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crocs-vs-vivobarefoot

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    • crocs-vs-vivobarefoot

      I get questions all the time about whether or not camp shoes are needed. Like many things in life, the answer depends on other variables. However, for backpackers choosing to take camp shoes the obvious follow-up question is, “What shoes should I get?” Probably the most common camp shoe seen on the trail is the Classic Crocs. A lesser seen, but my personal favorite, camp shoe is the Vivobarefoot Ultra II. Here are some details to help you decide if either of these shoes is right for you.
      [IMG:http://www.backpackingengineer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/173-6.jpg]

      Quick Facts

      1. Weight is per pair for Crocs Men’s size 9 and Vivobarefoot Men’s size 42.2. Cost is per pair and is based upon retail price on manufacturer’s websiteCrocsCrocs were once one of the lightest fully-closed shoes on the market. This, the ability to shed water and debris and the low cost made (and still makes) these shoes a favorite choice amongst backpackers. I have used them for many years. The only complaint I have about them is the stability of my foot inside the shoe is minimal. When crossing a raging stream I have to be extra careful that the shoe does not get knocked off of my foot and carried away by the current. This may not be an issue for some if you can find a pair that fits you well. However, note that they only come in whole sizes so your options may be limited.

      Crocs side view

      Vivobarefoot Ultra III never heard of the Vivobarefoot Ultra II shoes let alone the company until a year ago after I started researching an answer to my statement, “Surely by now somebody has figured out a way to make something lighter than Crocs.” Yes, they are lighter. They also are more like a traditional shoe so they stay on my feet more securely. As a bonus, these shoes are multi-purpose. I actually wear them around town and run in them for short distances off the trail. I personally think they look rad. The downside? Cost. However, keep your eye out for deals. I have seen some of these or older styles for as little as $35, right around the price point of Crocs.


      The Right Shoe for You?Who else uses Crocs? Anyone besides me and Falling Angel actually use Vivobarefoot? What are some other shoes to check out? Leave your thoughts below to help your out your backpacking community.

      DisclaimerI was not paid for this review and my opinions do not reflect those of Crocs or Vivobarefoot.


      backpackingengineer.com/gear-r…vs-vivobarefoot-ultra-ii/
      its all good

    • I'm with you Oz. I like the looks of the vivos but I am too tight to pay for them. I did take a pair of scissors to my croc knockoffs and cut 2 ozs out them. I did not try and smoke the ozs - haha a little cross thread humor. :)
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • I am posting in here while in another screen I am chasing a container for us to use to shift our furniture for our impending house move.
      I am spending a lot of time and effort trying to get $200 worth of colour option reduced to nil. The price is over $7k but I reckon they should not charge me the $200 for my choice of colour.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      $7k for a shipping container? Yikes. I rent those things for $200 a month here.

      It's about half for the container (refurbished - we are keeping it as an extra shed on the property).
      The rest is for the transportation, initially to this house for a week so I can fill it and then to the other house about 300 miles away.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • I would always carry flip flops, and for the longest I made fun of guys wearing crocs, not soo much on the trail, but at the beach or in town. Then I got a pair for $15 , took them on a weekend hike and I love them, and then I would wear them to the beach, and liked them, then around the house and liked them , and to run to the store, and now Im that guy...damn you crocs!
      RIAP

    • Rasty wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      I refuse to wear crocs


      That's good, because once you try them you will start wearing them a lot, at least around the house, town, beach, etc.. ;)


      I live at the beach. We wear rainbow flip flops.


      Two guys driving down the road and pass a couple of hispanics hitching, one says to the other, they're going to the ocean, how do you know that, didn't you hear them say sunny beaches as we passed them by.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • While I wear Crocs around the house, town, and the office on the weekends and summer, I take Vivobarefoot with me hiking now (Thanks HB! :thumbup: ). I guess because I have a smaller foot mine only weigh 7oz.

      As for the prices shown, please note those are list prices. I bought my last pair of Crocs for less than $20 at 3 Mountain Outfitters in Franklin, NC, and my last pair of Vivobarefoot for $16.50 at 6pm.com.

      Since your feet do not usually change is size that much, shoes like this are something worth grabbing when you see a good deal.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      I refuse to wear crocs


      That's good, because once you try them you will start wearing them a lot, at least around the house, town, beach, etc.. ;)


      i remember going up to pinkham notch years ago, and everyone, i mean every one had crocs. i was lmao. i was pretty sure clogs went out in the 70s. this past trail days, i would say the must have item was a patagonia nano puff jacket.
      its all good

    • Rasty wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      I refuse to wear crocs


      That's good, because once you try them you will start wearing them a lot, at least around the house, town, beach, etc.. ;)


      I live at the beach. We wear rainbow flip flops.


      You are still young, enjoy it. Eventually you will reach the point like many of the rest of us where we opt for comfort over being cool. :D
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      I refuse to wear crocs


      That's good, because once you try them you will start wearing them a lot, at least around the house, town, beach, etc.. ;)


      I live at the beach. We wear rainbow flip flops.


      You are still young, enjoy it. Eventually you will reach the point like many of the rest of us where we opt for comfort over being cool. :D


      Ever worn rainbows?
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • Rasty wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      I refuse to wear crocs


      That's good, because once you try them you will start wearing them a lot, at least around the house, town, beach, etc.. ;)


      I live at the beach. We wear rainbow flip flops.


      You are still young, enjoy it. Eventually you will reach the point like many of the rest of us where we opt for comfort over being cool. :D


      Ever worn rainbows?


