Shoes for only the last 100km

[ttucker]

Hi all! Happy new year! I am bringing a small group of high school students to Spain this summer from Montana in the United States. We will spend two weeks in homestays in the south and our last week we are planning to do the last 100 km of the Camino from Sarria to Santiago. Is it realistic to do those last 100 km over five days in good trail running or regular tennis shoes? I'm trying to decide for myself and to help my students decide if it's worth bringing over hiking boots. Because it seems there are so many services between Sarria and Santiago (and because we are hardy Montanans I am encouraging my students to just bring a day pack with two simple changes of clothes and leave the rest of our stuff at the post office or with Ivar in Santiago. So hopefully our packs won't be heavy. Thank you so much for all of your help! Buen Camino!
Therese

 

[wayfarer]

Welcome Therese, I would say yes to your question for summer use. Hope all goes well with your Camino.
Buen Camino.

 

[Bradypus]

I prefer to wear boots for my long distance walking but there is nothing very rough or difficult in the final 100km. In Galicia there is always the real risk of rain - even in summer. For your situation I would be happy with trail runners but be sure to have a good supply of dry socks.

 

[nycwalking]

Tennis shoes are fine. I used them for my summer/fall caminos. But, do a trial run in sneakers. 66 miles, last 100 kilometers is a hardy trek and some kids may need hiking boots. Other items listed sounds great.

Enjoy.

 

[J Willhaus]

Therese,
Last summer we say many school groups walking from Ponferrada and Sarria. Most kids had on some kind of trail runners or running shoes. Most of the really large groups of kids (50 or more) we saw were accompanied by nuns/teachers/family members and stayed in churches on the floor and so also carried foam mats and sleeping bags. Not sure what you have arranged, but it might be difficult to find accommodation for a large group without some kind of prior arrangements. We also saw large Spanish families walking together (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) and again the ones we met walking the last 100 km wore mainly running shoes.

We had a lovely talk with one family. My husband who speaks almost no Spanish had greeted another pilgrim who was passing with a hearty "Buen Camino". The man quickly called to two girls who turned out to be his daughters and he and my husband had a long talk while walking with the girls translating. The girls explained that their family usually did no exercise, but had decided this year to walk the Camino from Sarria. I think they said there were about 24 of them all total with sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, etc. The man was very interested and curious about how Phil and I had learned about the Camino in the US and why we would come such a long way to walk it. It was a highlight of my husband's day to talk to this man about his age who was also somewhat unfit as we were when we had started back in SJPPD. I remember their shoes clearly because they were not yet worn and dirty like ours and their bright neon Nike swoosh was not yet sullied by the Camino dust.

Good luck. I am sure it will be a memorable trip.
Janet

 

[J Willhaus]

Just another note, we were walking from Sarria to Santiago by July as well which it is when you will be walking, too, and that is when we started to see all the Spanish school groups so I would expect the Camino to be a great place for your students to interact. I believe we saw and met at least 5 different school groups during that time ranging in size from 8 boys to more than 50. The school groups all had some kind of similar shirts or patch or something on their bags to identify them as a part of the school activity. Phil loved the school kids and spoke to them often. They were always jolly groups, usually singing and talking excitedly. They like to practice their English with Phil. I was a bit more grumpy than Phil because when I arrived at the cafe in their wake all the cool drinks were sold out...

 

[Felipe]

Because it seems there are so many services between Sarria and Santiago (and because we are hardy Montanans I am encouraging my students to just bring a day pack with two simple changes of clothes and leave the rest of our stuff at the post office or with Ivar in Santiago. So hopefully our packs won't be heavy. Thank you so much for all of your help! Buen Camino!
Therese

Actually, the basic equipment and clothes needed for a five days walk is the same than for a month...Now, for extra clothes, books, etc., storing beforehand in Compostela is convenient.
Modern teens being modern teens, I recommend special attention to their expensive gadgets in albergues.
And if your group is more than five, do reservations.
Buen Camino!

