Hiking is great especially when it is nice weather outside. Often nice weather means that it is hot and then we start to look for potential ways to cool down a bit while we are on the trails. You can take off your shirt if you are confident enough, but that is an option mostly for men, but some of us would prefer to wear sandals and even flip-flops, and that’s what we will try to focus on in this article.
We will also give you some tips to make your hiking trips less warm, and talk about simple things that will make you cool down. Don’t worry because here we will talk about things that you can do no matter if you are a woman or men so let’s dive into this.
What to wear for hiking was always a big problem, because shoes should at least have to be durable and make you feel comfortable. Flip-flops are great when it comes to cooling your feet, but flip-flops don’t give your feet much protection. The same goes for sandals, but it was only a quick answer and right now we will talk about details and also some tips to make you feel chill during your hikes.
Are flip-flops dangerous?
Everyone has a pair of flip-flops but we tend to think of them as something to wear for a beach or for a sauna. Flip-flops are great because they let your feet breathe freely, and that also makes your feet cool down.
While wearing normal trekking shoes you have to wear socks, and that makes your feet sweat a lot, and after a few miles your shoes start to feel more like a swamp rather than normal shoes, so it seems like wearing something breathable would be better here, but it is not precisely true.
Flip-flops don’t protect your feet at all, so you can easily get a twisted ankle, and on top of that, flip-flops almost always have a flat shoe sole, which makes it even easier for you to twist your ankle and also slip.
Stripes that are holding your foot to the whole sole are very likely to rub your foot after a few meters. So the only positives here are that your feet will chill down and also they will breathe more, but unfortunately, flip-flops are very dangerous for you, especially on a hiking trail.
Are sandals dangerous for hiking?
Sandals and flip-flops are very similar so they will give your feet the possibility to breathe which will reduce sweating, but unfortunately, they won’t protect your feet.
Sandals have better soles than flip-flops but it is still not enough for a trail, also sandals won’t hold your foot in place which can result in a twisted ankle. You can easily slip while wearing sandals and even when you hit a rock or a root with your toes then you can hurt yourself.
So we highly don’t recommend you wear sandals for your hiking trips, because they are not safe for your feet and you should think about safety first rather than feeling comfortable.
How can I cool down during my hikes?
There are many ways for you to lower your body’s temperature during a hike, but first, we have to talk about why keeping your temperature low during hikes is important.
Your body is heating up slowly while you are doing a lot of hard movements with it, and climbing a hill is one of those hard things for your body. Even walking downhill is going to make you heat up and sweat a lot.
Our bodies start to sweat because that is one simple way to lower your body’s temperature. Sweat covering your body has a purpose and that is to lower your body’s temperature. Liquid helps you dissipate heat.
Here is the list of tips and tricks that can let you lower the heat of your body during hikes:
- Cold water – Cold water is great because it can lower the temperature from the inside.
- Cover your body with water – you can pour normal bottled water on your whole body to lower the temperature.
- Wear breathable clothes – Breathable clothes are very underrated nowadays. People tend to wear normal clothes but they keep the heat that your body produced which makes it even warmer for you to walk wearing them.
- Don’t wipe the sweat too often – Your body increases the production of sweat to make your body covered in liquid which lowers its temperature.
- Cold soda – Soda in general hydrates better because it is carbonated, but avoid pouring it on your body. It contains a lot of sugar and after a while, you will feel that your body is viscous, which is annoying.
- Frequent breaks – Breaks will let your body cool down, so when you feel too much heat then you should take a quick break.
Let’s summarize this up – Can I go hiking in flip-flops?
Flip-Flops are commonly used in summer when the temperature is very high, but unfortunately, hiking trails are too hard for flip-flops and sandals to be worn. The conditions on hiking trails are very unpredictable, sometimes the trail is slippery, muddy, or rocky.
You should wear something that will protect your whole foot and ankle. Even when your planned trial is very easy and flat, your flip-flops still will rub your feet, so you should avoid long trails wearing them. We recently added a great article about planning your future hiking trails so make sure to check it out “Is Hiking 10 Miles A Lot? – (5 Hiking Tips)“.
