Footwear in Thailand
 

Hi all-
My wife and I leave for Thailand April 25. We only have 2 weeks and plan on splitting our time up doing some northern day hikes, city sight-seeing, and beach bumming.

We try to travel light with one mid-size pack each. So my question is, what would work best for our feet? I want to avoid bringing a pair of hiking boots, walking shoes, and sandals. Brand names and model suggestions would be great.

We are both about 30 yrs old and athletic. We typically wear urban fashions that will not be practical for a trip like this. Any advice would be great!
Thanks
SS

If you only want to bring one pair of shoes, I suggest Tevas - one of the more rugged sport sandals (see www.teva.com). On our last trip to SE Asia, I wore them everywhere. You should know that I'm pushing 50 and not a backpacker but I do get off the beaten track and most likely covered similar ground to what you intend to do. Warning - Tevas do tend to get "stinky" but they are washable. If you intend to any really serious hiking, you will need boots but otherwise, Tevas are great.

Thanks Craig. I was thinking of either Teva's or Keen's but wasn't sure if they were rugged enough for the hiking. I guess we'll only be doing day hikes so they should be fine.

-also-

I've done a fair amount of travelling but not in super hot climates. Are your typical walking shoes (I wear Merrell's) too warm for walking around in Bangkok or Chang Mai?

Thanks again
SS

I have no problem with Merrill's and their equivalents, especially for city touring. Some think walking shoes and socks are too hot (versus sandals) but with a/c everywhere its really not an issue. Teva's should be fine for day hikes. Tevas are also excellent in situations where you are constantly removing your shoes to go into temples or wats.

I bought some Keens before my last trip and really liked them - even better than Tevas IMO. In any case, something like that should be fine.

I also brought keens on my last trip to Southeast Asia. However, I wore my leather dansko sandals more often. They were not as sticky as the keens and were (kinda)dressy enough to wear into nicer hotels and restaurants.

But, I do really like the toe bumper and bottom treds on keens

I would have to agree that the toe-bumper on the Keens is a nice feature. I would consider them for my next pair.

regular sneakers we find way too hot...

i travel with a pair of SAS leather walking shoes and one pair of sandals...i often wear socks with the sandals in the city...

my wife now usually only takes a pair of "dressy" teevas and maybe one pair of flats or she buys some bejeweled sandals there for nice restaurants...

I had Keens for Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam last year and loved them for their comfort but they get a little ripe after a while.

I did some fairly extensive hikes in them including a big one outside of Chiang Mai in Chiang Dao. I was happy to have the toe guard. I did wear socks on the bigger hikes as the socks help keep little rocks and dirt from getting stuck between your foot and the sole.

I have worn Tevas for years but I would not recommend them for any trekking type hikes although they are fine for walking around on a flat surface.

I've had Keens for a couple years. The toe bumper is great, but they are hotter and a bit heavy compared to Teva's. The new Teva Karnali Wraptor is worth a look. Same toe protection as Keens, but lighter weight and should be cooler.

http://www.teva.com/ProductDetails.a...arnali+Wraptor

Thanks for the advice folks. I'm going to go try on some Keen's and Teva's to see what fit my foot best. Eurotraveller, that is good to know that the Keen's will hold up for hiking. Thanks for weighing in!

SS