Sandals???

[Remi & Jen]

Honestly, I think the question is... how strong are your ankles, and how
much can you feet take.  I would have loved to wear tevas (and I did after
my walk every day), but during the hike it just wasn't possible for me or my
sister, or my boyfriend.  Both my sister and I went to great lengths on the
Camino, with several trips to the farmacia to get some more cushioning for
our heels.  Runners work for some, but with a pack and the pounding of each
step day after day after day, I would say that they are not sufficiently
going to support your feet.  The terrain is varied, hard packed earth, old
roman roads with large loose stones (twisted my ankle and ended my camino
the first time around on this type of terrain), mountain trails with lose
gravel, pavement and so on.  I think the requirements of footwear are
entirely individual and the most plausible way to distinguish your needs
would be to strap on your back pack with camino type weight, head out the
door with your intended shoes for 20 - 30k of hiking for 3 or 4 consecutive
days on whatever type of terrain, because in reality your feet will tell you
what they require.  I had low hikers, and had to tread lightly and had to
constantly look out for my footing in order not to sprain my ankle again.
For me, full hiking boots, which really are the best, are too stiff for my
foot and caused cramping.  I looked far and wide and finally found a pair of
low hikers that worked very well for me.  So, the rigidness was a problem
for me, but I finally did find an alternative that was supportive and had a
gel cushion in the heel and so on.

Good luck and buen camino.

Jennifer

-----Original Message-----
From: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage [mailto:GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU]On
Behalf Of Jilek, Glenn
Sent: August 6, 2003 11:54 AM
To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
Subject: Sandals???


Kerrie mentioned in the recent message on her Camino experience that some
walkers were in sandals (tevas, etc).  This makes me wonder again how
essential are hiking shoes/boots?  Can a good grade of walking or running
shoes work on the Camino?  Those types of shoes are much more flexible,
lighter, and therefore more comfortable and should cause less blisters.

I walk as a hobby and log in about 30 miles per week in good weather and
much more when I don't work.  The surface is mostly paved and and sometimes
hard packed earth.  I have gone through many walking shoes.  Since I am
planning on walking the Camino, I have tried various hiking shoes and they
all seem so rigid and heavy in comparison.  Are their advantages in
stability worth their disadvantages?

Glenn