Shoes for a female?

crowgirl

OK- here's a weird question concerning sandles that perhaps someone can answer. I have a problem with feeling at ease about leaving my sandles outside a temple with a trillion other shoes (finding again)- the other concern is that they may be taken and I'm not in the position to replace.

May I simply and discretely put them in my backpack and go into the temple?

So...Tevas or Keens? I have to make a decision soon and want something stylish yet feeling like I've worn them forever with no problem!

Thanks.

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vireya

I guess you could pay a kid a couple of rupees to look after them for you.

Before going, I had wondered about that, too, but once you are actually there leaving your shoes somewhere didn't seem like such a big deal. I don't know if anyone does ever steal shoes, but it is probably another reason not to buy expensive shoes just for the trip.

wonderwomanusa

January in Delhi can be chilly and damp; I always take a pair of socks with me, even to wear with sandals. Looks terrible, I know, but my feet are much happier.

'Course, I take silk underwear (long bottoms, T-shirts) for cold days, too.

Bex

indiajesse - i'm the same! I cant justify spending more on shoes than on a weeks accomodation in India

I got some black Dunlop Volley slip ons - they look like this http://www.dunlopfootwear.com.au/Pro...LEY%20CLASSICS
I wanted something with a tread, but fabric on top that would breathe, and could slip on and off. Think they cost $40 Aus. My partner has suggested I may want to throw them out as soon as we get back ...

Taking my faux-Crocs from Kmart as well - $15?

wonderwomanusa

Of course not! Shoes are not supposed to be in the temples -- that's why they ask you to take them off and leave them outide.

There are often shoe-minders at mosques and temples; they will tell you what they charge and maybe give a receipt of some sort.

indiajesse

I just found the perfect shoes on clearance at Gordmans, without even really looking. Black sketchers, half mary jane style, half athletic, with good tread and waterproof sides, but a mesh top. Super light with a velcro strap. And they don't look too obnoxiously athletic, which is good, because that's not my style. And they were only $27 USD. Yay!! The search is over. I'll also bring flip-flops.

kristinm

Bex - great idea, I was taking the trainers because of the need for the arch support etc (I'm creaking!) but I could put those athletes foot insoles into the Dunneys..... My son already wears them non-stop with an insole in as I won't buy him Vans. Yay off to Target we go!

Bex

No worries! Thats the reason i'm taking them (dont creak but have bad knees)

fly2raven

As a few others have mentioned, I also love my Keen sandals...I needed a sandal that had an enclosed toe as I am always running my feet into things - but it is still open enough to allow moisture and things to dry quickly.

I purchased mine from www.shoes.com on sale for only $20USD - they range in price but if you can get them on sale you won't regret it...and they last forever...I have worn mine almost daily for over a year and they are still as comfy as they were when I got them, and they still look good - which is surprising because india can be very rough on footwear

kristinm

I hate that 'obnoxiously athletic' look - I know exactly what you mean. Its like those super-fit guys who wear those super short loose running shorts around the place when they're not even running anywhere.. eeewwwwww. Or people who wear shiny lycra outside the Olymnpic Games arena!!!!!!!!! And don't even get me started on the whole tracksuit as fashion thing!

double-dolphin

(1) am I always going to have to take off my footwear (whether leather or not) in temples and mosques? - mosques I dunno, but temples yes. you can take them off an put them in your back pack if you're scacred of them eing stolen. Gurudwaras (sikh temples) usually have very good arrangements for taking care of peoples shoes.

(2) are there other environments where I would have to go barefoot for extended periods? I'll be in Omkareshwar, for example - can I wear shoes on the ghats in a pilgrimage place like that? - ghats are ok for shoes. In most places you can just know what to do. there are signs, or people will tell you, or you can just observe.

(3) will sturdy sandals be good enough in nature reserves, climbing around on forts, etc. or do I really need to have closed shoes and socks in those environments? - sandals are a bad idea for nature reserves. lot of walking in sandals can cause pain in the calf muscles, and remember nature reserves have leeches, insects, throns, rocks, and other generally unplesant things for open feet.

About the perfect shoes, $20 seems a lot of money to pay for something that I can't even understand!!!

burbujasdeamor

I'm going to pack my trusty rubber flip flops that I bought in a Dollar store 10 years ago. Yes, they're still alive & well after many trips to the beaches & festivals, even to the Carnival in Brazil . I'm sure you can find those in India or back home before you leave. No more than US$2.00, made in China, that's what a lot of people in Asia wear, they're even on the cover of the newest Lonely Planet India book

I'll also bring along a pair of walking sandals or sporty sandals with good arch support (creaky and bad knees ). My son said he's seen gel stick-on arch supports for sandals, so I'll hunt for those before I leave. As for "dressy shoes", I'll buy some of those flashy shiny Indian made shoes from their markets. If they cost only $5 here, they must be dirt cheap in India!

Another note on the walking sandals: Clarks' Privo line is good.

Nick-H

Carrying your shoes, however hidden, in a temple is disobeying the spirit of the rule, of not the wording. It is certainly not a respectful thing to do. On my more atheistic days I may well laugh and speak with great disrespect of the practices of many of the world's religions, but I believe that if you are visiting one of their houses you should do so with respect and not be rude, even if that rudeness is hidden away in your mind or your bag.

At the larger temples your shoes will be taken and kept safe for a couple of rupees. Otherwise, buy cheap flipflops for your temple visits.

Shoe theft (and taking by mistake) is actually common at the London temples --- a friend of mine advised me never to keep a pair of shoes together on the shelves!

Although I hate to wear anything else, open sandals are not a good idea for grassy or forest places. You need to protect your feet from thorns, snakes, leaches. For places where leaches are common you should be able to buy leach-proof socks. I remember they sold these in Peryar, kerala, although in the end I didn't actually go into the jungle.

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roofr

Hello all. After reading everyone's interesting comments I have got myself some off-road crocs. The toe is covered but the rest has holes in to breath. They wash under the tap and weigh next to nothing. I hope these, flip flops and really old Teva sandals will do the job. I can wear socks with the crocs (good rhym ) and keep them on in the temples, etc. (cold floors, dirt!!).
Thanks again for all the info. I love IM and log on every day if I can.

Darmabum

I had a pair of each last year in Varanasi. I stayed from February through August. Crocs are great for weight, but I found that as the heat and humidity rose, my feet (yeah, they sweated a lot) would slip around inside them, and they felt less sure on my feet. For that reason Keens would go with me again . . . will go with me again.

Also, comparing the price of your shoes versus train tickets or whatever is all well and good (though if you stack the price up against your airline ticket, they do come out much better . . . I stack the price of a pair of shoes up versus what might happen should I cut my foot, get some type of infection . . . in which case I'd be wearing socks with my Keens (like Yogagal) not only looking like a tourist (which I can't help) but also feeling much more like one

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