Moccasins as emergency footwear?

[Glennbo]

The shoes and boots I wear are of good quality, but I want an emergency pair of shoes for my BOB in case something unpredicatable happens to the ones on my feet. There isn't room for a pair of sneakers or hiking boots in my BOB. I might have to resort to fastening an extra pair of what I always wear to the outside of the BOB, but that would be unwieldly and heavy. Maybe something like moccasins would work? They're flexable and easy to carry. However I've never worn them. Would they suffice to get me a few miles further? Mine is an urban BOB and I would probably be walking on concrete/asphalt, or sometimes a dirt road/path.

Is their some high-tech type of moccasin that you could walk on for some distance and won't be easily punctured? Any companies that produce these that rise above the rest? I'm willing to pay a little extra for good, lightweight, easy to store emergency footwear.

I've even seen some quality slippers that look like they could do the trick!

[bonanacrom]

They could be destroyed in as short as a few blocks on sidewalk and asphalt. Plus anything will puncture them. They were referred to in the day that most everyone wore them as the civilized way to go barefoot. Funny as it sounds a pair of flip flops would do better than moccasins. They make footwear for people to wear in pools that are similar to moccasins in that they are flexible and are made to wear on concrete, they wouldn't do crap if you stepped on something sharp but they would get you your few miles.

[BobtheBreaker]

You might want to check out Merrell brand footwear. They make various Moc(casin) style shoes which are really just slip on shoes. Also, thanks to the mainstreaming of the current iteration of hipster culture, you can pick up old school slip on Vans for like $40 at like any casual shoe store.

[Silent Kube]

I have a pair of real mocs with thin leather soles. Even on dirt trails, a tenderfoot like myself feels every rock I step on.

[Krustofski]

I currently have a pair of folded-down linen boots with rubber soles (basically Chuck Taylor rippoffs) stored in my BOB. Because they fold down to a very compact package and weight next to nothing. These could possibly called "Moccasins" I guess. Hey, they were cheap, and this brand of Czech ripp offs actually proved to be more durable than the original Taiwan made things.
If I loose my boots, they will do in a pinch.

[imrcly]

They have rubber soled moccasins, I will wear those when i am to lazy to care and they generally last about 5-6 months of regular wear for me. I tried wearing leather bottom ones, they get tore up on urban surface but they did fine for walking in the woods, just requires you to pay attention to where you are stepping, something boots have stopped us from thinking about. Leather bottoms also leave less of a trail than boots. Be aware that unless you are used to walking barefoot or with moccasins regularly I recommend not going the moccasin route and your feet will thank you. The vibram 5 fingers form fit shoes I would venture is about the same concept as the rubber soled moccasins. Just requires time don't expect to jump into what amounts to bare footing everywhere.

[Storm Crow]

A scavenger option: http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm

[survivingidaho]

When the topic of moccasins comes up, most people think of the cheap suede “house slipper” footwear. You are lucky if you get more than a year out of them, traveling to and from the mailbox. Try doing a search for “Tracker Moccasins”. There are still a few craftsmen out there, making mocs that will stand up to hard use. For quiet stalking in the woods; you can’t believe the difference it makes when you can feel the earth below you (and you have the “Tommy Lee Jones in The Hunted, cool factor”). I like my Russells and my Arrows but there are a lot of others out there.

[Ufdyixcaff]

The old rule of thumb for mocs was 1 pair a day on trails, 1 pair a week off trail. That said, I wore the same set of mocs (brain tanned elk) every day for an entire summer and never wore them through.

A nice alternative to Mocs that I like are Russian Sambo shoes. You can get them online for $30-40, all leather, suede soles (that are replaceable, if you like sewing)... they lace up like wrestling shoes so you can customize the fit.

[Grey Mann]

I would say go with Vibram 5-finger KSO Treks.

[BullOnParade]

I would say go with Vibram 5-finger KSO Treks.

Seconded. The only problem I've heard with these shoes is they train your feet to walk like the human foot is supposed to. Which is entirety different than how our feet perform in running shoes or tactical boots. The tows allegedly spread out more over time, and I've heard rummer people have a hard time finding a pair of formal shoes to fit once they've adapted to the new foot stance. On top of this you need to train your feet to be able to handle walking barefoot. the Vibram website suggests half an hour once a week in the shoes for a while, and gradually increase from there.

