Sandals Recommendations

John Dawson said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

Nylon or similar rather than leather if it's to be amphibious,
beyond that try on a load and see what you find most comfortable.
As usual, different shaped feet will like different makes/models
better or worse.

Also, give them a go as a main walking platform. As long as you're
not scree running or doing the sort of scrambling that requires
foot jams they work just fine as long as the sole unit is good and
you're feet are used to the strapping.

That way, no need to take something comfortable for the evenings,
as you'll already be wearing them.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In article <[email hidden]>, John Dawson
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

I have a pair of Teva Terra-Fi that are great all round but probably
overkill unless you want to do a fair bit of walking in them. However
you might decide to one you try it.

http://www.fieldandtrek.com/product-Teva-Terra-Fi-Sandal-12107.htm

I also have a relatively cheap pair of Merrells I got for £20 from
Decathlon. They are similar to these:

http://www.stewardsons.co.uk/shop/product.php/638/reactor_webwrap

If you are going to do any real walking in them (and that might include
crossing rocky rivers) a decent sole and decent straps are required.

Finally I have a pair of Crocs which are extremely light (330g for a
pair of size 9) and quite comfy. I wouldn't want to walk a lot of rough
terrain with them because the sole is very flexible and has little tread
but the lightness and the grip of the sole compound are excellent. I
have the Beach model but considered the Cayman too.

http://www.shoesite.co.uk/Croc-Shoes/Crocs-Beach/c-1-138-139/

They come in loads of whacky colours so I got black!

The above sites are for illustration. I have not used them other than
F&T.

--

Dominic Sexton

John Dawson <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

TIA

John D.

Both ALDI and LiDL are offering men's "trekking" sandals in the next
week or so, at £9.99. Worth trying before spending any more....
--
Gordon H
(Remove invalid to email)

On Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:27:00 GMT, John Dawson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

Teva. Teva. Teva, in that order, IMHO. Try on various models to suit
your feet. I've used a pair on all sorts of sharp/rocky/wet
surfaces, and have only just had to buy some new ones after 6 years.
FWIW the new ones are Wraptors, for the toe protection.
--
All the best
David Millen
Xativa, Valencia
www.fincacasablanca.com
please reply in group
if you have to email me, remove the obvious:
[email hidden]

Peter Clinch said:

John Dawson said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

Nylon or similar rather than leather if it's to be amphibious,
beyond that try on a load and see what you find most comfortable.
As usual, different shaped feet will like different makes/models
better or worse.

Also, give them a go as a main walking platform. As long as you're
not scree running or doing the sort of scrambling that requires
foot jams they work just fine as long as the sole unit is good and
you're feet are used to the strapping.

That way, no need to take something comfortable for the evenings,
as you'll already be wearing them.

But watch out for the wee beasties and sunshine. Midge bites on the
ankles are as much of a pain as eleswhere. Take care if you go walking
in sandals without building up a tan beforehand (beforefoot?) the tops
of feet normally protected by socks and boots will burn easily.
--
Phil Cook, last hill: Angletarn Pikes via Beda Fell.

"John Dawson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

Keen sandals from
http://www.fieldandtrek.com/src/TD/shop-Keen.htm
Excellent sole, toe protection & water friendly.

John Dawson said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

TIA

John D.

I've used a pair of Merrels (can't remember which ones but they were from
Blacks and were around the £45-55 mark) for the past year or two, they are
excellent in and out of water and I'd recommend them. So far they haven't
shown any sign of wear, i.e. coming apart!

R.

Richard Phillips said:

John Dawson said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

TIA

John D.

Quoted message said:

I've used a pair of Merrels (can't remember which ones but they were from
Blacks and were around the £45-55 mark) for the past year or two, they are
excellent in and out of water and I'd recommend them. So far they haven't
shown any sign of wear, i.e. coming apart!

Sounds like the pair I have and which I like, but one of the reasons I
like them is that they fit me better than Tevas, where I usually find the
heel too wide. The OP mentioned wide feet so I expect that he will get on
better with Teva than with Merrell.

Roos

Phil Cook said:

But watch out for the wee beasties and sunshine. Midge bites on the
ankles are as much of a pain as eleswhere.

