Overlanding Shoes (Is there such a thing :-) )

[2dub]

My go-to for daily wear are Merrell Jungle Moc shoes.

These too along with my Merrell World Ledgend Moc are my daily wear shoes at work.

Otherwise I generally wear my Merrell Sandals I don't know the model name, but they are A- Very comfortable, B have a great tread for hiking. But I don't see them on the Merrell site any more so once they're done for then I'll actually have to go shopping again.

I'm not a Merrell snob or anything, but once I find something that works and I like, I stick with it. I love when I can just reorder the same thing and know it will fit, be comfortable and what I like.

Like you @Biker Eagle I get disappointed when companies "improve" their stuff.

 

[leeloo]

I decided to come out of the closet and admit that I own a pair of crocs that are used around the tent and at the campsite. They are most comfortable and practical things I have for this purpose. The advange over some comfy slippers is you don't slip out of them on wet grass and small slopes...
When I bought them my wife made me swear that I will wear them only in those conditions..:)

 

[Reber1584]

I decided to come out of the closet and admit that I own a pair of crocs that are used around the tent and at the campsite. They are most comfortable and practical things I have for this purpose. The advange over some comfy slippers is you don't slip out of them on wet grass and small slopes...
When I bought them my wife made me swear that I will wear them only in those conditions..:)

Hahahaha I would have to agree with your wife.. I said the same thing to the Hubbs about his crocs!

 

[WAYAWAY]

I'm a huge fan of these Palladium Boots. Lightweight, they look like Chucks, very sturdy and they are not too expensive

 

[Chris.Ingram]

Flip flops , bare foot or altra running shoes is my go to I only wear boots in the snow . If your foot is weak so is the rest of your body .if you need a boot to keep from twisting a ankle ... maybe you need to make your ankle stronger . We spend so much time working on the rest of our bodies but always neglect the only part that touches the ground .

I remember when my ankles and other joints were good and strong. That was before I retired from the military. I’m 40 years old by the way. Maybe think how other people are affected before you go assuming the worst in people.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Flip flops , bare foot or altra running shoes is my go to I only wear boots in the snow . If your foot is weak so is the rest of your body .if you need a boot to keep from twisting a ankle ... maybe you need to make your ankle stronger . We spend so much time working on the rest of our bodies but always neglect the only part that touches the ground .

I remember when my ankles and other joints were good and strong. That was before I retired from the military. I’m 40 years old by the way. Maybe think how other people are affected before you go assuming the worst in people.

Read the book born to run , 4 people in that book didn’t start running ultra marathons till they where in there 40s because of constant injuries and setbacks … your only limited by what you believe your limits are .

 

[Smileyshaun]

And it’s just strange that the part of the human body that has the most joints , Ligaments, muscles and most sensitive nerve endings is meant to live dormant in a over protective shoe while we depend on our hands to accomplish the most delicate tasks and our arms and legs to do the heaviest work in our bodies . If your arms where not strong enough would you put them in a cast to make them stronger ? No you would work them out to make them stronger, you can do the same with your feet . It can be as simple as putting a towel under your heel and pulling it towards your heel with your toes while you watch tv . It boggles my mind that the one part of the human body that actually touched the earth and stabilizes our whole body gets the least amount of attention. That would be the equivalent of spending 10k on suspension mods and putting bald tires on your rig .

 

[ThundahBeagle]

And it’s just strange that the part of the human body that has the most joints , Ligaments, muscles and most sensitive nerve endings is meant to live dormant in a over protective shoe while we depend on our hands to accomplish the most delicate tasks and our arms and legs to do the heaviest work in our bodies . If your arms where not strong enough would you put them in a cast to make them stronger ? No you would work them out to make them stronger, you can do the same with your feet . It can be as simple as putting a towel under your heel and pulling it towards your heel with your toes while you watch tv . It boggles my mind that the one part of the human body that actually touched the earth and stabilizes our whole body gets the least amount of attention. That would be the equivalent of spending 10k on suspension mods and putting bald tires on your rig .

When my hands needed toughening for martial arts, we filled a 5 gallon bucket with sand and punched into it. Later, it was rock salt. Hitting the heavy bag. Under both practices it was not uncommon to wrap our wrists. Because while practicing and conditioning our fists and skin, it is not necessary to cause injury to our wrists.

