Safari Shoes
Safari shoes are essential items. They should in my opinion be closed shoes, easy to slip on and off, thick soles to prevent penetrating thorns, comfortable for long walks, grip rocks, washable and roomy enough for socks.
Sandals in deserts lead to dry skin and cracked heals, sand and pebbles get in and do not seem to fallout. The sandals look rugged but grossly under perform. Closed heels keep the heels from cracking and only when walking in thick sand does sand get into the shoe. Crocs are for yatching, not safari. Flip flops are only useful in civilisation. Boots do not slip on and off easily so are not worn continually. Running shoes are too tight and sweaty for continual use.
The best safari shoes so far, were R300, closed leather shoes from Macro, which survived rivers, deserts and savannah. The shoes were worn in thick mud while retrieving cars from the rivers of Tanzania, washed, polished up and worn out. They were lace up but the laces were left loose so the shoes could be slipped on and off. The soles cracked and the shoes were eventually thrown away.
Sandals in deserts lead to dry skin and cracked heals, sand and pebbles get in and do not seem to fallout. The sandals look rugged but grossly under perform. Closed heels keep the heels from cracking and only when walking in thick sand does sand get into the shoe. Crocs are for yatching, not safari. Flip flops are only useful in civilisation. Boots do not slip on and off easily so are not worn continually. Running shoes are too tight and sweaty for continual use.
The best safari shoes so far, were R300, closed leather shoes from Macro, which survived rivers, deserts and savannah. The shoes were worn in thick mud while retrieving cars from the rivers of Tanzania, washed, polished up and worn out. They were lace up but the laces were left loose so the shoes could be slipped on and off. The soles cracked and the shoes were eventually thrown away.
