Great Shoes for Hot Weather Destinations

There is no getting that pair of socks clean from the red dust, they are dyed a tie-dyed rust color from the dry campground. My feet needed a good soaking, too — a walk on the beach in the surf took care of that. Sure, my feet were filthy, almost to an embarrassing degree. But they were happy, not too hot, free from blisters and fatigue. I attribute this to picking the right shoes for that camping and hiking trip.

Keen McKenzie Water Shoes

I spent two weeks wearing these shoes almost every day. I wore them for long walks, trail hikes, schlepping around the city, stomping about in gravelly, dusty, washouts and on grainy flat plateaus where the sun baked the top of my ears. I kind of fell in love with them on about day three of my camping and hiking and road tripping adventure. After all, these shoes treated me right.

Keen’s McKenzie’s are really comfortable, it was no trouble to walk in them all day long. They’re closed (but well ventilated) so I wasn’t constantly knocking tiny stones out from where they’d wedged in under my arches. (The shoe is essentially your standard Keen sandal with the open bits enclosed in a mesh upper.) They’ve got a collapsible heel cup, meaning you can wear the shoe as a slide without damaging it, perfect for legging it to the campground loo in the middle of the night or navigating the TSA. They’ve got a solid hiker sole, so they’re grippy on trails. My feet were supported, not too hot, dry, and totally content in these shoes. Cost? 90 USD, your choice of three earthy color combinations.

The only issue — which wasn’t really a problem because I was in desert like climates — was that they took longer to dry than I’d like. I’d have regretted putting my feet into cold, clammy shoes on chilly mornings. But no worries, I’d also packed a pair of sport sandals.Ecco Coba Performance Sandals

I’m not crazy about the look of performance sandals, the designs tend towards a bit too orthopedic for my tastes. But I tried on a pair of Ecco’s WAVE footbed sandals at the Outdoor Retailer show and was pleased and surprised by how comfortable they are — and I ended up packing a pair for my recent adventure.

Ecco’s Coba sandals
feel like real shoes. Normally, I wear Chaco sandals, the model that’s not much more than a sturdy sole strapped to your foot with webbing. Ecco’s shoes gave me a lot more support. The foot bed has a waffle-y surface to it that aids in keeping your feet cool and it’s got a nice feel too it, a soft suede type finish. All three straps are adjustable and it’s easy to get them to fit just right — or to tweak them a little, if, like me, you find there’s a spot that needs a little breaking in. The sturdy soles were great for long walks or short trail hikes. And they’re light — I clipped them on the outside of my bag when I wasn’t wearing them and the weight they added was negligible. Cost? 130 USD. A bit steep; you might want to explore your options if you’re price sensitive. Two colors, white or “moon rock” — a natural light brown.

I caved and on the trip home, I wore my Ecco Coba sandals with socks. They were so easy to get in and out of in the airport and on the plane that I went for the full on dorky socks and sandals look. Hey, I was surrounded by strangers. I’ll pack these sandals again for camping and outdoor trips, but heads up — they are not a water shoe, you really want something else if you’re planning on getting your shod feet wet. That’s why you I also packed…

Cheap Flip Flops

You need them for campground showers (and, honestly, some hotel showers), beach walks, leaving propped outside the tent, wearing with a summer dress when you can’t bear the idea of shoes any more, and those long, long stints in the car or bus. You can always find space for them in your bag, and after you’ve had a good walk in the ocean for disinfectant purposes, you can pass them on to some fellow traveler whose had a blowout. There are few items I’d categorize as disposable travel gear, flip flops (zoris, thongs, whatever you like to call them) are one. Get a pair. Spend as much as you like, from 5 USD to, well, you want to spend 70 USD on flip flops, you go right ahead.

Best shoes for summer travel

Traveling in the warmer months of the year can present unique apparel challenges. When preparing for a trip to the lower latitudes or destinations where water will be a major factor, certain considerations should be made. One important decision is the choice of footwear. There are few shoes that can do it all, but some can accommodate a variety of warm-weather activities.

The beach trip – One of the most common summer trips is that relaxing stay at the beach. Even if the plan is to lounge the day away reading the latest Grisham novel, there will always be walking involved. The shoe choice needs to fit comfortably and be able to get you to and from your seaside accommodations. The shoe also needs to be well suited to handle sand and water, and sometimes both simultaneously.

Chaco has created an ideal beach shoe with the Hipthong Pro. Available in men’s and women’s models, this fashionable sandal has no rear strap for easy removal when you’re ready to kick your feet up in that beach chair. The unique strap system holds the shoe on the foot well, despite the lack of rear support. The footbed also has an arch which is lacking in many low-end water shoes.
Price – $85 at ChacoUSA.comThe business/pleasure trip – It can be difficult to find time for ourselves with the hectic schedules we adhere to these days. Many spend much of their travel time while on the clock. Occasionally though, the opportunity presents itself to escape from the meeting room and get out and explore or relax.

When mixing a business trip with a little R & R, consider a versatile shoe that won’t be too casual for work yet will still get you where you want to go comfortably. For the men traveling on business, the Merrell Neptune not only looks fabulous under a pair of khakis, but the Ortholite footbed cradles the foot for support and will be ready to hit the streets later. Businesswomen will appreciate the Merrell Brio. This flat is anything but flat inside as it also includes an Ortholite footbed. The deceptively supportive soles will keep feet comfortable in the office and at the museum later.
Brio Price – $80 at Merrell.com
Neptune Price – $100 at Merrell.com

The walking trip – Theme parks, music festivals, and urban explorations come to mind when we think of the walking trip. An eight hour stint wandering cobbled streets, eating funnel cakes, jumping on and off trams, and sweating your way through lines is no time to wear uncomfortable shoes. Keeping your feet cool and dry will at least make the day less grueling, and there won’t be the need for a foot soak when you collapse in the room later.

