finance your purchase. Easy returns. Discounts up to 70%. Brands like Nike, Adidas, Garmin, Levi´s, Apple, Superdry and Salomon.

www.tradeinn.com

You can order them and have them delivered to a pick up point. I would recommend someplace where you will be in a little over a week. Google the postal code for the town where you would like to make your pickup. You will then be presented with a list of parcel locker locations nearby. You can Google the address to determine exactly where it is. The delivery/parcel locker company I chose was In Post for my order. I placed my order on May 23, and initially was given an estimated delivery date of May 30th, but received notification that my order law in the parcel locker on May 28th.

Thank you. Amazingly I was able to pick up
a pair in Ribadeo yesterday evening so I’m sorted. Just waiting to hear back from Merrell now as to why they think the other pair failed ….

 

[Kasee]

Hi everyone:

I'm hoping to hike the Camino Frances in July/Aug. I would love to, ahead of time, order and ship ahead a pair of my favorite hiking shoes (Hokas) so that, roughly halfway through the trip, I have a new pair of my favorite shoes. I've spent a year in Granada and I don't think Amazon lockers are an option here (for one, I'd be ordering from Hoka, not Amazon and even if I did order from Amazon, not every product on Amazon lets you ship to a locker so I don't want to rely on that). Are there other options? Perhaps I could ship ahead to a Decathlon or something? Any ideas/advice welcome and thank you!

Last year, my brand new pair of Speedgoats was wearing in a significant way. I had less than half of the tread when I got to Leon, so I went to an outfitter store and bought a new pair. (I wanted good tread for Molinaseca since it was spring and lots of rain.) this year, I’m going to email them ahead of time and have them hold a pair for me to pick up. The store is Armeria Castro and they are right off the Camino in the city center.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Yes, you can mail packages to a post office (Correos) in Spain. I’ve done it twice and it worked fine. I did it within Spain, though.

However they only hold it for 15 days. You can try to get around this by using the same general delivery address as your return address, if they will let you. Once they did, the other time I used Casa Ivars address in Santiago.

General delivery in Spain is called “Lista de Correos”

So an address would have that at top, then ATT: your name and then the address of the specific post office.

When mailing from outside the EU, customs is a real issue. I had a envelope shipped with an international drivers license and it was held up for two extra days, for whatever reason.

 

[Old Kiwi]

Just get a good pair of trail runners before you start. They will last you way past the length of the Camino. On my last Camino, in 2019, of over 1000 kilometres, my trail runners were less than half worn. I have used them for walking at home until last month and they would have done about 3000 kilometres.