      No, not yet. I guess you are telling me they are comfortable too. I guess i will have to keep my eyes open if I see any on sale sometime.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Flip flops flick sand up your shorts when you walk. Over rated beach wear.
      They're also no good with socks at a cold campsite. Crocs (or their knockoffs) are undeniably fugly. But they are comfortable and practical. The vivo things i would buy if I could get them for $85.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • The only way you will ever see Crocs on my feet is if they've been transplanted onto someone else and are no longer my feet.

      If my only shoe choices were Crocs or 6 inch heels (with no "eff it, I'm going barefoot" option), I'd learn to walk in heels.
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • I keep struggling with this. I carried Vivobarefoot on my first section thru GA in '12. Then decided to cut the weight, and not carry anything sobo from Katahdin. When fording I took the insoles out, took my socks off, put the shoes back on, forded, dried em best I could, put the insoles back in, put my socks on, and hiked on. Fairly miserable, but I'd do it again where there were fewer fords.

      That winter I thought about my requirements for a camp shoe. I had no real significant fords left. I was generally happy just loosening my shoe's laces in camp. And the only place I really wanted "camp" shoes was in nasty hostel showers ...

      I looked for flip flops, and never found a pair any lighter than the Vivobarefoots. I found XeroShoes DIY huarache style sandals, figured that they'd at least reduce bulk if they didn't save weight (they didn't). And of course they are mucho, mucho groovy. Sucks as camp shoes when it's muddy, or cold. Tho the latter wouldn't be so bad if I had toe socks, or laced them differently.

      So now I've come full circle, and will likely carry my Vivobarefeets this summer. I do have a pair of crocs I use mostly for yard work. Have never worn them to the store tho. Not yet anyway ...
      -
      L.Dog
      AT 2000 Mile LASHer '12-'15

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      My coral crocs are actually wearing out...............I have my eye out for the perfect color. :thumbsup:


      [IMG:http://a9.zassets.com/images/z/2/8/3/9/5/5/2839556-p-MULTIVIEW.jpg]


      the color choices for women are a bit hideous


      Why should there be a limiting factor when it comes to the choices of color for women? I am not picking on your wording. It is a fact that people market to women and have "women's" colors for this and "women's" colors for that. I do not deny that women are different than men and may by percentage prefer a characteristic of a product over a man's preference. I understand why companies market to those preferences. However, women should not feel pigeon holed. If you like a certain color, screw if some expert doesn't think you should like that color. Okay...I will stop. I fear people will misunderstand. I like green. My wife likes blue. Neither of us think of the other as liking those colors based on our body parts. We see people, not genders, making choices. I just wish marketers did as well. They are driving potential purchasers away with their stereotypes. Not coach. He boldly buys pink. :whistling:
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Switched to the Vivo's almost 2 years ago after getting a hands on looks at HB's. Holding my Crocs in one hand and his Vivo's in the other it became a no-brainer for me. I wear a size 12 or 13 depending, and my weight savings was very substantial. My Croc's had to find a place on the outside of the pack and the Vivo's can actually be rolled and stuffed. I really started appreciating then on the FNST on long days of underwater hiking. Even though the Croc's have a heel strap if it's not one of the velcro type that you can really snug up they are loose on your foot. I was hiking in them one time and my foot got hung a little on some submerged branches and the rivet snapped on the strap. They were useless after that. The Vivo's are much more slender and streamlined and are held on like a shoe. I've never had a problem with them coming loose underwater. In fact, due to their slenderness they actually come out of the mud easier than any other shoe I've worn except for Converse Chuck Taylor High-Tops. (the hunting boot of choice of Florida hunters) :)
      Forgot to add that I only paid about 40 bucks for mine. I forget where it was now but I googled them and saw that price and wouldn't you know it, size 13's only. I snagged 'em.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by milkman ().

    • CoachLou wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      My coral crocs are actually wearing out...............I have my eye out for the perfect color. :thumbsup:


      [IMG:http://a9.zassets.com/images/z/2/8/3/9/5/5/2839556-p-MULTIVIEW.jpg]


      NICE!!!


      And you usually find better prices on the womens than the mens (at least when on clearance).
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      My coral crocs are actually wearing out...............I have my eye out for the perfect color. :thumbsup:


      [IMG:http://a9.zassets.com/images/z/2/8/3/9/5/5/2839556-p-MULTIVIEW.jpg]


      the color choices for women are a bit hideous


      Why should there be a limiting factor when it comes to the choices of color for women? I am not picking on your wording. It is a fact that people market to women and have "women's" colors for this and "women's" colors for that. I do not deny that women are different than men and may by percentage prefer a characteristic of a product over a man's preference. I understand why companies market to those preferences. However, women should not feel pigeon holed. If you like a certain color, screw if some expert doesn't think you should like that color. Okay...I will stop. I fear people will misunderstand. I like green. My wife likes blue. Neither of us think of the other as liking those colors based on our body parts. We see people, not genders, making choices. I just wish marketers did as well. They are driving potential purchasers away with their stereotypes. Not coach. He boldly buys pink. :whistling:


      I understand what you're saying and totally agree. I dislike pink (for myself, I don't care if other people wear it) and sometimes have a hard time because so many things are pink .... I blame breast cancer for that ^^ (just one more reason that CANCER SUCKS!) I probably should have rephrased my statement though and said, "The color choices for women aren't very attractive to female hikers who would rather wear earthy/subdued colors when outdoors... especially for female hikers who might like to stealth camp." :)
      Lost in the right direction.