Re: [Paddlewise] In defense of sandals

Dan Hagen wrote:
> 
> David Seng wrote:
> 
> > Sandals are one step up from going barefoot.  They can be very comfortable
> > and convenient to wear when in "amphibious" mode, but the don't really offer
> > a lot of protection from the elements (cold) or the hard stuff ...
> > There have been times when small pieces of gravel have lodged between the
> > sole of my foot and the footbed of my Tevas.  OUCH.  I've stubbed and cut
> > toes while both barefoot and sandaled.  ...<snip>...  A
> > medium weight wet shoe (like the NRS ATB) does admirable duty when on the
> > water and a pair of medium weight hikers take care of shore-bound tasks.
> 
> I couldn't agree more. I really wanted to like my Tevas, but they just
> don't provide much protection. Getting gravel and shell fragments
> between my foot and the sandal is the worst problem. I just don't
> understand why people prefer these things to the many superior
> alternatives. Of course they are more fashionable than heavy-duty
> neoprene boots, but for the areas in which I paddle they are
> functionally deficient. As always, YMMV.

My gosh, it must be still winter with more limited cofoortable paddling
opportunities in the Northeast if I now find myself defending sandals.
:-)

I have tried a range of other amphibious footwear and except for
paddling in water of temperatures below about 50 degrees, I have never
found anything to work quite as well as sandals.  Below that temperature
range a switch to thick neoprene booties works best for me, the kind
that are 7 inches high without zippers.  My feet never get cold, even
not wearing socks.  

Sandals dry quicker than anything else.  Quicker than those mesh low cut
shoes that Nike sells.  And certainly quicker than fuller shoes such as
the Vasque and the ones that Teva sold at one point.  I finally threw
away the Teva shoes because they would take days to fully dry even
inside a warm apartment sitting in the sun coming in through a window.

Sandals offer more foot support in their thick soles than most
amphibious shoes.  Certainly more than in the Nikes which just don't
hack it in the arch and stiffness of the sole.  Same surprisingly true
of the Teva shoes.  Only the Vasque offered true foot support with a
thick sole and a steel shank embedded in the sole.

Sandals, while certainly looking like they leave your feet vulnerably
exposed, offer plenty of protection if they are fitted right.  In nearly
a dozen years of wearing them from early April to late October in
paddling and walking and mild hiking, I have sustained one small scratch
and not one stubbed toe.  The secret again is to make certain that your
foot stays well within the sole's perimeter.  If the sandals are too
short and your toes are protruding out in front of the soles, all bets
are off.

As for pebbles and sand getting into them, I have had the annoying odd
item get between the sole and the foot but it is easy to flush those out
as you are getting into your boat something you can't do when the same
said foreign material infiltrates an amphibious shoe (you can only flush
the latter by removing the shoe and swishing water around in it and even
then some will stay in until the shoe is dry).  I have noticed that my
Chacos seem to get pebbles a tiny bit more than the Alps for some reason
(or has natural selection bred a more pesky persistently invasive pebble
as it has mosquitoes?).

Sandals bring us closer to Judeo-Christian biblical times and a simpler
life and have been spoken highly of with nostalgia by prez candidate
John MacCain thinking back to his POW days (still has his).  Oops, not
good...must keep religion and politics out of PaddleWise!  :-)

Let's see what else we can argue the virtues of as we await warmer
weather?:

--Baseball caps vs. Tilly type hats in paddling

--Synthetic T-shirts in warm weather/ warm water paddling vs. all cotton

--Cover up clothing from neck to wrists in strong sun vs. wearing a tank
top and developing a nice tan

--Using high SPF sun bloc vs. developing a tan

--Using any type of cutdown or light clothing in summer paddling vs.
wearing neoprene or neoprene-like clothing as exposure in even 75 degree
water will do you in to hypothermia if in the stuff long enough

saludos to all,

ralph diaz









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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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