Socks with sandals

[Tommy Brown]

I don't wear sandals but am curious, do you wear socks with them?are blisters a problem with no socks? Tommy

 

[henrythedog]

Both

I don't wear sandals but am curious, do you wear socks with them?are blisters a problem with no socks? Tommy

Both are options, if you’re content as I am with a crime against fashion.

I don’t walk in sandals but my evening footwear is (are?) Birkenstock EVAS - plastic sandals. Very light and worn with socks if it’s chilly.

 

[Former member 49149]

Tommy, at home, in Ireland, no. When it is weather for sandals, socks are washed and dried and stored. In Spain, if I am just mooching around, no socks. For serious walking - yes, with sandals.
Let the fashion police take out their notebooks and wet the tips of their pencils...

 

[Caomhin O Fearghaill]

I don't wear sandals but am curious, do you wear socks with them?are blisters a problem with no socks? Tommy

For the most part, blisters happen when you have ill-fitting foot wear...so socks or no socks make sure your feet don't slide around inside your foot wear thus avoiding friction...excess pressure will cause blisters too but when your feet harden and get used to walking that should ease. So, make sure your sandal, boot or shoe fit well and all will be well...One thing to watch out for though some people believe that wearing socks with sandals is a bit of fashion catastrophe....I'm not sure why this is so or why such a prejudice exists, but it is said and also written.

 

[malingerer]

Tommy, at home, in Ireland, no. When it is weather for sandals, socks are washed and dried and stored. In Spain, if I am just mooching around, no socks. For serious walking - yes, with sandals.
Let the fashion police take out their notebooks and wet the tips of their pencils...

Alas! I have to wear socks with my Tevas, the marching ones that is! The material doesn't agree with my tootsies! They go quite well in the dark tho!

Buen camino

Samarkand.

 

[David]

I dropped boots and shoes years ago and now only wear Keen Newport H2 trekking sandals - the only footwear I have ever worn that after five minutes I am not aware I am wearing them (but the fabric ones, not the leather as the leather is too stiff). I have never had a blister, rain or dry.

I am English so to wear socks with sandals is an utter NO - (it might even be illegal in England ) and I would point out that there is no mention of St James or any of the other disciples wearing socks with their sandals -

- but I always take a pair of socks and do wear them in really cold weather or chilly mornings (only in Spain) .. next time I go may take an American flag with me to display when I put socks on so that people won't know I am English

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

I don't wear sandals but am curious, do you wear socks with them?are blisters a problem with no socks? Tommy

My kids make fun of me when I do.

 

[trecile]

My kids make fun of me when I do.

Mine would too, but they haven't been on the Camino with me.

 

[Wanderingfriend]

Both

Both are options, if you’re content as I am with a crime against fashion.

I don’t walk in sandals but my evening footwear is (are?) Birkenstock EVAS - plastic sandals. Very light and worn with socks if it’s chilly.

Me too.

 

[TrvlDad1]

I carry sandals as casual and backup footwear. Years ago in Nepal my boots split shortly after I started the Annapurna circuit so I had to wear socks and sandals (Tevas) No foot problems for the 150 +/- miles I wore them. And no fashion police were sighted.

 

[Lynne (USA/Crete Greece)]

CF (all but 20km) wore Chaos Mega Z sandals without socks.

 

[trecile]

Maybe TMI, but I wear socks with sandals when I'm on the Camino to keep my feet from getting crusty.

 

[good_old_shoes]

Tevas with socks when it's cold or rainy. Tevas without socks when the weather is good.

The socks also provide some extra cushion and protection for example when there's sand and dust which can lead to chafing after a while.

I've seen people wearing garbage bags as ponchos and plastic shopping bags wrapped around their shoes on rainy days on the camino, so I think sandals in socks shouldn't be the biggest concern for the fashion police ;-)

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Maybe TMI, but I wear socks with sandals when I'm on the Camino to keep my feet from getting crusty.

"Crusty Socks" - great name for a Country and Western singer . . .

 

[Jeff Crawley]

One thing to watch out for though some people believe that wearing socks with sandals is a bit of fashion catastrophe....I'm not sure why this is so or why such a prejudice exists, but it is said and also written.

Caused, I believe, by the tendency of British males to wear formal black, or even worse, beige socks with open toe sandals although I have seen the odd late-middle aged German male similarly attired.

 

[Former member 49149]

When it is weather for sandals...as in today. I could not possibly have kept on my socks and boots.

 

[Eve Alexandra]

At home? Never. On the camino? Yeahhhh..... happy feet is worth the crime against fashion. But when I take selfies I try to keep my feet out of the picture. lol

 

[Former member 92300]

Under normal circumstances - no - I would never wear socks with my sandals lol! But - the Camino is not normal circumstances. You are putting your feet through a lot of mileage every day for over a month (if you do the longer routes). I love sandals for hiking - but not for long distance hiking. Why? Because when you start putting more mileage on - that is when you rip up your feet with blisters. Wearing socks with sandals can prevent that for most people. So - while I would never NORMALLY wear socks with sandals - if hiking the Camino with them, then I most definitely would and have! Also - my trail running shoes are only worn while hiking town to town. Once I check into my albergue - I switch to my Tevas. While I can certainly usually wear them without socks around town - I find that I am often more comfortable after a long hiking day if I wear them with socks. That - and last year it was cold - so my feet were cold. So again, yes - on the Camino I wear socks with my sandals.

