Sandals???

[Ed]

Besides paved road, you will also need to use your walking/running shoes 6-8
hours a day in:

- all-day continuous heavy torrential rain
- ankle-deep mud
- slippery (and treacherous) limestone/marble terrain
- rugged uphill slogs and scree-like descents

Nothing in the world beats a properly fitted, nicely worn-in, breathable
(Gortex) boot.  And if perchance they get wet, then they dry out fine
overnight (use packed newspaper).    Running shoes stay wet for days and
make your feet smell awful with risk of fungal diseases setting in.   I saw
too many badly damaged feet on the Camino including many people who had to
give up by the time they had only walked from SJPP to Burgos and in
virtually all of these cases it was because they had not invested in decent
footwear and/or socks.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jilek, Glenn" <Glenn.JilekaFHWA.DOT.GOV>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 6:53 PM
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


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