Grand Canyon Shoe Report
posted by: HerberWellss in Comfort Shoes, Flats, General, Shoe Product Reviews, Walking Disasters on July 27th, 2010
Last week I had the opportunity to raft down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. We went with Hatch River Expeditions, who is a large contributor to the American Cancer Society. They were nothing but professional. I highly recommend them.
Three things became apparent as I went through my week. 1) I need to lose weight. 2) I need to hike more hill trails. 3) I needed different shoes. 2 and 3 can be remedied fairly quickly, number 1 will take some time.
Anyways, in getting ready I purchased a pair of Merrell Sirens because
I thought they would be able to handle the water, sand and hiking. I was wrong. The Velcro at the sides “let go” as I walked, which would then make the shoes loose. They did OK on established trails,
but I found the shoe slipping out from under me as I climbed over rocks, which was 50% of the walking.
They filled with sand and there was nowhere for the sand to go. After day 3 I had a blister at my outside ankle where the seam rubbed against my skin. On day 5 I had a blister on my second toe because I was gripping the shoe with my toes to keep them on. They shoes didn’t grip the rocks I had to scurry over, which meant slipping and sometimes falling in creeks or other sharp rocks. By day 7 I was ready to throw these shoes in the river and wear my Target flip flops. The only reason I didn’t is because I didn’t want to get into trouble with the National Parks people. (I AM going to put these shoes in their box and give them to Goodwill.)
These shoes might be good for light camping activities, but they were not able to handle the hard work they were required to do on this trip. I am sorry I changed my mind because I thought they were cuter.
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January 19, 2013 at 8:41 am, software for images said:
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July 27, 2010 at 11:22 am, r5bales said:
Niki… I had to keep my luggage weight to 25 lbs so I just took this one pair. I had a pair of Target flip flops to wear in camp, so on the last day I just kept them on. I should take a photo of my pathetic feet. I know you would all feel sorry for me.
July 27, 2010 at 11:00 am, Nikita said:
Thanks so much for that review. One of the reasons I pack at least two pair of shoes on trips is because my feet feel different from day to day depending on the terrain, how long I walked, blisters etc. Tell me you had sneakers for backup.
July 27, 2010 at 2:28 am, galligator said:
Sorry they didn't work out for you. I tend to go the hiking boots and solid sock route myself. But I'm right there with you on the struggle to get to a healthier weight (which is frustrating since I'm still recovering from a foot sprain from 2 weeks ago.)
July 27, 2010 at 12:09 am, r5bales said:
Scarlet…Now that you say that, Chacos is what two of the three guides wore. I kept trying to take their photo and they kept moving out of the photo.
Now I am just looking for a shoe I can wander around in the desert with R5Baby.
July 26, 2010 at 11:26 pm, Scarlet said:
When you first said you'd bought those, I thought, "Uh oh," but then hoped I was wrong (Merrell is a reputable company). Next time, I strongly suggest you go with Chaco sandals with a Vibram hiking sole. They are FANTASTIC and last for years. No slippage (I used to have Tevas–they slipped), easy in the water, grippy on the rocks. All the river guides and pro kayakers I've ever known wear Chacos. Take it from a gal who used to edit an outdoor sports magazine, Chacos are the bomb!
July 26, 2010 at 9:53 pm, AEJ said:
I love my Teva sandals for hiking/water/anything. I've never had a problem with the velcro on them and I've had them for about 10 years so far — still good as new!