Emergency Footwear challenge

[ged]

... The cons:
Pubs -most pubs won't let you in barefoot.
Grip - barefeet don't get a good grip on things like wet wood
Stonebruises - if you slip and step hard on a stone, it can give you a very painful bruise.
Thorns can be painful (but if you do this a lot, you'll end up with thornproof feet).

Mmmm, also
in hot countries jiggers and other nasty creatures can be a problem,
in temperate climates ticks and chiggers also,
in cold climates bare feet are prone to going black and dropping off,
and whether you have any of these problems or not, you can't easily take off your feet before getting into your sleeping bag.

 

[Laurentius]

Walking in bare feet is fine if you are used to or semi used to it, it is also ok if you are travelling light, if you are not and have a heavy rucksack that is just going to multiply the pressure when you step on something. Walking on frozen ground is an interesting one, after a while you lose the feeling in the soles of your feet and it is like walking on velvet no matter what you step on.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I'd make Ho Chi Mihn sandals from tree bark and paracord. Simples!

 

[maddave]

Coconut husks make serviceable sandals I'm told.

 

[the interceptor boy]

well if I am in the jungle and there is plenty of dry coconut then I would make a pair coconut sandals. one pair lasted me 12 years. in a semi bushcraft moot secenario I would use dry grass, sages, even on old tire treads as sandals. or you can cake your feet in heavy clay and repeat the process again and again along your journey. imaginations and time to improvise is yours.

 

[Bushcraft Betty]

That's easy silly. I'd just go to Brantano.

 

[mrcharly]

Mmmm, also
in hot countries jiggers and other nasty creatures can be a problem,
in temperate climates ticks and chiggers also,
in cold climates bare feet are prone to going black and dropping off,
and whether you have any of these problems or not, you can't easily take off your feet before getting into your sleeping bag.

You are certainly right about the nasty creatures in some countries - but I'd say all of europe is fine, Australia is fine. Probably most of North America is fine.

It takes time to build up tough soles that can cope with the cold, but it's possible. I've done a fair bit of walking in the snow and on ice (very slippery in bare feet, not recommended). My toes didn't drop off.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

footwear (especially boots) is over-rated IMHO, it amazes me every time i go to a meet and see people wearing hi-leg "combat" style boots in the middle of summer, how on earth do they stop their feet from rotting?!?!?!?!

I wear combat boots almost all of the time, and have never had foot rot. I only get that if i wear non leather footwear, ie Trainers, hiking boots etc.

 

[ged]

...never had foot rot. I only get that if i wear non leather footwear...

Hmmm.

I don't have a problem with boots unless they have Goretex or similar linings. Like the rest of me, my feet get pretty sweaty when I exercise, but when I do that things like Goretex make my feet pong something terrible. It's unbearable. The footwear has to stay outside the tent. My winter motorcycle boots have a MVP lining, but as I don't usually do a lot of walking in them I can just about manage if I spray them regularly with something from the chemist.

 

[forestwalker]

It takes time to build up tough soles that can cope with the cold, but it's possible. I've done a fair bit of walking in the snow and on ice (very slippery in bare feet, not recommended). My toes didn't drop off.

What temperatures are you talking about for this?

 

[Scottishwanderer]

If it was short term, i'd just get bundles of grass and lash them on.

Long term i'd go for wooden soles with nettle fiber woven to cover feet.

In winter i'd do the same but weave a nettle overshoe and stuff the inside with grass for insulation.

 

[comeonbabylightmyfire]

If caught short without shoes and socks I suspect that I would weep inconsolably. Kudos to all who can manage barefoot. I once bought, on impulse, some Vibro Barefoot jobbies. They have a kevlar lined sole to prevent puncture but it still feels like walking on a endless series of upturned plugs. I wore them twice; once in central London whilst wandering around the V&A and once on the rocky Atlantic shore of St Lucia. In both cases I was reduced to a swearing, irritable mess consumed with rage and pain.