 

[Kiwi-family]

What a fabulous opportunity you are offering your students.
Last year I met a WONDERFUL school group that was different to many we came across. They provided the inspiration for this blog post which you might find useful:

26 June: Santiago with 101 others | Charity Walking
https://charitywalking.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/26-june-santiago-with-101-others/

 

[Robo]

What a fabulous opportunity you are offering your students.
Last year I met a WONDERFUL school group that was different to many we came across. They provided the inspiration for this blog post which you might find useful:

26 June: Santiago with 101 others | Charity Walking
https://charitywalking.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/26-june-santiago-with-101-others/

Loved the Blog post. Really refreshing!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

No to the hicking boots. Overkill for the type of terrain on that strech. A pair of good trail runners is much more appropriate. And it's something they can use at home, outside of the gym/court.

 

[HeidiL]

I'd make them bring the shoes they're planning to walk in (regular runners are fine) to show you at least one month before the walk. Otherwise, somebody is going to buy new shoes three days before they start and get horrible blisters...

 

[debra]

Unless a member of the group has ankle problems from before the tennis shoes will be great.

 

[dougfitz]

Good hiking footwear will always have advantages over other types of footwear on the dirt tracks and gravel roads of this section, and it certainly wouldn't be overkill to bring such footwear if one already had it. But people walk successfully in all types of footwear, and despite the limitations of sneakers in muddy and slippery conditions, they would be an acceptable option for those who want to keep their costs to a minimum.

 

[Mark Lee]

yes to trail runners or running shoes.....
just bring enough socks to keep your feet dry and some sandals or similar to wear after walking

 

[Anniesantiago]

Trail runners.

 

[JillGat]

Good hiking footwear will always have advantages over other types of footwear on the dirt tracks and gravel roads of this section...

I know we go over this all the time on the forum, but I have to disagree with this pronouncement. Running shoes are lighter weight and dry faster. Some people do better in boots, but I saw nobody trading in their running shoes for hiking boots and lots doing the opposite. I saw a lot more blisters and hassles with Vaseline, tape and sock combinations in boot wearers, too. But, again, everybody is different and feet vary significantly, so practice with different types and listen to your body is the only reasonable advice for others. It will be warm that time of year and it is a very well worn trail.

 

[dougfitz]

I know we go over this all the time on the forum, but I have to disagree with this pronouncement. Running shoes are lighter weight and dry faster. Some people do better in boots, but I saw nobody trading in their running shoes for hiking boots and lots doing the opposite. I saw a lot more blisters and hassles with Vaseline, tape and sock combinations in boot wearers, too. But, again, everybody is different and feet vary significantly, so practice with different types and listen to your body is the only reasonable advice for others. It will be warm that time of year and it is a very well worn trail.

@JillGat, if lightness and speed of drying were the only important characteristics of good footwear, I would agree with you. If only it were so! You have ignored other important characteristics of good hiking footwear. These include providing:

1. traction on a variety of surfaces, not just on footpaths and smooth dirt track, but also on rocky and muddy paths.
2. proper all round protection of the foot, including underfoot protection, waterproofing if you want that, as well as protection of the toes, sides and top of the feet.
3. durability - albeit this might be less important for the walk from Sarria to Santiago than for longer distances.

When these things are considered, I will stand by my assertion that good hiking footwear - hiking boots, walking shoes, trail runners and the like - offers significant advantages over sneakers.

As for your observation about the prevalence of blister for those wearing boots, I think the challenge here is whether you have been subject to a form of confirmation bias. I know that when I have been walking, I observed those walking with problems in shoes far outweighed the numbers who were walking with problems in boots, particularly after Sarria, but even before then.

I am cautious about this for several reasons, including the possibility of my own confirmation bias, the fact that this was a casual observation, and the relative prevalence of shoes over boots in the last 100 km. I certainly don't walk with the intention of being a reliable and consistent collector of statistical data. I suspect that the many people who make remarks about this are the same, and base such remarks on casual and inconsistent observations. If it is otherwise, it would be great if you would share with us the data you have collected.

