It is beautiful weather outside, cloudless sky, a beautiful day for some trip. Summer temperatures allow us to leave most of the clothing at home and wear only the bare minimum (plus small backpack). So put the backpack on, take your sunglasses and you are ready to go. But hold on - we forgot one thing - footwear. Summer footwear is quite wide term that needs to be explained and clarified. So what is considered summer footwear ?
What is summer footwear ?
Summer foowear includes mostly sandals and lightweight ventilated shoes. We will also need hiking shoes and low footwear for walking in wet conditions. What should interest us the most is the breathability. We definitely don´t want to be sweating in shoes that are not breathable. Obviously we choose footwear depending on our activity - we won´t take sandals for longer trails as well as for water activities we wouldn´t choose hiking boots. However, even hiking shoes can be breathable. The trick is in the construction as well as in the material used.
Ultra-light and airy
Among the most airy shoes are undoubtedly sandals. They consist of a sole and straps, that are attached together and help to hold your feet in place. One thing needs to be mentioned - the straps must be comfortable. Oftentimes cheap sandals feature straps without padding or otherwise uncomfortable which can lead to some problems. With blisters or other feet injuries you will not be able to walk far. Lightweight ventilated footwear are shoes constructed, for example, from an artificial leather, neoprene or mesh. They are used for water sports but also for walking. If they feature proper sole and solid construction they can also be used for hiking. But what if it rains ? We will either have wet feet or...
Low footwear - perfect choice
Low footwear is another option for summer season. Let´s be honest, we don´t get beautiful weather all summer long. Sometimes it rains and temperatures can go down up to 15 °C. In such cases, this type of footwear is very good choice. Once again, even this footwear should be breathable. Oftentimes we see artificial leather and porous materials that offer good breathability. Gore-Tex membrane can be used as well. In general, the shoes that are not from genuine leather, the membrane will not last as long as well as the breathability is also limited. On the other hand, such footwear will have excellent waterproofing properties. But can we used them for hiking as well ?
Fixed and comfortably
If we want to do some mountain hiking even during summer months, we will definitely need some ankle or high boots. The excellent material would be genuine leather which provides breathability but it is also very solid. Synthetic materials are the second option, their advantage is lower maintenance. The question mark comes with waterproofing membrane. If we already own "all season" footwear that has membrane, then the summer shoes do not need to have it. It is not as neccessary during summer months as for example breathability.
Plenty to choose from
There really are many different types of summer footwear. We need to be clear about what we are going to use them for in the first place. After that, we can decide whether they will be sandals or other type, whether they will be from artificial or genuine leather or if they are going to have Vibram or Contagrip sole, etc. But if we make the right decision, we will have comfortable shoes in which we will feel great.