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Traveler's Gear Box: OOFOS, Easy On Your Soles

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OOFOS can offer long-distance hikers some relief at day's end/OOFOS

You're counting down the days, double-checking your gear, your food drops, your mental fitness. Hiking the Appalachian National Scenic Trail end-to-end takes some planning and mental preparation, so don't overlook your feet.

No doubt you've not only picked out your hiking boots, but also broken them in. But your feet will still be sore and swollen after a long day on the trail, and would love some fresh air. That's where OOFOS comes in. Competition for Crocs, OOFOS makes sandals out of a proprietary, closed-cell foam -- they won't reveal it so others can't copycat, I guess -- that they claim absorbs "37 percent more shock with every step than traditional footwear."

Now, shock absorbtion is good, but I'd suggest looking into OOFOS for slipping your feet into after you put your pack down for the day. The airiness of the sandals will cool off your feet and let your dogs breath, and will help any blisters heal a little faster. The sandals' lightness (for some reason the weight isn't listed on the company's website, and the PR folks couldn't come up with an answer, but the weight is measured in ounces) hardly adds to your overall pack's weight, and they can be dangled off the back of your pack so you don't need to concern yourself with putting dirty sandals into your pack.

While testing hasn't yet confirmed this, the company has received feedback that the biomechanically engineered footbed has helped provide relief from Plantar Fasciitis. 

When it comes to sizing, the company suggests that if you normally wear a full-size (e.g., 10 or 11), you should order a pair of OOFOS in that same size, but if you wear a half size (e.g., 10.5 or 11.5) you should go down to the next full size (e.g., a 10.5 wearer should order a 10). I'm not sold on that approach, though, as I wear either a 10.5 or 11 depending on the shoe, and sometimes even a 12 in a hiking boot, and the size 11 "Sport" model (MSRP $59.95) I've been testing is on the small size, especially with socks. So, best you shop in a place where you can try a pair on, and not online.

I also own a pair of Crocs, and have taken them on backpacking trips with me. The one edge I'd give them over OOFOS is the strap you can slide around your heel. That came in incredibly helpful during a hike into "Cascade Corner" of Yellowstone National Park and it came time to ford a river. Having that little strap of security to keep the Crocs from washing off my feet and heading down river, leaving me to bang my toes against boulders, was a tremendous relief. Perhaps that's something the folks at OOFOS should consider in a future model.

In the end, whether you go with OOFOS or Crocs, your feet will thank you at the end of the day.

Comments

Any tips on walking/hiking shoes?


Les, I've had great success with Danner as well as Zamberlan for hiking/backpacking, and currently am checking out a pair of Chaco Jaegers, which would probably suffice for very light hiking and casual knock-arounds in the parks.


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