After a long hike or trek, setting camp is not enough for your feet to have adequate rest, they need camping shoes to ensure complete comfort and rest for your feet you need. Backpacking camp shoes can be a difficult yet crucial decision for your camping experience and you need to be careful while buying backpacking camp shoes.
How To Choose The Best Backpacking Camping Shoes
Here are some of the things you should be looking for while buying backpacking camping shoes.
Water-proof
This is essential if you are setting camp near lakes or rivers, but this also helps against the possibility of bad weather. A soggy shoe would have additional weight. You can also use these to trod through any lakes or rivers which you might encounter on the hike
Foot-hold
Even if you have set camp, you might have to gather firewood or water, so u need a shoe that helps maintain your balance, a strong foothold to avoid slip accidents.
Weight
For camping, you would need them to be as light as possible, around 6-12 oz. As most of the time, they would be in your backpack.
Easy-to-wear
As this product would be used leisurely during the camping process, you would want it to be an easy-to-wear shoe, without laces or a lot of straps, a simple strap-on heel would do the job.
Comfort
Above all things, you need to be looking for comfort and so there must be no compromise on that because your feet have endured a long trek or hike. No one likes sore feet!
What Are The Advantages Of Backpacking Camping Shoes
Camping Shoes serve some very important functions, as well as make your camping experience much more relaxing and full-filling.
Breathability
Your feet need to be able to breathe after a long day, in order to lose the moisture building up in your shoes all day, after a strenuous hike. This not only provides great comfort to your feet but also helps to keep them healthy as dry feet are less susceptible to blisters. Which would go on to greatly impact your upcoming hike, as your feet would be fresh and energetic.
Cleansing
While you are wearing camping shoes you can clean your feet of mud, blisters, or any other unwanted substance, as these shoes would be open and moisture-free. You can use sanitizers or water to give them a good wash.
Drying Your Shoes
If you’ve ever done an entire hike in a single pair of shoes, you might have considered camping shoes on your next adventure. The importance of having pair of dry shoes cannot be stressed enough, and backpacking camp shoes give your hiking shoes plenty of time to dry out and be ready for use.
Endurance
While hiking you might feel great in a pair of sturdy hiking shoes, but after a while, they would start feeling heavier, especially if they get wet, a lot of weight would be added to them. Which would require more effort from you, decreasing your overall endurance. Camping shoes would be a pleasant break for your feet during the hike, saving energy and decreasing effort.
Here Is A List Of 8 Best Backpacking Camping Shoes
Crocs Classic Clog
Crocs are known for their lightweight design which allows them to be easily carried, furthermore, crocs have been widely popular for their comfort and easy-to-wear design, Also, crocs over the years have grown their footwear designs and color vastly to best suit your personal style.
Crocs are an excellent option because of their amazing durability, during harsh conditions because they are water-resistant, are 100% synthetic, making them ideal for use in camping. Their flexible design also makes them extremely durable and one of the best camping shoes.
The design includes many holes which regulate airflow to your feet and keep them fresh, and healthy.
Crocs also have the advantage of being easily washed, by soap or washing powder, which allows crocs to be one of the best backpacking camping shoes.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Air Flow Control
- Durable
- Easy to wear
- Increased Stability
- Good Foothold
- Vast Variety of Color and Design
- Water Proof
Cons
- Expensive compared to other camping shoes
- May cause foot pain with prolonged strenuous use
Chaco Men’s Z1 Classic Sports Sandal
Chaco Men’s Z1 Classic Sports Sandal makes for an excellent backpacking camp shoe because of their simple yet effective design which provides great breathability to your feet with great airflow, the strap is designed to maximize moisture control.
The strong rubber sole with 3mm lug depth provides a strong foothold to the user, which works well with wet or harsh terrain, which reduces the risk of slip accidents
It has a weight of 13.8 oz. which makes it an ideal backpacking camp shoe, furthermore, as it is an open-toe shoe, it can be easily packed, without taking up a lot of space in your backpack.
It has anti-microbial odor control to provide a better experience and is ideal for someone who has sweaty feet.
The strap is adjustable for an outstanding grip on your feet.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Excellent Foot Hold
- Adjustable strap means exceptional stability
- Air Flow Control is maintained because of open toe design
- Waterproof
Cons
- Open-Toe design makes the toe vulnerable to damage
- Rubber Soles aren’t durable, and could damage after longer periods of use
- Not very cost effective
- Low quality of webbing, may start to fray after a few months
Muck Boot The Original MuckBoots Unisex Edge Water Camping Shoe
The Muck Boot has grown popular because of its comfort level. They make for excellent companions in cold weather as they keep warm, but can also be used in warm weather as well.
Muck boots have a Breathable Airmesh Lining which helps keep in check the moisture building up in your shoe.
Muck Boots are known to last the test of time, so if you are looking to invest in a long-lasting durable shoe, this is the one. Furthermore, Muck Boots can withstand a lot of weight and stress which makes them very durable.
These are optimal for use in sub-freezing conditions of up to 85F.
These boots although have fabric over them but still are waterproof, with a strong rubber sole with an outstanding grip of TracTrol sole.