Fair comment. Though I get bitten I don't react much. Most of my
annoyance with midges is just the feel of them wandering over me, but
the hide on my feet is too thick to be bothered much by that aspect.
I'll usually have a whole pile of wee red circles all around my ankles
for a day, but they don't hurt and then disappear, but if you react to
bites by coming up in lumps it would be No Fun.

Quoted message said:

Take care if you go walking
in sandals without building up a tan beforehand (beforefoot?) the tops
of feet normally protected by socks and boots will burn easily.

Another fair comment. Mine are so used to it that even as an
easy-burner I don't often cream up my feet these days, but it's worth
remembering to put some high SPF on if they're usually inside socks.

After a while you can get yourself the legendary "Teva tan lines"! ;-)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

David Millen said:

Teva. Teva. Teva, in that order, IMHO. Try on various models to suit
your feet.

And while I personally prefer Tevas to others I've tried, that's because
they suit my feet. My wife much prefers Merrels, but her feet are
different to mine...
So try on various brands as well as various models.

Quoted message said:

I've used a pair on all sorts of sharp/rocky/wet
surfaces, and have only just had to buy some new ones after 6 years.
FWIW the new ones are Wraptors, for the toe protection.

I prefer Terra-Fis, in part because they don't have the toe
protection... Or in other words, I don't find I have a problem kicking
rocks and stubbing my toes, and the toe protector is just another thing
to rub against and reduce ventilation a little. But try things on to see.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Phil Cook said:

But watch out for the wee beasties and sunshine. Midge bites on the
ankles are as much of a pain as eleswhere.

Fair comment. Though I get bitten I don't react much. Most of my
annoyance with midges is just the feel of them wandering over me, but
the hide on my feet is too thick to be bothered much by that aspect.
I'll usually have a whole pile of wee red circles all around my ankles
for a day, but they don't hurt and then disappear, but if you react to
bites by coming up in lumps it would be No Fun.

Quoted message said:

Take care if you go walking
in sandals without building up a tan beforehand (beforefoot?) the tops
of feet normally protected by socks and boots will burn easily.

Another fair comment. Mine are so used to it that even as an
easy-burner I don't often cream up my feet these days, but it's worth
remembering to put some high SPF on if they're usually inside socks.

After a while you can get yourself the legendary "Teva tan lines"! ;-)

Pete.

OK, I have to admit that I wear socks with sandals :-(
Just can't tolerate sandals on bare feet.
I'll get me coat.
--
Peter.
If you can do it today, you didn't put off enough yesterday.

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from PeterC
contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

After a while you can get yourself the legendary "Teva tan lines"! ;-)

Pete.

OK, I have to admit that I wear socks with sandals :-(
Just can't tolerate sandals on bare feet.

I think sandals are much more comfortable with socks.

Fashion suicide though.

As for walking in sandals, I hate it. I'm forever having to stop to
remove stones.

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

Geoff Berrow said:

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from PeterC
contained the following:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

After a while you can get yourself the legendary "Teva tan lines"! ;-)

Pete.

OK, I have to admit that I wear socks with sandals :-(
Just can't tolerate sandals on bare feet.

I think sandals are much more comfortable with socks.

If your straps are comfortable enough it isn't a problem. Tevas for me
too.

Quoted message said:

As for walking in sandals, I hate it. I'm forever having to stop to
remove stones.

When I get a stone in between the sandal and my foot I stop for all of
two seconds and pull the sole away from my foot and it's gone. Far
less of a faff than getting a wrinkle out of my sock or a stone out of
a shoe.
--
Phil Cook, last hill: Angletarn Pikes via Beda Fell.

Geoff Berrow said:

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from PeterC

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

OK, I have to admit that I wear socks with sandals :-(
Just can't tolerate sandals on bare feet.

I think sandals are much more comfortable with socks.

It's an accilmatization thing IME. At first, yes, after awhile
you don't notice in benign terrian, and in bogs and rivers you seen
find that otherwise bare feet /can/ be a good thing.

Quoted message said:

As for walking in sandals, I hate it. I'm forever having to stop to
remove stones.