This summer I am walking with my 18 year old daughter who will be mortified the first time she sees me wearing socks with my Tevas haha... how much you want to bet she ends up doing the same after spending some time on the Camino?

 

[trecile]

I love sandals for hiking - but not for long distance hiking. Why? Because when you start putting more mileage on - that is when you rip up your feet with blisters.

I've not found that to be true at all. In 2019 I walked over 1200 Camino kilometers in hiking sandals with no blisters, including the more "rustic" Camino del Salvador.

And I have met several people who switched to sandals from boots or trail shoes to give their blisterd feet relief.

 

[Former member 92300]

I've not found that to be true at all. In 2019 I walked over 1200 Camino kilometers in hiking sandals with no blisters, including the more "rustic" Camino del Salvador.

And I have met several people who switched to sandals from boots or trail shoes to give their blisterd feet relief.

This is one where everyone is different. I never blister in my trail shoes and always blister after 5 miles in my sandals without socks - and know a lot of others who experience the same. Doesn't matter which broken in, well fitting sandals I wear!

 

[SeñorJacques]

Let the fashion police take out their notebooks and wet the tips of their pencils..

One thing to watch out for though some people believe that wearing socks with sandals is a bit of fashion catastrophe....I'm not sure why this is so or why such a prejudice exists, but it is said and also written.

At home? Never. On the camino? Yeahhhh..... happy feet is worth the crime against fashion. But when I take selfies I try to keep my feet out of the picture. lol

The fashion police have approved of socks with sandals for quite some time now! I think it’s some of your fellow pilgrims you may have to worry about getting funny looks from

 

[Ian Salsbury]

I don't wear sandals but am curious, do you wear socks with them?are blisters a problem with no socks? Tommy

If I were to wear saddles then I would definitely wear socks, don't care what others think, my feet would get blisters without. I would be more concerned about having to keep stopping to remove small stones etc.

 

[good_old_shoes]

I would be more concerned about having to keep stopping to remove small stones

With open sandals I find it easier to remove stones than with boots. With boots I have to stop and take them off. With sandals, I just slightly shake my foot and stones that might have gotten in (which rarely happens at all) fall out again easily.

Have walked thousands of kms with sandals and stones are not really an issue at all.

 

[OZAJ]

With open sandals I find it easier to remove stones than with boots. With boots I have to stop and take them off. With sandals, I just slightly shake my foot and stones that might have gotten in (which rarely happens at all) fall out again easily.

Have walked thousands of kms with sandals and stones are not really an issue at all.

With these, you don't get stones in your boots:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/bata-navy-overboots_p3360738

 

[Anamiri]

If I were to wear saddles then I would definitely wear socks, don't care what others think, my feet would get blisters without. I would be more concerned about having to keep stopping to remove small stones etc.

I don't have problems with small stones, happens once every few days, about the same as I get with shoes.
It may depend on your sandal choice though.
And yes I offend the fashion police and wear socks with my sandals.

 

[David]

...

 

[TrvlDad1]

Leon today. I saw tourists in worse and was not assaulted.

 

[Former member 92300]

View attachment 121322

View attachment 121323

Well... of COURSE not... these are obviously not Merino wool

 

[Former member 92300]

So... I have been doing my regular walks. 6 miles around the neighborhood and then 17 miles on Sunday . Been switching out my trail runners - no blisters ever. Put on a comfy pair of hiking sandals - only hiked 3 miles the other day - my feet are all ripped up I don't know why I even try haha. Happens with Chacos, Tevas, and pretty much any other pair of Sandals without socks - but usually closer to the 5 mile mark.

 

[Tincatinker]

Socks and sandals? I’m minded of the recommended outfit for an English summer time outdoor rock festival “A waterproof sun-dress and open-toed Wellington boots”.

Ask your feet what they need. Every other opinion is superfluous

 

[dougfitz]

If I were to wear saddles then I would definitely wear socks, don't care what others think, my feet would get blisters without. I would be more concerned about having to keep stopping to remove small stones etc.

If you were to wear a saddle, keeping small stones out of your feet would be something I would be most concerned to do

 

[VanessaDances]

I dropped boots and shoes years ago and now only wear Keen Newport H2 trekking sandals - the only footwear I have ever worn that after five minutes I am not aware I am wearing them (but the fabric ones, not the leather as the leather is too stiff). I have never had a blister, rain or dry.

I am English so to wear socks with sandals is an utter NO - (it might even be illegal in England ) and I would point out that there is no mention of St James or any of the other disciples wearing socks with their sandals -

- but I always take a pair of socks and do wear them in really cold weather or chilly mornings (only in Spain) .. next time I go may take an American flag with me to display when I put socks on so that people won't know I am English

Hi David
I am planning the Camino Norte for late May and have just recently purchased Keen Newport H2 sandals. I was presuming I would wear socks, and if so, what would folks recomend - wool, silk, polyester?

 

[trecile]

Hi David
I am planning the Camino Norte for late May and have just recently purchased Keen Newport H2 sandals. I was presuming I would wear socks, and if so, what would folks recomend - wool, silk, polyester?

Wear whichever socks are comfortable for you, and will dry overnight (or faster) on the clothesline.
I usually wear WrightSocks double layer socks with my sandals, but occasionally wear merino wool socks.