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Sandals.. a last minute decision.

sadaigh

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances (July 2017), Via Francigena (May 2019)
So I have everything planned and ready for my camino this summer (June 24th from SJPP)... except for my sandals.

My question is this.. is it worth the money to buy the Xeroshoes? or something equally expensive that I can walk on a trail in... just in case of blisters...

or should I just get a cheap pair of shower flip flops and be done with it?

Money is tight, but not so tight that I couldn't spring for something more sturdy if I need to. It's just tight enough that if I don't need to buy something more expensive, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
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I took and used a pair off Tevalite sandals for the very reason you have quoted. I did have an occasion to wear them when I got a small blister on my small toe, I really think that I not had alternative footwear I would have been laid up, or even the possibility of giving up.
I can't advise you on what to buy, but just tell you my story.
 

Thank you for the story. Every bit of advice and every story helps!
 
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I wasn't going to buy any, I'd planned on using some old beat up Nike sandals I have and only bought hiking shoes . But... I got stuck in jury duty last week so bought some pink Teva sandals with the payout check. I've heard the Camino will provide, but I'm not used to the US government as such a benefactor. Last minute civic karma, of course I'm buying shoes!

I've saved a few of the little flip-flops they give you at pedicures for the shower, free and light. I don't really like to get sandals I use for other things wet in the shower, which will probably become quirky hangup #39 I give up by the third leg.
 
Hola @sadaigh ,
I took Chacos on both short Caminos and it was worth the extra weight. They felt great while I walked around town every afternoon/ evening and provided different support than did the hiking shoes. If you're worried about needing to walk in sandals because of blisters, regular shower flipflops won't cut it - they may end up causing you more problems due to their lack of support, especially during some of the more treacherous (but fun!) descents.

You have some time to figure it out - hope you find an option that works well for you. Buen Camino!
Faith
 
I would have loved to just bring flip-flops but I have so often slipped and hurt my ankle with them on (in my own garden! - in the UK ...so always wet and slippery ) that I splashed out on a pair of 'proper' sandals...
I haven't regretted it.
If you're fine walking with flip flops in the evenings then go with it. Lots of people do.
 
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Sandals are a great backup, they give your feet a rest from hot boots. If it was really hot I would walk the last hour or so in my sandals. I never had blisters. They were also great after the walk. I can't imagine putting on boots after a shower and a days hike, flip flops are good for the shower but wouldn't work for me for any considerable distance
 
Crocs. Ugly as anything but

1. Waterproof footwear for the shower.
2. Comfortable to wear in the evening with socks.
3. If your shoe fails can still walk with it (for me 2 days until I got to a bigger place with a decent shoe store) for a while.

I used sandals before but they got kinda stink in the plastic bag. After the shower the cloth part still wet when I am ready to go to town....
 
I bought Xero sandals to use around town and on the trail if needed. I did get the rugged ones with a good grip for the sole.
I like them.
They adjust everywhere.
Light weight.
Comfortable for me.
Tighten down the strap at the toes so your foot isn't trying to grip the sandal when you walk.
If you are not used to going barefoot, they may not work for you.
Wearing them with my pack on, there is no support for your foot / arches. You need strong feet and ankles to wear them on a trail.
 
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I wore my Teva sandals for a couple of days to give my feet a change of pace. They worked great.
Look around the net for sales and deals on outdoor type sandals like Tevas, Merrells, Columbia, Keen, etc. Lot's of places sell them.
 
I think flip flops are great as back up since they dont put pressure on places you get blistards on. I have done half the arnapurna circle in flip flops. I also walked a bit in flip flops and bare feet when I start to get pain in my lower front legs on my camino to give myself a different step. So my advice is take the flip flop and if necesary use them to walk in . I start to walk tomorrow and I have my flip flops with me
 
I had a pair of Xero sandals, but they just weren't for me. I wanted a little more support, but I sold them to a friend, and she loves them. But...they are pricey. Last year I wore a pair of Columbia Kyra Vent sandals, and they were fine. I only wore them on the trail a couple of times, but I wore them after walking around town every day. I bought a pair of these sandals from Eddie Bauer that I like a lot. They are very lightweight, and Eddie Bauer is always having sales. I got mine for $20.
As for the shower, I'm a renegade and go barefoot in the shower.
 
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I got some Keen sandals that are lightweight and extremely comfortable. I have been wearing them here and am planning to use them the last few km if my feet hurt and in the evening. I was going to take flip flops but there is no way I would be able to walk very far if I need a break from my shoes. They ARE pricey and I did try to find less expensive footwear (shoes included), but in the end I think that finding the right shoe/sandal is one of the most important decisions you make, even if they may cost a bit more.
 