Easy come, easy go. Removing them is a case of tapping the toe on
the ground or aquick sweep of a finger uner the foot. None of
this taking things off nonsense...

Not for everyone, granted, but as the weather warms up it's worth
experimenting. I walk in sandals now as I find it genuinely more
comfortable for the most part than shoes or boots. Lighter, and of
course vastly superior ventilation!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Roos Eisma said:

The OP mentioned wide feet so I expect that he will get on
better with Teva than with Merrell.

I have wide feet (but narrow heels).

I hated my Merrell sandals, and they almost put me off sandals for
ever, but I love my Teva Terra-Fis. I found that the Merrell straps
weren't adjustable enough for my funny-shaped feet. (With hindsight,
I wonder why I ever bought the things!)

Judith

Dominic Sexton said:

In article <[email hidden]>, John Dawson
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Quoted message said:

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

I have a pair of Teva Terra-Fi that are great all round but probably
overkill unless you want to do a fair bit of walking in them. However
you might decide to one you try it.

http://www.fieldandtrek.com/product-Teva-Terra-Fi-Sandal-12107.htm

I also have a relatively cheap pair of Merrells I got for £20 from
Decathlon. They are similar to these:

http://www.stewardsons.co.uk/shop/product.php/638/reactor_webwrap

If you are going to do any real walking in them (and that might include
crossing rocky rivers) a decent sole and decent straps are required.

Finally I have a pair of Crocs which are extremely light (330g for a
pair of size 9) and quite comfy. I wouldn't want to walk a lot of rough
terrain with them because the sole is very flexible and has little tread
but the lightness and the grip of the sole compound are excellent. I
have the Beach model but considered the Cayman too.

http://www.shoesite.co.uk/Croc-Shoes/Crocs-Beach/c-1-138-139/

They come in loads of whacky colours so I got black!

The above sites are for illustration. I have not used them other than
F&T.

--

Dominic Sexton

As far as Crocs are concerned, I do suggest that you go and look at
them, think about how much they cost and relate that to the actual
cost of the production process. You should quickly realise that the
cost is totally out of proportion to their real value. One way of
getting something a little nearer an acceptable price is to Ebay for
them as 'clogs 9' if 9 is your shoe size. No need to pay for the
label.

Rob

Gordon H said:

John Dawson <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Whenever I go away on an organised walking trip I'm told to take
trainers for use in the evenings. I don't find trainers comfortable,
possibly because wide feet and I have arthritis in my big toes, so I'm
considering sandals. One of my possible future trips requires sandals
for a river crossing so I need to get some that are OK in water.

Quoted message said:

Any recommendations for that dual duty?

Quoted message said:

TIA

Quoted message said:

John D.

Both ALDI and LiDL are offering men's "trekking" sandals in the next
week or so, at £9.99. Worth trying before spending any more....
--
Gordon H
(Remove invalid to email)

No - they're rubbish.

Rob

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Roos Eisma said:

The OP mentioned wide feet so I expect that he will get on
better with Teva than with Merrell.

I have wide feet (but narrow heels).

I hated my Merrell sandals, and they almost put me off sandals for
ever, but I love my Teva Terra-Fis. I found that the Merrell straps
weren't adjustable enough for my funny-shaped feet. (With hindsight,
I wonder why I ever bought the things!)

I think adjustability is in part dependant upon the design of the
strapping system. My Merrells have straps very similar to my Terra-Fis
and have a wide range of adjustment. I bought the Merrells when they
were on special offer because I wanted to avoid wearing out the
Terra-Fis but as it turns out they are very nearly as good.

--

Dominic Sexton

In article <[email hidden]>, Rob
G <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

As far as Crocs are concerned, I do suggest that you go and look at
them, think about how much they cost and relate that to the actual
cost of the production process. You should quickly realise that the
cost is totally out of proportion to their real value. One way of
getting something a little nearer an acceptable price is to Ebay for
them as 'clogs 9' if 9 is your shoe size. No need to pay for the
label.

Indeed. Just after I bought mine a friend got some copies from the local
market for £5. I've not compared them properly but I think she might
have got the better deal - apart from the colour but I think that was
just her taste!

--

Dominic Sexton