Galapagos footwear

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Calaf1
Calaf1
in Cruising the Galápagos Islands
I'm planning for the Galapagos. Any recommendations on footwear for the wet and dry island landings?

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  • Mike The Elder
    Mike The Elder
    edited November 2014
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    Calaf wrote:
    I'm planning for the Galapagos. Any recommendations on footwear for the wet and dry island landings?

    We just returned from the Peru and Galapagos trip. We wore Keen closed toe sandals for the wet landings. I also used low socks for our 2nd wet landing because the sand remained in our sandals and chaffed our feet. I've recommended to others to forgo the fashion statement and wear the socks which go a long way helping to protect your feet.

    For the dry landings I had waterproof Merrill walking shoes with Vibram soles. My wife had LLBean walking shoes. You will be walking on lava rock and very uneven terrain at times so you need good hiking shoes.
  • Calaf1
    Calaf1
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    Thank you for this information. Most helpful and appreciated.
  • British
    British
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    Totally agree about the footwear recommendations. We took two pairs of closed toe sandals in case one pair did not dry enough, but the drying area for shoes on the boat dried them really quickly. Note, if you have generic black sandals it might be a good idea to put some kind of ID on them in case someone picks yours up by mistake. I mentioned in the past that a group of people wore rubber flip flops on our tour, they had no alternatives and they were dangerous and unsuitable for the jagged black lava rocks we had to walk on on some of the islands.
  • purduegal
    purduegal
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    Definitely the Merrells or similar sturdy walking shoe on the dry landings/hikes. I used reef sneakers for the rockier wet landings, but ended up usually going barefoot w/Merrells in pack, then quick dry of the feet and put on the Merrells. Guides will tell you the rockiness/roughness of the surface under the water. I agree w/the reco re: socks.

    Another tip…the wet suits help both warmth & buoyancy for the snorkeling, and the equipment they provide is good. After snorkeling, all wetsuits are put on hangers in a drying area on the top deck. We learned that it was easier to go up there and retrieve our wetsuits and take them to our cabin while getting ready for the next snorkeling adventure (vs. wrestling with them on the upper deck with everyone else).

    Have a great time!
  • Diane Simonetti
    Diane Simonetti
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    Mike...can you tell me what men and women wore for dinner on the boat?
    shorts?....slacks?...I know this is casual but casual is different to each person. Thanks
  • jdurkin
    jdurkin
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    I can answer this one, too! Pretty much whatever you had saved that was clean. I wore my one pair of scrappy sandals, capris and one of two "nicer" tops I'd packed. Day wear for exploring really was the practical walking shoes, shorts or rolled up trousers for wading in, covered arms against the sun and a hat with a chin strap. For the last dinner back at the hotel in Guayaquil I wore a cotton over-shirt (as a loose, light jacket). As an expedition trip, people dressed in casually appropriate gear. We were all glad to wash off the dust and dirt of the day before dinner and to change into clean (cleaner, possibly!) clothes. We all looked stunning!

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • SaraB
    SaraB
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    We just came back from our fabulous Galapagos trip. I took 3 pair of shoes - good fitting Nike sneakers, Keen-type closed toe "sandals" and Teva-type sandals. The combination of these 3 worked fine. I used the Tevas for lunches, dinners and walking around the boat in general. One woman brought mary jane waterproof crocs, which were a bit dressier and a good idea. Another woman had hydro socks, which she wore for wet landings. They prevented the pebbles from collecting under her feet - a boon when hiking. The problem with the Keens was the collection of stones that had to be emptied periodically when hiking after a wet landing. But the closed toe and the ability to withstand wet areas were important. Functional shoes were more important than fashion for this trip!
  • leebandrew
    leebandrew
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    We went Galapagos last month and we took a pair of flip flops,Nike air max thea shoes .You can also carry Water shoes but takes more time to dry .Hope you will enjoy your trip .

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