However they are purpose-built shoes and do not provide stability on indoor surfaces, and as they are waterproofed they provide very minimal breathability, so they might get sweaty in the summer months.
Pros
- Durable
- Provide comfort in sub-freezing conditions
- Excellent grip on natural surfaces.
- Waterproof
- Rubber sole provides exceptional grip
Cons
- Minimal Breathability
- Shoe sizes are hard to find right, decreasing stability
KingCamp Unisex Warm Camping Slippers Soft Winter Slippers with Non Slip Rubber Sole
KingCamp Unisex warm camping slippers provide un-parallel comfort and warmth in cold terrain, their newest models with non-slip rubber soles give a better foothold. Furthermore these shoes.
This shoe is made of hollow fiber, which keeps it lightweight and warm, and comfortable, however, this shoe does not have any airflow control, which would lead to your feet getting sweaty in warmer temperatures.
The rubber sole also is very thin which would not give you much foothold on slippery terrain and will not protect your feet over harsh terrain.
This shoe weighs approx. 11.7 Oz makes it lightweight, making it easier to carry in your backpack.
This shoe comes in a range of 7 colors and simple designs for you to pick from and does not have straps or laces, making it easy to wear.
Pros
- Lightweight making it easier to carry around
- Comfortable
- Water-proof
- Low-Price
- Easy to wear
Cons
- Does not provide efficient stability
- Is not suited for slippery or harsh terrain
- No breathability for the feet
- Not suited for warmer weathers
- Does not have a variety of designs
The North Face Men’s Thermoball Traction Mule V
The North Face Men’s Theromoball Traction Mule V is an amazing backpacking camping shoe for a lot of reasons, this shoe is 100% water-resistant and is ideal for wet terrain.
These slip-on camping shoes are easy to wear, and very efficient design-wise as the heels are specially made is they can slip under the feet for them to be used as a slipper as well, making the experience a more comfortable one.
The High-Traction rubber sole means these provide outstanding grip to the user. These can be used in the snowy terrain.
The shoe weighs 8.1 oz. making it an ideal lightweight backpacking camp shoe.
It has Eco synthetic insulation for use in colder climates, it can keep your feet warm in freezing conditions. However, that decreases its breathability and the trapped moisture may cause damage to your feet after prolonged use.
The shoe also comes with a one-year warranty
Pros
- 100% water-resistant
- Durable
- High-Traction Sole Provides Stability
- Innovative Collapsible Heel design
- Lightweight
Cons
- Very little breathability
- Not useful under damp or warm climates
OLUKAI Women’s Ho‘Opio Sandals
Oluka Sandals are widely popular because of their breathable design and comfort, these sandals provide the user with the most amount of contact with the environment around them. The simple and slim design can be your summer staple as well as an amazing camping shoe.
These Sandals are made from handmade leather which shows how durable they can be.
The non-marked outsole combined with textured pods enhances the traction and foothold providing exceptional grip to the user.
It weighs 7.0 oz. which makes it an easy to pack lightweight shoe.
It is waterproof and durable.
Pros
- Waterproof
- Lightweight
- Excellent Air Flow
- Exceptional Foothold
Cons
- Open-toe design leaves your foot vulnerable to damage
- Rubber strap may start to hurt after long use
Speedo Men’s Water Shoe Surf Knit
Speedo Men’s Water camping Shoes Surf Knit has a very innovative and attractive design that serves a lot of purposes. This Shoe gives a barefoot-like comfort and incorporates a hydrophobic design to keep the user dry.
The lightweight upper and insole minimize water absorption so it does not get heavy when it gets wet.
It has an S-track outsole that controls the water flow and increases the grip so it’s ideal for wet and slippery terrain. The shoe is designed to be very breathable with an excellent airflow control design.
This shoe is easy to wear with a slip-on heel design, and the fabric adjusts to around your feet, increasing the balance.
However, the synthetic sole provides amazing grip and thus makes this shoe very cost-effective, and durable.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Is up to date with fashion
- Provides amazing grip under wet conditions
- Excellent for wet terrain
- Breathable
- Cost-Effective
Cons
- It is hard to get your size right
Teva Men’s M Ember MOC Slipper
Treva Men’s Shoes are indoor and outdoor slippers, they provide excellent comfort to your feet and use Ripstop vamp fabric with quilted stitch pattern which not only makes it look good but also makes it ideal for colder climates.
The Ultra-durable polyester toe bumper would most likely keep your toe out of harm’s way.
It also incorporates a collapsible heel and has an overall easy-to-wear design.
The upper is water-resistant and the rubber sole provides for an excellent foothold during rough or slippery terrain.
It is 15.0 oz. a pair making it an ideal backpacking camp shoe
Pros
- Lightweight
- Collapsible heel design
- Durable
- Toe Bumper
- Waterproof
Cons
- It is not breathable
- Not suited for warm or damp conditions
Conclusion
The clear winner over here is Speedo Men’s Water Shoe Surf Knit shoes as it is not only cost-effective, it provides all the necessary benefits. It is breathable for your feet to rest, it is lightweight to minimize energy loss, it provides a great foothold and grip as well a nice fitting to maximize stability, It has a smart and innovative design best suited to wet conditions but it works well with almost every terrain, and is one of the best backpacking camping shoes.