 

[timr]

Hi all! Happy new year! I am bringing a small group of high school students to Spain this summer from Montana in the United States. We will spend two weeks in homestays in the south and our last week we are planning to do the last 100 km of the Camino from Sarria to Santiago. Is it realistic to do those last 100 km over five days in good trail running or regular tennis shoes? I'm trying to decide for myself and to help my students decide if it's worth bringing over hiking boots. Because it seems there are so many services between Sarria and Santiago (and because we are hardy Montanans I am encouraging my students to just bring a day pack with two simple changes of clothes and leave the rest of our stuff at the post office or with Ivar in Santiago. So hopefully our packs won't be heavy. Thank you so much for all of your help! Buen Camino!
Therese

Buen Camino
I think this is a wonderful idea, even as someone who prefers a very solitary camino!
Last year I came across two large groups along the section from Melide to SdC. One was 101 children aged about 14-16 from a couple of schools in Madrid. There behaviour was exemplary and they were a cheerful and life-affirming group. We ate in the same restaurant one night, and they were models of good behaviour, while at the same time clearly enjoying themselves.
The second group was slightly older boys, accompanied by teachers and a chaplain, from Dublin, maybe 40 of them, who walked from Sarria. Interestingly, they walked in silence together each day for half an hour after breakfast and half an hour after lunch. And they found it very meaningful. Worth considering for your group? I walked with adults (in UK on a reflective walking holiday) and we did the same and found it very good.
I think children would find no difficulty walking the last 100km in fairly ordinary trainers. Probably not sparkly ones, but the kind they would wear at school for PE (as we used to call it). Agree with sentiment above that it might be worth checking out the shoes a week before hand.

 

[timr]

What a fabulous opportunity you are offering your students.
Last year I met a WONDERFUL school group that was different to many we came across. They provided the inspiration for this blog post which you might find useful:

26 June: Santiago with 101 others | Charity Walking
https://charitywalking.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/26-june-santiago-with-101-others/

Thanks for this. I really enjoyed your blog entry.

 

[Mark Lee]

The OP described the group of students as high schoolers and only hauling day packs. I saw lots of young people matching that description on the last 100 km every time I was on the CF. I also saw them happily trekking along in running shoes and trainers and trail runners.
Don't forget, youth doth have its privileges.

 

[JillGat]

@JillGat, if lightness and speed of drying were the only important characteristics of good footwear, I would agree with you. If only it were so! You have ignored other important characteristics of good hiking footwear. These include providing:

1. traction on a variety of surfaces, not just on footpaths and smooth dirt track, but also on rocky and muddy paths.
2. proper all round protection of the foot, including underfoot protection, waterproofing if you want that, as well as protection of the toes, sides and top of the feet.
3. durability - albeit this might be less important for the walk from Sarria to Santiago than for longer distances.

When these things are considered, I will stand by my assertion that good hiking footwear - hiking boots, walking shoes, trail runners and the like - offers significant advantages over sneakers.

As for your observation about the prevalence of blister for those wearing boots, I think the challenge here is whether you have been subject to a form of confirmation bias. I know that when I have been walking, I observed those walking with problems in shoes far outweighed the numbers who were walking with problems in boots, particularly after Sarria, but even before then.

I am cautious about this for several reasons, including the possibility of my own confirmation bias, the fact that this was a casual observation, and the relative prevalence of shoes over boots in the last 100 km. I certainly don't walk with the intention of being a reliable and consistent collector of statistical data. I suspect that the many people who make remarks about this are the same, and base such remarks on casual and inconsistent observations. If it is otherwise, it would be great if you would share with us the data you have collected.

I only have anecdotal data, of course. One might interview the outdoor shops along the Camino about the percentage of customers who come in going from shoes to boots vs the alternative. One might find bias in these data, also but it would be informative. I also have my personal experience having hiked in all three, but that's just my experience. I think you should do your next Camino in sandals, Doug, and report back!

 

[dougfitz]

I think you should do your next Camino in sandals, Doug, and report back!

@JillGat, I walked in sandals on my first camino. The first and only day that I walked any distance in them was one of only two days on any of my long pilgrimage walks that I got a blister. The second time was last year, when I applied a strapping tape a little too tightly, and did not loosen it despite the indications that it was just wasn't right.