A scavenger option: http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm

There was a guy I went to high school with. Total hippie. He made a pair of sandals out of an old tire. He wouldn't take our manufacturing courses because he was against "the man", but he came in to use our saws and tools all the time to make his stuff.

[Hawk_45]

The Tire sandals look pretty good. I've been using some leather huaraches I made from the patterns on this site. http://barefootted.com/shop/ The link for the pdf file is about halfway down the page. They work great but they tend to rub between your big toes until you become used to them. Like BullonParade said, once you get used to walking in the "barefoot style" that you use in vibrams and moccasins you can't go back easily to what we call "cow walking" (wearing regular boots, and shoes). Trying to switch back to shod walking hurts. Your ankles hurt, your feet chafe and sweat, and your knees ache.

[Bubba Enfield]

I take moccasins camping, to sleep in. I prefer to have at least something on my feet if I have to suddenly bail out of my bag at oh-dark-hundred. But for the purpose you have stated, I say go to wally world and get a pair of water shoes. They're cheap, probably $10 or less, and they take very little room. They will serve you better than mocs IMO for urban walking (in a pinch).

[Power Fail]

I saw these recently and thought about getting the short ones for the same purpose you're talking about. They don't look TOO goofy (if something happened to your shoes in a situation other than you're trying to make it home), and they're waterproof. You'd certainly want good socks, of course. It says they grip even in wet weather, they only weigh 17 ounces, and they're only 30 bucks.

I suppose a last ditch fix would be something like aqua socks. They likely wouldn't offer a TON of protection, and I wouldn't want to hike in them for a long time with a pack on my back, but they're light, you can pack (read: smash) them pretty flat, they're 10 bucks, and they're better than nothing.

[Bubba Enfield]

I suppose a last ditch fix would be something like aqua socks. They likely wouldn't offer a TON of protection, and I wouldn't want to hike in them for a long time with a pack on my back, but they're light, you can pack (read: smash) them pretty flat, they're 10 bucks, and they're better than nothing.

That's exactly what I was talking about. Definitely wouldn't want to climb mountains with a pack wearing these, but I'd rather do it in them than moccasins.

[colorsafe]

i know a wilderness survival instructor/tracker who's primary backcountry footwear are moccasins. he brain tans his own deer hide and makes his own moccasins (which would be an awesome skill in an INCH situation).

he said when taking the hair and meat off the hide with a draw knife you can hold back a bit to control the thickness, and use that tougher, thicker portion to give the soles a more durable build. aslo, another part of the process that can keep the hide thicker is when you squeeze the water out, after you streach and tighten it up (while squeezing, being careful not to "squeegy" the working area too thin).

anyone know of any other tips on producing a thicker hide?...could scorching be a way (in the smoking process)?

[CLEAR CUT]

For lounging around the house, sure. On the go-NO. I would use the same reason why I wouldn't wear my wrestling shoes to the job site and that is because of the lack of protection from debris just like you're sure to encounter in a disaster.

[Glennbo]

For lounging around the house, sure. On the go-NO. I would use the same reason why I wouldn't wear my wrestling shoes to the job site and that is because of the lack of protection from debris just like you're sure to encounter in a disaster.

Then I can only assume you recommend nothing less a duplicate pair of the good hiking shoes or running shoes I already have on my feet? I can understand and even agree with this to an extent.

But my Maxpedition Vulture II will not hold them inside. It's stuffed to the gills. I cannot afford to upgrade to another, larger pack...nor would I want to. In my OP I considered the option of attaching some hiking shoes to the outside of my pack, maybe in a dump pouch (which would negate the whole point of the dump pouch). But I already have my FAK and Nalgene bottles there. I was hoping to avoid adding significant size and weight to the outside of the BOB, especially as I wear it daily walking to and from work in the city and don't want to stand out any more than I already do.

These emergency shoes would only be used to get me a short distance to a relatively safe place where I could shelter and perhaps repair my regular shoes.

[Glennbo]

Thanks to all for your responses. Within 24 hours I got some good ideas. That's why I love Zombie Squad!

Those Vibram 5 fingers look too freakish. Though I normally care more about function than form, I can't see myself walking in them. Maybe if I could try a pair on my opinion would change.

