Camp Shoes?

[Aslan]

Hi all.  I am a long time lurker but first time poster.  I have tens of thousands of miles of pannier and Bob touring under my belt but I am new to ultra light bike packing.  Anyway, here is my question.  I love my sidi bike shoes for riding but, to put it bluntly, they really suck off the bike.  I weighed my Chacos and running shoes and they are HEAVY.  Both are over 2lbs.   What do you do for a light weight pair of shoes off of the bike.  I am trying to keep my base weight under 14lbs. Should I just suck it up and stay in my sidis the whole trip?  There seems to be a lot of experience here so I look forward to your suggestions.

[AZTtripper]

My feet are so f'd up I can barely walk with out shoes in the past I would have said just suck it up and carry the Chacos. Lately I have been working towards lightening up my kit and they were the first thing to go. What I came up with is a pair of socks with an old shoe liner duct taped to the bottom. Not something I would want to have to walk very far in but for camp they are just enough to take the edge off. I haven't weighed them but it can't be more then an oz or two.

[longman]

try Pearl Izumi x-alp shoes, they make several models, I've used the Seek model a lot. They are very comfortable,  really easy to walk in and you can use one pair of shoes for everything. Drawbacks... they are pretty heavy and during a long day with lots of pedalling they can start to cause hot spots because there's not a lot of stiffness around the cleat area. PI's top model in this shoe comes with a carbon plate around the cleat which is supposed to solve this problem but I haven't tried those yet.

Another option would be to buy a pair of foam flip-flops from Walmart for $4, they are really light and it feels great to get your shoes off at the end of the day.

[Schwizzle]

Crocs..... super light, comfortable, and inexpensive. I bring them on every backpack or bikepack trip 

[Slowerthensnot]

2nd the cheapo foam flipflops

[MonkeySpacePilot]

Vibram five fingers, although they can be a pain to put on when you want to get up in the middle of the night. Merrell Barefoot is coming out soon which has the same sort of vibram sole but without the separate toe units which might be more user friendly.
Inov8 also do some pretty lightweight footwear, but I am not sure on the international availability.

edit: just looked on the inov8 website the recolite 180 looks a good option, 180g each (Hence the 180 in the name, 360g pair) for a uk size 8.

[MonkeySpacePilot]

after looking at those inov8 recolite 180's earlier I have just gone and ordered a pair. Damn internet shopping and credit cards 

[aljee]

i like flip flops. i have a pair that i have worn down pretty well and should probably just keep for bikepacking-only. but i wear them around the house all the time.
flips wouldn't be so good for cold weather though. i would look into some simple soccer style sandals that you could still wear socks with. the Asian markets seem to have super simple shoes for cheap, might also have sandals too.

[HOser]

Crocs..... super light, comfortable, and inexpensive. I bring them on every backpack or bikepack trip 

Crocs are a nice option because you can also use them for stream crossings.  They won't get washed off your feet in fast-moving water like a flip-flop would and of course they don't soak up any water and dry very quickly.

[Aslan]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions.    It is great to get a range of options from cheap to expensive.  My next question is about whether or not to bring a shock pump but since that is off topic I started a new thread. Let me know what you all think.

[Dallas.S]

I carry Jesus sandles for the camp site. Compact, less than a pound, and they fit nicely in the pack. After a day of riding and hiking, it feels good to get out of the boots!

[DoctorRad]

I got something very similar to these during a recent family camping holiday for use on the beach:

http://www.annscottagesurf.co.uk/view.aspx?i=CSOLM

They may not be very durable or waterproof, but they are certainly very light and comfortable with a tiny pack size.

[boddunn]

BPL had some info on Crocs a while ago and they turned out to be not as light as they look; guess it because they seem lighter than their bulk. Inov8 are great and last a surprisingly long time from experience.
 My SIDI's are super comfy, I wear them round the house when I get back from work but I was told a few weeks ago I very "normal" feet whatever that means....

[sean salach]

Flip flops are good. Very comfy. Get a pair of toe socks and they'll work in colder temps as well.

[Lentamentalisk]

Sorry to dig up an old dead topic, but I've been scouring the internet and can't seem to find a great answer. I've read that my next big trip is going to involve upwards of 6 stream crossings on the first day, so I'm going to want some water/camp shoes. I'm thinking about Crocs, but my girlfriend is giving me hell for that (there is seriously nothing less fashionable in the entire world than Crocs). Now that I'm hearing they aren't actually so light, I'm having second (or third) thoughts. But they are super cheap, and I hate having things between my toes, so flipflops are out.

Final thoughts before I forever condemn myself to the clan of people who have willingly purchased Crocs?

[dave]

Stream crossings aren't generally a big deal, and are often rideable.  I'd just let my riding shoes get wet and bring cheap flip-flops for camp.  If, however, your streams are more intense and you really do want a pair of shoes to wear while walking through lots of water, I would not go with Crocs.  They won't stay on your feet any better than flops.  Maybe just get a pair of those Teva-type strap sandals that people wear around water/kayaks/etc. all the time. 

[Mista Bone]

I bought a pair of Keen sandals with toe protection for water crossings and camp shoes.

I also ride flat pedals, have rode 20+ miles with them.

Keen Men's Arroyo II

[Smithhammer]

I'd have to agree with Dave - unless they are very mild crossings, Crocs offer horrible traction on wet river rocks. A decent river sandal may weigh a bit more, but will offer much better traction and stability for river crossings.

[bmike-vt]

I bought some Speedo water shoes to wear in the lake with the kids. Will be wearing them for a scouting trip with 2 river crossings. Good grip on the lake rocks. Reasonable weight.

[Aslan]

If I am touring I use Chaco sandals.  I can hike and ride flats in them but mainly they are just good shoes for the water, fishing, swimming and hiking around camp.  They are heavy but they just released a "lighter"  version at 20 ounces for a pair.  That still makes them the single heaviest item in my sub 20 pound touring kit.  For me they are worth the weight.