Sandals for city and hiking vacation

lreidgreen · 07-02-15, 08:12 AM

I am going to China in August and am looking for outdoor sandals for hiking as I do not want to bring heavy boots. We will only be hiking for 2 days though and we will be doing mostly city/sightseeing walking and I would like to be able to wear whatever I bring for hiking as a second pair of shoes for city walking. One hiking day is on a "wild" section of the Great Wall for which Lonely Planet recommends shoes with a very good grip.* The other hike is climbing a mountain and I am not sure sandals are appropriate but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.

*I am actually thinking of changing the wild section of the wall to a restored section that is more straightforward walking wise but is further away from the city and thus less crowded. Also the views from the restored section look awesome.

lunarraine · 07-03-15, 07:30 AM

I love my Keen Sandals. They are extremely comfortable and durable. I'm on my third summer with the same pair, and they still aren't showing much sign of wear.

katmom · 07-03-15, 08:08 AM

Onlineshoes.com is having a 40% off sale on already reduced items. Last night, I purchased a pair of Ecco sport sandals for about $70.

lreidgreen · 07-03-15, 09:27 AM

I just ordered a few pair from Shoebuy last night, Merrells and Hi-Tech. The Merrells won't be sufficient for hiking IMO but they look like they can be an everyday sightseeing shoe and they are really cute. I will check out brands you mentioned though.
Also late yesterday it came to me that if all else fails I can l bring my New Balance Minimus trail shoes for the hiking. They are very light, don't take up much space and I can also wear them for use at the occasional hotel gym I will run into. As if I will have time and energy.
Thanks!

yogapam · 07-03-15, 10:03 AM

The Great Wall is breathtaking, have a wonderful trip!

beyond.omega · 07-04-15, 05:21 AM

Back in the day, I used to just love my Chacos. (I'm a minimalist shoe snob now, but I almost want to go back to Chacos...they were that great.)

lreidgreen · 07-04-15, 08:21 AM

I was looking at these Chacos
http://www.shoebuy.com/chaco-zx-1-yampa/518442/1538950 but as I mentioned in the other thread (the one that started about wearing heels but ended up being about minimalist shoes!) I am going for something without a heel or at least a lower heel. Plus those are really expensive.
Will look at other Chacos though.
I am going to the mall today and will swing by the Clarks store there.
Thanks everyone!

beyond.omega · 07-04-15, 09:50 PM

Hey, you might want to hit up an REI this weekend too to check out the Chacos anyway. While its not certified zero-drop or negative-heel, it is as flat as any other sandal. That thing on the side a just the shoe support for the heel cup (not the surface of the footbed). Chacos are the most supportive sandal I have ever worn, and about the most comfortable shoe. It is spendy, but worth every penny. (They can also be resoled.)

Anyway, good luck and let us know why you get.

Karen Beckwith · 07-04-15, 11:10 PM

Look at sierratradingpost.com for cheaper prices on Chaco's.

lreidgreen · 07-04-15, 11:53 PM

Thanks Karen. Sierra Trading has a version of the Chaco Yampa that I posted about. I might order a pair.
I just ordered these to try:
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/72459...503423-cprrtop

Didn't find anything suitable at the Clarks store today. I did stop by the Merrell store and found these:
http://www.merrell.com/US/en/all-out...ip-ons&start=1

Didn't get them because they didn't have the color I wanted but I think I might order them online. I am going shoe crazy this summer!

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07-02-15, 08:12 AM
lreidgreen VF Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Jersey	Sandals for city and hiking vacation I am going to China in August and am looking for outdoor sandals for hiking as I do not want to bring heavy boots. We will only be hiking for 2 days though and we will be doing mostly city/sightseeing walking and I would like to be able to wear whatever I bring for hiking as a second pair of shoes for city walking. One hiking day is on a "wild" section of the Great Wall for which Lonely Planet recommends shoes with a very good grip.* The other hike is climbing a mountain and I am not sure sandals are appropriate but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. *I am actually thinking of changing the wild section of the wall to a restored section that is more straightforward walking wise but is further away from the city and thus less crowded. Also the views from the restored section look awesome.

07-03-15, 07:30 AM
lunarraine Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Northern NY	I love my Keen Sandals. They are extremely comfortable and durable. I'm on my third summer with the same pair, and they still aren't showing much sign of wear.

07-03-15, 08:08 AM
katmom Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tennessee	Onlineshoes.com is having a 40% off sale on already reduced items. Last night, I purchased a pair of Ecco sport sandals for about $70. __________________ "Saving just one pet won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one pet" Author Unknown

07-03-15, 09:27 AM
lreidgreen VF Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Jersey	I just ordered a few pair from Shoebuy last night, Merrells and Hi-Tech. The Merrells won't be sufficient for hiking IMO but they look like they can be an everyday sightseeing shoe and they are really cute. I will check out brands you mentioned though. Also late yesterday it came to me that if all else fails I can l bring my New Balance Minimus trail shoes for the hiking. They are very light, don't take up much space and I can also wear them for use at the occasional hotel gym I will run into. As if I will have time and energy. Thanks!

07-03-15, 10:03 AM
yogapam VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: West coast of Canada, eh. ;)	The Great Wall is breathtaking, have a wonderful trip! __________________ **~Pam~** Certified Level 4 Essentrics Instructor - March 2021 Hatha YTT - 2011 Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down..... "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." Jim Rohn "It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” - Tony Robbins Check out my Instagram account, @fitness.ficti0n.inspirati0n

07-04-15, 05:21 AM
beyond.omega VF Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006	Back in the day, I used to just love my Chacos. (I'm a minimalist shoe snob now, but I almost want to go back to Chacos...they were that great.)

07-04-15, 08:21 AM
lreidgreen VF Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Jersey	I was looking at these Chacos http://www.shoebuy.com/chaco-zx-1-yampa/518442/1538950 but as I mentioned in the other thread (the one that started about wearing heels but ended up being about minimalist shoes!) I am going for something without a heel or at least a lower heel. Plus those are really expensive. Will look at other Chacos though. I am going to the mall today and will swing by the Clarks store there. Thanks everyone!

07-04-15, 09:50 PM
beyond.omega VF Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006	Hey, you might want to hit up an REI this weekend too to check out the Chacos anyway. While its not certified zero-drop or negative-heel, it is as flat as any other sandal. That thing on the side a just the shoe support for the heel cup (not the surface of the footbed). Chacos are the most supportive sandal I have ever worn, and about the most comfortable shoe. It is spendy, but worth every penny. (They can also be resoled.) Anyway, good luck and let us know why you get.

07-04-15, 11:10 PM
Karen Beckwith VF Supporter Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Denver, Colorado	Look at sierratradingpost.com for cheaper prices on Chaco's. __________________ Breast Cancer Survivor "Comfort zones are very often expanded by discomfort." - Mimi Solaire

07-04-15, 11:53 PM
lreidgreen VF Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Jersey	Thanks Karen. Sierra Trading has a version of the Chaco Yampa that I posted about. I might order a pair. I just ordered these to try: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/72459...503423-cprrtop Didn't find anything suitable at the Clarks store today. I did stop by the Merrell store and found these: http://www.merrell.com/US/en/all-out...ip-ons&start=1 Didn't get them because they didn't have the color I wanted but I think I might order them online. I am going shoe crazy this summer!