The Boggers look like the best choice so far, but I'm concrned about how well they fold up...or if they do at all. If they don't, then I may as well go with Clear Cut's implication and just give in and use hiking shoes.

The Aqua Shoes also look good. I'm actually leaning towards them.

Finally, the tire sandle idea just might be the most practical option. Flipflops or crocs seem to work for many on a daily basis already, and work in real world conditions every day.

I guess I was dreaming of some space-age, lightweight, shoe with a flexable yet puncture-proof sole. Perhaps there is no such thing.

[gravediggerfour]

Those five fingers look pretty cool Reminded me of a article I read that peaked my intrest. As to the fact I have had some serious injury's to my feet as of late and a few rough years on them this might be a way for me to strenthen them up!! thanks!

heres the link

http://www.menshealth.com/men/fitness/c ... yReference!)

[tilt]

I wear sandals (Teva or Keen) a good 11 months out of the year. For hiking, I wear Asolo boots and hang my sandals on the outside of my pack for water crossings. THey pack pretty small. My wife keeps a pair of Chaco sandals in the little bungee-side-compartment-thingie in her truck just in case she has to get out and walk while she's in her office clothes.

[CLEAR CUT]

For lounging around the house, sure. On the go-NO. I would use the same reason why I wouldn't wear my wrestling shoes to the job site and that is because of the lack of protection from debris just like you're sure to encounter in a disaster.

Then I can only assume you recommend nothing less a duplicate pair of the good hiking shoes or running shoes I already have on my feet? I can understand and even agree with this to an extent.

But my Maxpedition Vulture II will not hold them inside. It's stuffed to the gills. I cannot afford to upgrade to another, larger pack...nor would I want to. In my OP I considered the option of attaching some hiking shoes to the outside of my pack, maybe in a dump pouch (which would negate the whole point of the dump pouch). But I already have my FAK and Nalgene bottles there. I was hoping to avoid adding significant size and weight to the outside of the BOB, especially as I wear it daily walking to and from work in the city and don't want to stand out any more than I already do.

These emergency shoes would only be used to get me a short distance to a relatively safe place where I could shelter and perhaps repair my regular shoes.

My plans center around bugging in due to my living here in almost the heart of the city. I simply don't see evacuation happening without some serious complications. Knowing the area as well as the hazards of debris should a disaster occur makes having a heavy duty pair of boots a necessity.

Anyway, yes, I would pack a duplicate pair of boots/shoes or as close to duplicate as possible. Then again, packing a lighter pair of shoes, be they sneakers or what-not, might be a more efficient alternative because of the weight and space saving. Also, you're not going to be on the run or digging through rubble 24/7 either. I know the first thing I want to do after working a ten-plus hour shift wearing steel toe/steel shank redwing boots is to take them off and put on something infinitely more comfortable. So packing something lighter could serve a valuable purpose of increasing morale.

My only concern with that would be safety. The last thing I would want to happen would be to gimp myself up because I was careless and stepped on a rusty nail or broken glass resulting in decreased mobility. Therefore increased caution would be paramount when wearing lighter shoes/boots.

[ninja-elbow]

While camping/hiking, as soon as I am in for the day and all set up, I have had great success with some cheap knock off Crocs. Been using those for 2 years now. I wear them at home too. I never wear them in public, even if I am home all day and just need to run to the store for some TP or salt or something.

In my BOB I have recently just put in a pair of Teva "water shoes" or whatever those are called. I bought them in January as they were on clearance at the Wholesale Sports for $12. I wore the shoes to work a few times and they look professional enough to pass there with slacks/dockers while they, paired with some good wool socks, handled urban wet and cold well enough. The soles are labeled "spider grips" or something and do real well on slick and wet surfaces.

Here we go - kind of like these: http://www.amazon.com/Teva-Mens-Proton- ... d_sim_sg_3

[Dietrich]

There is a whole thread on the Vibram Five Fingers thing. As far as the freaky looks, I wore a pair to the mall the other day, and my daughter didn't even notice I was wearing them until I pointed them out. The Treks are black, with leather on top, so it is hard to even see the individual toes unless you are looking right at them. I really like walking in them. Feels like barefoot, but with vibram sole protection backup.