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Important gear for trekking: shoes

I have done most of my treks using my trustworthy sandals, even on muddy trails (of which there were a couple: Daguldol and Manabu. Daguldol was especially memorable because on the descent the following day, my sandals gave up on me. The velcro straps because stuck with mud and they refused to seal off! Plus, mud between my feet and the sandals made sure that every step meant I would slip off. Good thing Sir Sam brought extra sandals with him which he loaned me after I slid 180 degrees and I was ready to throw my sandals into the ravine.


The bad part of this adventure is, I was already nursing a sprain at that time and this slippery trek definitely made it worse. I had to undergo physical therapy three times a week for a month after that.

Lessons I learned about these experiences:
1. Never attempt an assault when injured.
2. There's a place for sandals, and a place for good trekking shoes. Muddy trails are definitely not for sandals.
3. Invest in trekking shoes. It will do you a world of good, and your investment will be well worth it when you don't have to worry about slipping off your sandals or getting the straps bite through your already tender skin due to wetness and mud.

And so invest in good trekking shoes I did. This set me off at almost 4,000 pesos. Of course there are other, more expensive shoes around but 4k is already a bit above my ceiling. Ok, ok, I admit. It had a 20% discount on it. :-)

I asked from the sales person to get me trekking shoes that I can also wear as sort of everyday shoes. I would rather have a pair that I can wear for both treks and leisurely walks than have one for trekking alone and have it just lying around when there are no scheduled trips in sight.

Just today, I was able to test my shoes as we had a video and photo shoot which required our walking and standing about for most of the day. I am rather pleased at my purchase because - marvel of marvels- at the end of the day (that's 8:00PM for me) my feet don't ache at all! Even my rubber shoes of old did not perform this well. It must be the traction and materials used.

I am thus happy with my trekking shoes (whose brand, by the way, is Merrell); the next proof would be using it on an actual trek. But until that time I will continue using it for breaking-in purposes!