We can strengthen and condition at various other times, but protect when in the thick of it.

I broke my ankle about 10 years ago and getting medical assistance was seriously delayed. I have an extra bump on the outside where most people have one. I havent stopped walking or hiking.

I have some nice Teva sport sandals I wear outside and around camp or kayaking. But when hiking, I wear my Oboz hiking boots. They do more than just help support my ankle on long hikes. They also protect my skin from nettles, bugs, sharp rocks and sticks...

So while training and conditio ing are very important, I might wear supportive boots when actually out and about. I dont think theres anything wrong with that. I see the value in both

 

[MOAK]

And it’s just strange that the part of the human body that has the most joints , Ligaments, muscles and most sensitive nerve endings is meant to live dormant in a over protective shoe while we depend on our hands to accomplish the most delicate tasks and our arms and legs to do the heaviest work in our bodies . If your arms where not strong enough would you put them in a cast to make them stronger ? No you would work them out to make them stronger, you can do the same with your feet . It can be as simple as putting a towel under your heel and pulling it towards your heel with your toes while you watch tv . It boggles my mind that the one part of the human body that actually touched the earth and stabilizes our whole body gets the least amount of attention. That would be the equivalent of spending 10k on suspension mods and putting bald tires on your rig .

My ankles are fairly strong for a guy fast approaching 68. I accredit this to participating in competive basketball and riding a road bike until I was 42 years old. I still choose to wear high topped boots. Even those in great shape, ankles & all, have figured out the benefits of high topped footwear. College & Pro basketball players, in the past few years, have suffered a lot more ankle injuries from roll over, than would be considered normal, and I’d consider them to be in excellent shape. Why? low topped shoes. When “overlanding” I wear my redwing boots, when hiking I wear my Asolo, old school, hiking boots. One never knows when one might roll an ankle and suffer serious injury. My low top Merrill’s ? They sit in the closet, as useless now as they were when I bought them on impulse 11 years ago. Running shoes on the other hand are low topped, low tech, sneakers. I run on the balls of my feet so I don’t need any of the high tech garbage that the big sneaker companies are pushing on the running community. If people would run properly they wouldn’t need all that extra support. Just my somewhat useless 2 cents

 

[dchurch]

I'm happy with these 3 in 1 convertable boot/shoe/slipper.

It's nice to pack one pair of shoes to do it all. The high top mode works really well for hiking, wading and fishing. The low top for casual walking. Slipper mode for camp R&R. During the summer I pack a pair of USA Chaco sandals. Also a fan of Danner USA models for work boots.

 

[MattLodi]

I decided to come out of the closet and admit that I own a pair of crocs that are used around the tent and at the campsite. They are most comfortable and practical things I have for this purpose. The advange over some comfy slippers is you don't slip out of them on wet grass and small slopes...
When I bought them my wife made me swear that I will wear them only in those conditions..:)

Crocs are quite common among some italian fulltimers i follow on social media.
Btw i use:
- Salewa Goretex hiking boots for long/difficult/wet hikes;
- a pair of The North Face sneakers (i don't remember the model) for driving, walking and short hikes;
- flip flops at the camp, i've perfectioned the technique to use them with socks on too.

 

[Smileyshaun]

My ankles are fairly strong for a guy fast approaching 68. I accredit this to participating in competive basketball and riding a road bike until I was 42 years old. I still choose to wear high topped boots. Even those in great shape, ankles & all, have figured out the benefits of high topped footwear. College & Pro basketball players, in the past few years, have suffered a lot more ankle injuries from roll over, than would be considered normal, and I’d consider them to be in excellent shape. Why? low topped shoes. When “overlanding” I wear my redwing boots, when hiking I wear my Asolo, old school, hiking boots. One never knows when one might roll an ankle and suffer serious injury. My low top Merrill’s ? They sit in the closet, as useless now as they were when I bought them on impulse 11 years ago. Running shoes on the other hand are low topped, low tech, sneakers. I run on the balls of my feet so I don’t need any of the high tech garbage that the big sneaker companies are pushing on the running community. If people would run properly they wouldn’t need all that extra support. Just my somewhat useless 2 cents

I guess I should rephrase what I said I’m not against boots i use them in the winter in the snow but a lot of people tend to rely on the shoe for their foot strength rather than strengthening their foot because the thought never occurs to them that it is a muscle that can be worked out like anything else on the body.