The Saucony ProGrid Ride 3 has a long name but is long on features as well. The performance interior lining wicks (pulls away) sweat from the foot. Both the men’s and women’s versions have midsoles that absorb impact. They are designed to be neutral trainers, so they can accommodate a wide variety of foot types.
ProGrid Ride 3 – $95 at Saucony.com

The active trip – Some of us, myself included, love to explore our natural world during the summer. Hiking, biking, paddling, and climbing our way through national parks and wilderness areas can be a great way to detach from the bustle of city life and get some exercise at the same time. When embarking on a trip packed with this much activity though, the right shoe is key.

The Keen Newport is a classic example of a shoe that can function in the toughest situations and also wears well for casual daily activities. The Newport is a sandal-style shoe with a Vibram sole for gripping slippery terrain and a tough toe bumper to keep your piggies safe.
Price – $95 at KeenFootwear.com

The flying trip – If we want to get far away, and get there quickly, we will most likely be flying the friendly skies. Since you will need to easily slip your shoes on and off in security, as well as have enough support to walk those long terminals, these trips may require a little more planning. The Crocs Melbourne and Melbourne Shecon not only have the slip-on factor covered, but also make for great walking shoe with their ergonomic squishy soles.
Melbourne Price – $55 at Crocs.com
Shecon Price – $45 at Crocs.com

Summer is the high-season for travel, and there are few items we pack in our suitcase more important than our shoes. Choosing the right footwear for a summer trip could mean the difference between blisters and bliss.

Gadling gear review – Teva Sunkosi 2

More and more, I’ve found that my vacations involve fewer hotels and rental cars and more tents and hiking. As such, it was time for me to stop pretending that running shoes and flips flops were the proper footwear for camping trips and outdoor adventures. Not wanting to have to pack separate trail shoes and water shoes on my trips, I needed something that could handle dry terrain, allow me to trudge through water and then dry quickly afterwards. In other words, I needed some amphibious footwear. And amphibious is just the word that Teva uses to describe their Sunkosi 2 shoe.

I decided to test out the Sunkosi 2 in both wet and dry conditions, and not just on a run-of-the-mill hike or camping trip. No, I took the Sunkosi 2 with me to Australia for a walk through the muddy mangroves of Far North Queensland and a day of old-fashioned farm work in the bush town of Goomeri. I needed shoes that would protect my feet, give me good traction and dry quickly enough for me to pack them up with the rest of my gear since we were traveling nearly everyday.
The Sunkosi 2 more than held its own in the loose, sticky mud of the mangroves. With my feet sinking several inches into the mud with each step, the Sunkosi 2 maintained a solid grip thanks to the Quick-Pull lacing system. Despite the extreme suction of the mud, the Sunkosi 2 only loosened slightly during the taxing walk. Water drained out of the shoes’ mesh immediately after I stepped out of shin-deep pools of tidewater.

Unfortunately, that mesh could not handle the large amount of sediment that managed to enter the shoes. Walking through the loose sand and silt of the mangroves, some solids found their way into the shoes. Before the sediment had entered the shoes, they were beyond comfortable. Once it was trapped inside, however, I experienced discomfort and rubbing on the interior of the shoe that resulted in matching blisters on both feet.

The next morning, I found that the Sunkosi 2 had not completely dried from the previous days mangrove walk. This was most certainly caused by the tropical climate of Queensland and the humid conditions in which they were set out to dry. By no means were they sopping wet in the morning, but they were not quite bone dry either. To give them a second chance in less tropical conditions, once I returned home fro Australia I wore the Sunkosi 2 on a dismal day and aimed for every puddle I saw. I allowed them to dry overnight on my balcony after the rain had stopped and the humidity had broken and they were dry by morning.

On the Australian farm, the Sunkosi 2 was a work-horse. I was concerned that they might lack the tread that I needed on dry ground. But they were comfortable, sturdy and durable. They even protected my feet admirably when I gracefully crashed a dirt bike into a shed. I spent a long day taking on some dangerous farm tasks, and the Sunkosi 2 protected my feet and kept me comfortable. I was more than pleased with how it performed as a makeshift trail shoe.

So, here’s what you need to know about the Sunkosi 2:

Pros

  • Amphibious in every sense of the word
  • Comfortable and secure even in extreme conditions
  • Quick-Pull lacing system is easy to use
  • Offers excellent protection
  • Mesh drains water instantly

Cons

  • Allowed a fair amount of debris to enter the shoes
  • Chaffed once debris was trapped in shoe
  • Won’t completely dry in humid conditions

Overall, I was quite impressed with the Sunkosi 2. I’d love to see them dry a bit quicker, but humid conditions can have that effect on gear. And mangroves are gnarly enough to get sediment just about everywhere, no matter how secure or snug your shoes are. The Sunkosi 2 performed more than admirably when I needed them most – both in water and on land.

So, I have to say that I would definitely recommend the Teva Sunkosi 2. They sell for $100 at the Teva website and are available at most outdoor gear stores.