Shoes, shoes, shoes!

Now this is something people have been asking from me and I also noticed that it's a rather common topic on the Camino forums. Usually the conversations go quite religious and there's always someone telling you you're doing it wrong.

Here's a post about the shoes I had with me on my Camino.

All together I'm carrying 3 pairs with me. And I'm too lazy to get the last one out of the backpack for a photo. But each of them has an explanation behind them.

1. The running shoes

This trip for me wasn't something I planned for a long time before leaving. I only had a month to plan. That's not enough to walk in the new shoes and let your blisters heal properly. So I had to go with what I had.

The best shoes I have that suit this kind of a project are my running shoes. I chose them with help from a physiotherapist. So things like brand and looks were not really considered when I got them.

I have been running with them. I have been walking with them. They are over all good shoes. Maybe not the best ones for something like this, but the best I had.

Yes, they make blisters when I have the backpack with me. They don't do that in other circumstances. And I have not heard of anyone who finishes the Camino without blisters. So I think they are part of doing this.

(On a side note, I'm actually wondering how much of Compeeds revenue comes from the pilgrims walking the Camino.)

So yes, the running shoes have been good for me. It's my heels that can't take the exess weight that comes from my backpack. I bet you I'd do the same distances easier without the weight.

2. Ripcurl Flip-flops

Yes. The brand here is in a key role. I know everyone tells me that flip-flops are the worst and you shouldn't wear them and oh how they make blisters.

If you have 2 euro flip-flops, sure they will destroy your feet. Mine are giving my tired feet a break.

After spending one day walking around Verona last summer with my previous pair of Ripcurl flip-flops and not complaining at all, I understood that they're worth the money spent. So yes, I'm spending my time in my flip-flops. I even had an extra kilometer the other day because I changed into flip-flops.

So it's not that flip-flops suck, it's just that you've never had a good pair.

Why a surf brand, you might ask?

Because they know that they have to be nice. They also know that they can't be slippery when wet. They have to work, or they are not worth it.

And before someone comes to tell me about Roxy flip-flops, they suck. I have one pair and they are slippery when wet. So yes, Ripcurl is my choice. And I don't see a single reason to get anything from other brands, because they are like clouds beneath my feet.

3. Rubber boots

For the rainy days, when the paths turn into a muddy slides. It's better to keep the other shoes dry and just take the struggle for one day, the rest of the days will be better.

I've used them for one day this far, and I'm really thinking about leaving them behind. They've been mainly extra weight and not as useful as I might hope.

#CaminoPortuguese #CaminoPortugueseCosta #CaminodeSantiago #Camino #shoes