I have previously used different sandals without blistering, and I still use the same sandals for casual walks locally, but I would never rely on them for long walks, and they have never returned to my camino packing list. Nor will they. I have no reason to change what has been a very successful mix of footwear, socks and prophylaxis foot preparation for something that has proved unsuccessful in the past.



ps - what happened that changed your mind about this:

However I would never advise anyone else about footwear... you have to find out what's best for you with experience.

(original emphasis retained!!).

 

[JillGat]

@JillGat, I walked in sandals on my first camino. The first and only day that I walked any distance in them was one of only two days on any of my long pilgrimage walks that I got a blister. The second time was last year, when I applied a strapping tape a little too tightly, and did not loosen it despite the indications that it was just wasn't right.

I have previously used different sandals without blistering, and I still use the same sandals for casual walks locally, but I would never rely on them for long walks, and they have never returned to my camino packing list. Nor will they. I have no reason to change what has been a very successful mix of footwear, socks and prophylaxis foot preparation for something that has proved unsuccessful in the past.



ps - what happened that changed your mind about this:

(original emphasis retained!!).

Estoy de acuerdo contigo completamente! Go with what works for you. Don't advise anybody to *only* consider options that work for me or for you, for themselves. There are examples of people in this forum hiking comfortably in almost every kind of set up (except, maybe high heels, so far). That being said, if a guide is in the position where they must advise young people carrying only day packs about footware suitable for the Camino, I would advise them to go with whatever has worked for them, hiking in the past. If they don't have experience, then I think something lightweight would be less likely to cause problems than stiff hiking boots. Is that contradictory? PS - Doug, maybe this is a language thing, but I just re-read what you wrote about various boots, hiking shoes and trail runners (or trainers?) being better than sneakers. I thought sneakers would include running shoes.

 

[dougfitz]

PS - Doug, maybe this is a language thing, but I just re-read what you wrote about various boots, hiking shoes and trail runners (or trainers?) being better than sneakers. I thought sneakers would include running shoes.

You are correct. But sneakers, it would appear to me, can include anything from genuine casual shoes through to specialist athletic, tennis, basketball and other sports shoes. You could class trail runners as sneakers, but as a category of footwear, the term 'sneaker' now covers so broad a category as to be of little value in a discussion like this. So I prefer to use the term hiking footwear, and explain what this might include. It seems a preferable approach to using the term sneaker, and just creating confusion about exactly what sort of footwear one is really talking about.

 

[JillGat]

You are correct. But sneakers, it would appear to me, can include anything from genuine casual shoes through to specialist athletic, tennis, basketball and other sports shoes. You could class trail runners as sneakers, but as a category of footwear, the 'sneaker' now covers so broad a category as to be of little value in a discussion like this. So I prefer to use the term hiking footwear, and explain what this might include. It seems a preferable approach to using the term sneaker, and just creating confusion about exactly what sort of footwear one is really talking about.

Doug, I think you and I should continue to dissect this until others tell us to stop. In the meantime, as an aside, I once ran a marathon (41 kilometers) in El Paso, Texas in which the first six finishers were Tarahumara Indians from Mexico, wearing only flat leather sandals with cloth straps.

 

[Bradypus]

Last year I walked the 1900km or so of the Via Francigena in leather builders' safety boots - my everyday footwear. That included a descent from the St Bernard Pass on a rocky path far more intimidating than anything I've seen on the Camino Frances. The next day I met a young French woman who had walked the same path on the same day in plastic flip-flops. Our paths crossed for the next 10 days or so until she ran out of holiday time and had to return home. I wouldn't have chosen her footwear in a hundred years but they obviously worked for her so what point would there be in arguing over it? If you have thoroughly tried and tested the footwear you favour in rough circumstances and still have a fully-functional pair of feet that's all the evidence I'd need. Go with what you KNOW works - whatever it is.

 

[OLDBIKERIDER]

There is no answer, whatever they wear will get them to the end.

I am 67 years old and walked from Burgos to SdC in Birkenstock EVAs with no pain, no blisters, and was ready to walk around the towns in them as well. They are cheap, light and really do work where my expensive Hola Hola hiking shoes did not. I had brought them to use in Albergues and short walks in towns.

All that to say as you likely already know, whatever they bring should be well worn in.