How to choose Camping Shoes?
Choosing suitable camping shoes is important for the outdoors, so how to choose camping shoes? This article will share some tips and experiences to help you choose suitable camping shoes.
Ancient camping shoes always made depend on many mixture layers of cowhide and wool, but now almost are rely on high-tech and fashion. Once the outdoor predecessors, only use simple outdoor equipment and conquer one by one mountain because they love outdoor sport!
Nowadays we can choose any more high-tech, more fashionable and functional outdoor product. There are clear design targets for Each brand and each type of camping shoe.
6 types of camping shoes
- Heavy Mountaineering shoes
- Heavy climbing shoes
- Medium climbing shoes
- Hiking Shoes
- Camp shoes
Heavy mountaineering shoes
Heavy mountaineering shoes are designed for snow mountains, The shoe's bottom usually uses Vibram or Skywalk out-sole, lining with heavy mountaineering shoes steel plate which has strong impact resistance, can install crampons, High shoes upper design(usually about 30cm high or even higher).
The shoe fabric is made of hard plastic resin or thickened cowhide, sheepskin, and lined with warm shoe covers, which can effectively protect your feet in the complex and harsh terrain of snow, ice, and rock.
Heavy climbing shoes
Heavy climbing shoes target with the mountain which altitude below 6000m, suitable for climbing ice wall or ice-snow mixture’s rock wall, the shoe bottom use wear-resisting rubber （Vibram or Skywalk）, the middle out-sole with an organic carbon lining plate, the bottom of the shoes is hard, with strong impact-resistance, with enough support when climbing, the shoe fabric with thickening(more than 3 mm)of the whole piece of leather or suede sewing.
To enhance the waterproof, Lining usually uses breathable materials（Gore-Tex and Sympa Tex）and a middle layer with thermal insulation.
The shoe's upper is usually about 15cm high, which can effectively protect the feet and reduce damage in difficult terrain conditions. Some styles have crampon construction, and binding crampons without fixed structures can be used. Lighter than heavy hiking boots and more comfortable to walk without crampons.
Medium climbing shoes
Mainly suitable for low mountains, canyons, deserts, Gobi, and other complex terrains, also suitable for medium and long-distance load hiking.
Medium climbing shoes are also high-top shoes, the upper height is usually 5-10 cm, with strong support, can effectively protect the ankle bone to reduce injury. The out-sole chooses wear-resistant rubber, some excellent brands also design nylon board support in the out-sole and in the bottom, to enhance the hardness of the sole, which not only can effectively prevent the sole deformation but also can enhance the impact.
The upper is usually made of cowhide, sheepskin, or leather mixed with a medium thickness. The leather part is made of Duchamp Cordura fabric, which is much lighter and more flexible than the alpine and low-mountain series. To solve the waterproof problem, most camping shoes are lined with Gore-Tex, while others are waterproof with oilskin, this type of camping shoes can walk underwater or raining day!
Hiking shoes
Hiking shoes are more commonly used in outdoor sports. Mainly suitable for short and medium-distance hiking with a light load, gentle mountain, jungle, general outing, or camping activities. The design features an upper less than 15 cm and an ankle-protecting structure.
The outsole is made of wear-resistant rubber, and the insole is made of microcellular foam and double-layer encryption rubber. High-grade brands have the out-sole laminated with the plastic board, which has better impact resistance and shock absorption effect. The upper is made of full leather, leather surface, or leather mixed materials.
Some styles are lined with Gore-Tex, while others are not waterproof. The advantage of middle-top shoes lies in light, soft, comfortable, good air permeability. Walking in an uncomplicated terrain environment, middle-top shoes should be better than high-top shoes.
Camp shoes
Camp shoes are mainly designed to be warm, breathable, and comfortable to wear when resting in camp after a long walk. Outdoor camp shoes belong to outdoor hiking shoes. Characteristics of outdoor camp shoes: they can meet the needs of simple outdoor activities, like, waterproof and breathable. In addition, the bottom of shoes is also an important part of the camp shoes, the shoe bottom design can be a very good protection of the foot, professional outdoor shoe bottom is made of high-quality rubber bottom with non-slip, shock absorption function, it is good at wrapped before toe protection design, the high-density Eva, more resilience, sole grain increase friction, chuck type design, more grip.
The design also is an important part of camping shoes, adopt single density foam Eva groove at the bottom of the antiskid design can let your feet wrapped, microporous quick dry absorbent fabrics can increase the comfort, in outdoor sports, may need to consume a certain amount of strength and there will be a lot of sweat, so the shoes have good moisture absorption perspiration, This is also crucial for camping shoes.
3 tips for choosing suitable camping shoes
- The shoes upper
- The shoes fabric
- The shoes bottom
In outdoor sports, it is vital to have a pair of comfortable shoes. There are so many brands of mountaineering shoes on the market that we often do not know how to choose. Choose suitable outdoor shoes for the main need according to their own needs, consider different use and season at the same time, so that you can get the most suitable camping shoes for yourself.
The shoes upper
Low upper help shoes become lightweight and flexible, the price is also the lowest, is the entry-level of outdoor shoes, enough to face flat mountain with steps, but if you don't sure terrain environment, we recommended high-top shoes, high shoes in the design help protect well the outdoor activities when fatigue and injured ankle area, and very suitable for rugged mountain.
The shoe fabric
Gore-tex is a well-known fabric. Each brand has developed its proprietary lining technology, often with Tex in the name, which has similar functions and effects to Gore-Tex.
These shoes are expensive, wasteful for everyday wear, and suffer from air permeability, so they're not recommended unless you're going for real outdoor activity.
The shoe bottom
The soles with different patterns on the outsole are not for beauty. The road is more rugged, the hardness requirement to the sole is higher, a few outdoor shoes even use the material of similar steel plate to support protection.
Different lines reflect the design concept of each brand, but also ensure a good grasp of the ground. Good shoes usually have Vibram non-slip outsole.
Because the feet will swell when in sports, at the same time when going downhill, the feet will be rushed forward under the action of gravity, therefore, kindly choose lager size camping shoes. It is best to wear thick cotton socks, without tying the LACES, the toes of the foot tightly against the front of the shoe, The suitable size is that the heel of the foot can fit a finger.
Other advice for camping shoes
- Outdoor shoes also have a break-in period
- Suitable is the most important
Outdoor shoes also have a break-in period
Outdoor shoes also have a break-in period. If you're planning for a long walk, it's best to dress up before you leave. Middleweight outdoor shoes about 2kg, need to wear 1-2 weeks, walk dozens of kilometers running-in; Heavy outdoor shoes that weigh in at 3 to 5 kg need 3 to 6 weeks of a break-in period, so that your feet don't suffer as much while on the move.
Suitable is the most important
In the outdoors, it is cant avoid encountering the situation of wading. Shoes enter water or walk for a long time, and the sweat of the feet sows the shoes, that terrible feeling will influence campers. So we suggest that the outdoor shoes with waterproof and perspiration performance should be chosen conditionally. These highly waterproof and breathable outdoor shoes, their durable waterproof and highly breathable function come from a kind of gore-tex film in the fabric.
The film has more than 1.4 billion pores per square centimeter. These pores are 20,000 times smaller than water droplets and 700 times larger than water molecules, allowing the film to completely prevent water from entering the outside, while simultaneously draining sweat from the inside of the shoe, ensuring that the inside of the shoe is dry and comfortable even when the feet are immersed in water.
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