 

[MOAK]

I guess I should rephrase what I said I’m not against boots i use them in the winter in the snow but a lot of people tend to rely on the shoe for their foot strength rather than strengthening their foot because the thought never occurs to them that it is a muscle that can be worked out like anything else on the body.

We seem to agree 100% on this ever important shoe thing. Nike has spent multiple millions selling running shoes that are complete garbage. Does any serious runner truly believe they should strike heel first?

 

[Smileyshaun]

We seem to agree 100% on this ever important shoe thing. Nike has spent multiple millions selling running shoes that are complete garbage. Does any serious runner truly believe they should strike heel first?

thankfully my feet can’t fit in nikes but ya their shoes are garbage , I use to run in Merrill’s but they changed their styling and they just don’t fit anymore so I’ve moved to altras . Going to try their boots this winter , hope they are worth the money .

 

[Dusther210]

Crocs and Merrells
The official footwear of overlanding lol

 

[slomatt]

I've been trying out a pair of Xero shoes and really like them. They are minimalist shoes with zero drop and little padding under the foot, so it can take a while to get used to them , but if you want to build up foot strength these can help.

 

[sleak]

I'm considering this exact shoe - either that or the "Joe's PH". I thought both were custom only - you were able to order a standard sized version?

I wear these (minimalist thula thulas) everywhere, every day. I have 4 pair: short & tall of both the all leather (cold weather) and fabric sides (warm weather). Extremely comfortable, because they're custom.

 

[MOAK]

Birkenstocks anyone? Tell ya what, I started wearing birks back in 1977. I wore them for everything, they were strong enough even for a bit of day hiking. They were big Fred Flinstone shoes and almost indestructible. My first pair lasted until 1985. That’s 7 years years of nearly constant wear in SoCal & 1 summer in Pa. My second pair lasted nearly 6 years. Unfortunately over the past 15 years or so Birkenstock has become a fashion statement. They are no longer a great piece of leather, cork and rubber, built to knock around in, but a very cheap imitation of what they once were. My last two pair lasted less than 2 summers each. Complete garbage. What do you all think of Keenes as far as rugged durability?

 

[Road]

... What do you all think of Keenes as far as rugged durability?

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I love and use my Keen Koven Waterproof boots a lot, lately, especially when slogging around wet grounds and trails, though as a general camp/hiking/work boot, too.


They've served me well for years, and other than one of the pulls at the top of the tongue coming undone, have had absolutely no other problems as far as comfort, durability, excess wear to sole or uppers, etc. I would have no problem recommending KEEN boots and shoes, and would not hesitate to purchase from them again if looking for another boot, shoe, or sandal.

They no longer sell the Kovens, though have an updated version called the Targhee II Waterproof Mid. In my experience, the sizes run true.
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Just finished a five-day/four-night canoe-camping trip in the New Brunswick/Maine boundary waters and the only footwear I took were my Keen water sandals (I bought 1/2 size smaller and they fit perfectly) and a pair of Houssprt water shoes with removable insole. The KEEN water sandals, too, have been updated to another model name and are most like the Keen Newport H2. I've had mine for years of use and abuse with no problem.



Wore the Keen water sandals (above) all day every day canoeing (sometimes with neoprene water sox on colder days), and the Houssprt water shoes (below) as camp shoes at night with warm dry socks. Both are perfect for overnight canoe trips, whether for just one night or extended stay. Both drain well and are extremely comfortable.



The Houssprt water shoes are inexpensive and long-lasting so far; though I just recently got them, so time will tell. At only $26.00, I'm surprised at their comfort and construction. They pack up nice and slim, too. I'll be taking them on all adventures now as an all-around camp and driving shoe.
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[Laurits]

I have a pair of Canned hiking boots I bought maybe 15 years ago. They still got and are in excellent shape, very comfortable. In my college days we called them waffle stompers. Since I don't hike much I'm doubtful I'll ever wear them out but they are great for camping, etc.