Thanks for the tip! How much do the sandals weigh?
 
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I always walk the first 15kms in my shoes then switch to Sandals for the final 10-15kms Terrain permitting........I find for me it's stops the swelling and helps with blisters. It works for me.
 
After a disaster with hiking boots on my first CF, I always carry Keen sandals (specifically, Arroyo IIs--sole of hiking boot married to sandal top) and a pair of shoes designed for asphalt (I use New Balance, but I'd use Hoka One Ones if they made them in a wide enough size). Shoes for the concrete and asphalt; sandals for the rougher dirt/gravel areas, and for when it rains. Switiching off during the day (sometimes several times), really kept my feet happy (only blister I got all trip was beyond SdC when I hit a day of all asphalt and stayed in the shoes all day). Heaviest item in my pack, but well worth it.

Note, the Keens are not really for the shower. I also carry alburgue shoes (currently sandsocks https://www.sandsocks.net/grip-socks.html), but again, not for shower. For the shower I just throw the clothes I walked in on the floor (they are going to get laundered in ten minutes anyway).

YMMV, but that's my approach, for what it's worth.

Buen Camino,
Jo Jo
 
I walked the Camino Frances in 2013 without one blister. Walked again in 2016 and had some issues with blisters. From the Forum I read of someone who stopped to by Teva sanders on the camino due to blisters. I packed my Teva's and was surprised at how well they worked when I had blisters on my little toes. They were a life saver. Wore them with my hiking socks. (Not stylish, but who cares!)
 
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StJPdP to Santiago in Teva TerraFi Lite Sandals without any blisters - wife did whole thing in Chaco's. BUT Teva's is my regular hiking footware for years, and quite used to them. Wear what you're used to on home hikes. Socks on cold or wet days.
 
I also chose crocs as my second pair - not necessarily ugly. Yes, waterproof, yes, good enough to walk around in, and very, very, lightweight.
this is similar to the pair I took - very lightweight, and not ugly:
http://www.crocs.com/p/womens-crocs...l?cgid=women-footwear-sandals&cid=6N6#start=2
 
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A lot depends on whether you have troublesome feet e.g. bunions or need orthotics (which I do). For a Sept/Oct Camino last year, I took Keen Whispers as my backup plus very cheap, light rubber thongs for shower. The Keens were heavy (650g) and terrible for me as a second pair of walking shoes. I bought a pair of Croc thongs in Leon per image below and was able to wear them for a few kilometres if my feet weren't coping at the end of a long day and was able to throw away shower thongs. I carted my Keens for remainder of my Camino as they were OK for night wear - should have forwarded them. Anyway, the moral of the story is that, whatever you choose, make sure they are tried and tested before you leave. Many love their Keen Whispers - my mistake was not trying them out for long walks before I left. If I had tried them properly, I would never have packed them. Buen Camino!
 
I bought a cheap pair of sandals in Decathlon last year (€12) and they were fantastic. I wore them again this year. Here's the link https://www.decathlon.es/sandalia-arpenaz-50-mujer-gris-rosa--id_8328723.html
 
Thanks for all the advice. I think I'm going to be making another couple trips to shoe stores this weekend!
 
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My first Camino I brought hiking sandals and they came in very helpful when blisters arrived.... gave my feet a few days rest on some flat sections. I leave next week to head back and will only bring flip flops this time as I have gone to trail runners and much less concerned about blisters.....The hiking sandals were great when needed but not as handy for showering and lounging as the flip flops will be... hope I am making the right trade off. Buen Camino.
 
Plastic Birkenstock sandals and very comfy and almost weightless. Inexpensive too.
 
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I know that this person has already walked. I have walked the Camino Francis twice and Le Puy once. The last time I walked my daughter gave me some Toms to use in the evening for walking around. I got a bad blister one day and I wore my Toms for about 10K without too many issues. I had to be careful in some spots but they were really good. After the first 10K both days I went back and forth between the Toms and my Brooks trail running sneakers. It was great. Toms also are light as a feather. They got pretty beat up but they are still in my backpack and I will be taking them again in September when I walk from Lisbon to Santiago with the same daughter who gave them to me. I can't wait to share a camino experience with her. My younger daughter said if I am not too much of a pain in the butt to her sister she will walk with me also in 2 years! I will be on my best behavior and not be too much of a Jewish mother. After all she is 25! Toms are great! Maybe not for everyone especially if you really need support but a great go to for shorter stretches.
 

I did that route with my daughter a few years back, it was a great experience. She would rock up to the fire station at the end of each day and ask if they had a bed for the night, they would smile and open the door and she would point to me rain soaked and muddy and say, and my mother too... The extra footwear we needed most on that route was gumboots, but then it was winter.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
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