The Best Lightweight Shoes for Backpacking That Aren't Sandals (And Why That Gap Exists)
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If you've ever finished a long day on trail, taken off your hiking boots at camp, and stood there wondering what to put on next, you already understand the problem this article is about.
The default answer is sandals. Everybody says sandals. Flip flops. Tevas. Chacos. Bedrocks. The ultralight crowd says Zpacks camp shoes or Mayfly sandals. The budget crowd says Crocs.
And all of those answers are fine, until... they're not.
This article is about the gap between ultralight minimalism and bulky comfort and the growing category of backpackers who need something in between.
Why Sandals Became the Default Camp Shoe
Sandals make sense on paper. They're light, they pack flat (mostly), and they feel like relief after a full day in hiking boots. For warm weather camping on dry terrain near a road or established campsite, they work well.
But sandals have real limitations that most backpacking gear guides gloss over:
They're cold. A camp morning in the mountains or a high-altitude hut isn't the right environment for open-toe footwear. Your feet, already tired from the day before, need warmth. And yes you can use socks but not on every sandal.
They're unstable on uneven ground. Flip flops on a gravel campsite, a root-covered approach, or a wet rock are a twisted ankle waiting to happen. Thicker sandals like Chacos handle this better, but they're heavy and bulky.
They don't work in cold or wet conditions. Sandals are a warm-weather tool. If your trip crosses seasons, changes elevation dramatically, or involves river crossings followed by cold evenings, sandals leave you exposed.
The Ultralight Extreme: When Minimalism Goes Too Far
The ultralight backpacking community has produced some impressively minimal camp shoe options: gossamer-thin sandals, packable socks with rubber dots on the sole, shoe-shaped objects that weigh under 100 grams.
These are engineering achievements. They are not always practical achievements.
The problem with going full ultralight on your camp shoe is that your feet have already done a lot of work. After 15 or 20 miles in hiking boots, your feet don't want minimalism. They want support. They want a sole with some substance. They want to feel like they've earned something.
There's a reason foot care is taken seriously in both backpacking and bikepacking communities. Blisters, tendon strain, and general foot fatigue don't just make the evening uncomfortable, they compromise the next day on trail.
Saving 50 grams on your camp shoe at the cost of foot recovery is rarely a good trade.
What a Good Backpacking Camp Shoe Actually Needs to Do
Before we look at options, it's worth being clear about the job description. A good backpacking camp shoe needs to:
Be light enough to justify carrying. Under 400g per pair. Under 300g is better. But "lightest possible" is not the goal, "light enough" is.
Pack small without being useless. It needs to fit in a side pocket, a hip belt pouch, or strap to the outside of your pack without adding meaningful bulk.
Slip on instantly. After a long day, you don't want laces. You don't want buckles. You want to be out of your boots in five seconds.
Protect your feet from camp terrain. Gravel, roots, fire debris, cold ground, a sole with real substance matters more than most backpackers realize until their first trip in tissue-thin sandals.
Work in more than one context. Town stop, café, hut, campsite, a good camp shoe handles the full range of transition moments, not just one.
The Options Compared
Minimalist Sandals (Zpacks, Mayfly, Bedrock)
Weight: 80–150g · Packability: Excellent · Protection: Minimal
The lightest option. If raw weight is everything, this is your answer. But you give up sole protection, warmth, and versatility. Fine for established campsites in warm weather. Less fine for everything else.
Crocs Classic Clog
Weight: ~300g · Packability: Poor · Protection: Good
The most recommended camp shoe in backpacking forums, and for good reason, they're cheap, durable, and genuinely comfortable. The problem is packability. Crocs are rigid. They don't compress. Finding space for a pair of Crocs in a 40-liter pack already stuffed with a shelter, sleeping system, and food is a real challenge. They work on car camping trips and short weekenders. On a long thru-hike or a technical route where every cubic centimeter is spoken for, they're difficult to justify.
Bedrock Mountain Clog
Weight: ~300g · Packability: Good · Protection: Excellent
A well-made, packable slip-on with a more technical sole than BERT. Good choice for rugged terrain where you want maximum underfoot protection. Slightly heavier and more expensive than BERT, but strong editorial credibility in the outdoor community. Best for backpackers on demanding terrain who want real protection at camp.
BERT: The Pre & Post-Activity Shoe
Weight: 267g · Packability: Excellent · Protection: Good
This is where it gets interesting.
BERT: Honest About What It Is (And Isn't)
BERT was not designed to be the lightest camp shoe. That's not a limitation, it's a deliberate choice.
The design priority was the transition moment: the time between finishing an activity and whatever comes next. Not just camp. Not just the trailhead. The whole range of moments where your performance footwear doesn't make sense anymore but you still need to move.
That philosophy produces a shoe that sits in a specific place on the spectrum, heavier than a mayfly sandal, lighter than Crocs, more packable than both.
Recently, Lloyd Vogel from Garage Grown Gear , a well-known ultralight gear shop in Minneapolis and Dan Outdoors, a respected camping gear YouTuber, independently reviewed several camp gear including BERT. Both landed in the same place:
BERT lives in a sweet spot between the featherlight minimalism of a zpacks sandal and the bulk of a Croc. Comfortable enough to forget you're wearing them. Packable enough to justify carrying. Functional enough to cross a river in.Check the full review here
That's the gap BERT fills and it's the gap most backpackers don't realize exists until they've spent one too many cold mornings in flip flops or left their Crocs at home because they simply wouldn't fit.
The BERT Knit vs. The BERT Neoprene: Which for Backpacking?
BERT makes two versions, and for backpacking the choice depends on your conditions.
The BERT Knit (100% breathable knit upper, under 300g) is the better choice for summer backpacking, warm climates, and longer travel days. The knit upper wraps your foot like a sock, breathes constantly, and dries fast. Lloyd's review above was specifically of the Knit and his point about forgetting you're wearing them is a direct result of the sock-like construction.
The BERT Neoprene (neoprene lining, nylon mesh upper) is the better choice for shoulder-season trips, cold mornings, or routes with significant water crossings. The neoprene insulates where the Knit breathes, and dries faster than most people expect.
For a full comparison of both, read our guide: BERT Knit vs BERT Neoprene — Which Is Right for You?
The Verdict: What Should You Pack?
| Condition | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Warm weather, ultralight priority | Minimalist sandal |
| Budget, car camping, plenty of space | Crocs |
| Technical terrain, maximum sole protection | Bedrock Mountain Clog |
| ☀️ Summer backpacking, travel days, transitions | BERT Knit |
| 🌊 Cold mornings, wet conditions, river crossings | BERT Neoprene |
The camp shoe is one of the most overlooked decisions in a backpacking kit. It's easy to default to whatever is cheapest or whatever the forum recommends. But your feet spend more hours in your camp shoe than most people realize, the evening, the morning, the town stop, the approach and those hours matter for how your feet feel the next day on trail.
BERT isn't trying to be the lightest option. It's trying to be the right one.
