Footwear for one month in wet climate
Are there any suggestions on what footwear to wear in a wet climate (specific: Vietnam in September)?
The use case would be mostly walking on streets, with occasional hikes in easy but slippery terrain.
For short term undertakings I would simply go for hiking boots.
But in that case the shoes won't have a real chance to dry as I infer from other reports. Typical suggestions include: - FlipFlops (plastic) - Birkenstocks (the plastic ones) - Crocs (plastic) - Basically everything that is made of plastic und soaks up no water
All these solutions seem highly unreasonable for longer periods of walking, let alone off the streets, let alone with a backpack of approx 10-15kg.
I am looking for suggestions that are backed up by experience and minimize the amount of shoes that need to be used to achieve a comfortable and healthy trip.
I am also looking for suggestions on how to dry shoes in a wet climate.
I'm quite fond of Gore-Tex shoes (example), this is a trademarked fabric that is used by a number of brands. Contrary to …
5y ago
Theoretically you have a lot of options and most of them are covered in answers above. Practically you will be comforta …
7y ago
When I lived in the southern US, I used to ware men's crocs all the time. They are great for walking in and traversing s …
7y ago
A sandal with straps like Chaco or Keen.
7y ago
Are you aware of hiking sandals? the are sandals with a stiffer base to provide support with a viabram sole to give bett …
7y ago
In a word: sandals There's a reason everyone you'll be around also wears sandals. But you'll want the same thong sandal …
7y ago
Hiking boots for the hikes and flip flops for hard surfaces or while the boots dry out would seem to be a good compromis …
7y ago
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A sandal with straps like Chaco or Keen.
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I'm quite fond of Gore-Tex shoes (example), this is a trademarked fabric that is used by a number of brands. Contrary to other answers, Gore-Tex shoes are to be closed, which has some benefits but also some disadvantages.
I'll just write a pros and cons list and you can decide if this is something for you or not, maybe in addition to some of the other suggestions. When I'm in South-East Asia and have access to my own vehicle I like to keep two pairs (and lots of clean socks) at hand (in the back of the car): one pair of flip-flops and a pair of Gore-Tex hiking boots. When it's nice dry outside I wear the flip-flops and when it's rainy or I'm going off-road / out of the cities I turn to the boots.
So now the pros and cons for the Gore Tex boots (alternatively, any hiking boots that are waterproof and very breathable would do), mostly in comparison to flip-flops (as that is the go-to alternative in my experience).
Pros
Your feet are better protected.
Better grip when climbing / walking in wet sand
The fabric is water-proof, so your feet stay dry
The boots are designed to let the sweat out, so no sweaty feet
Cons
They take more effort to put on, so they are more of a hassle when you go indoors where you're expected to take your shoes off.
They are more expensive, while they're certainly worth it if they last you years, they may be a target for thieves.
They are a bother to carry around when you don't wear them. Obviously, this doesn't apply if you can leave them in your car.
Final advice
In conclusion, bring the flip-flops for sure, you can't go without them. Wear the flip-flops as much you can but change into the hiking shoes whenever you feel the flips don't suffice (if it gets wet or when you're going on a trail with some steeper parts). Just don't forget to bring enough clean socks.
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Theoretically you have a lot of options and most of them are covered in answers above. Practically you will be comfortable with flipflops or sandals. 95% of cases you will be wearing flipflops or sandals without socks. You have options of plastic, rubbers or nylon sandals, take one that you are comfortable with. Walking and normal hiking should be taken care by them.
For rest 5% cases keep a Camel Boot or Hiking Boot.
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When I lived in the southern US, I used to ware men's crocs all the time. They are great for walking in and traversing small bodies of water. They dry off in just a minute or two and have rather good traction on most surfaces.
Here is an example of what I wore:
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Are you aware of hiking sandals? the are sandals with a stiffer base to provide support with a viabram sole to give better grip some have covers for the toes. Keen teva meindle and other boot makers have their versions of the walking sandal. if you have pair of walking boots that you are happy with see if that company has a walking sandal as well as the sandal will probably based on the same last and will fit you better.
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Hiking boots for the hikes and flip flops for hard surfaces or while the boots dry out would seem to be a good compromise. The cost and weight of a pair of flip flops are negligible. Minimise the amount of water getting into the boots with gaiters. If they get really wet, stuff them with newspaper, replacing a couple of times. This gets them from really wet to damp quite quickly.
I'd go for breathable boots in your case but some would disagree.
In some areas sports sandals are good for wet hiking, but I wouldn't fancy it without knowing more about the wildlife and even the plant life.
Wellingtons are another option. I've never found them good for hiking but some people get on with them.
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In a word: sandals
There's a reason everyone you'll be around also wears sandals. But you'll want the same thong sandals or "flip flops" that they wear, since you'll be taking them off all the time (entering stores, homes, etc. If you see a pile of shoes, add yours to the pile.)
Source: I used to live in Thailand.
Edit
"But what about all the walking?" I can hear you ask. I was almost totally pedestrian when I lived in Thailand, as is 95% of the country. You'll get along just fine in your flip flops. That is seriously the only pair of shoes you'll need at all. No socks, no boots.
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