If there's one thing you want to do immediately after completing the kind of long, exhausting hike that's mandatory when backpacking, it's rip off those shoes and let your fiery, achy feet breathe a little. But as much as you'd like to whip out your most comfortably broken-in set of slippers or sandals, it can be tough to justify the pack space and weight for such a luxury. Ultralight gear specialist Zpacks has a solution that sizes and weighs only slightly more than fresh air. Its flat-collapsing, rollable Ultralight Camp Shoes weigh less than 1 ounce per shoe and provide a comfortable, breathable refuge for tired, aching feet.
Zpacks isn't the first company to design a set of lightweight, ultraportable after-journey shoes for wearing around backcountry base camp. It's probably not even the 100th. In fact, as this handy list from Bikepacking shows, there are scores of options out there right now either designed specifically for the purpose or otherwise suitable for it. As that list also shows, Zpacks undercuts every alternative but one in weight several times over, including Skinners sock-shoes.
The Florida-based ultralight gear maker focuses most of its attention on backpacking's big three (shelter, sleeping system, backpack), where it offers some of the lightest gear out there via no-expenses-spared weight-cutting tech. But the company also dabbles in backcountry apparel and accessories, and the Ultralight Camp Shoes are one of its latest wearable accessory launches.
The Ultralight shoes are among the most minimalist footwear we've seen since these weird half-soled Runningpads more than a decade ago. They're more of a slipper or slide than a full shoe and feature a wide toe box to aid in providing loose, breezy comfort for weary feet. While Zpacks says the 4-mm foam sole is ready to protect against rocks and roots, the Ultralights are ultimately meant for traipsing around camp and not much farther, certainly not for any extended side hiking, river wading or hill scrambling.
Above that flat foam platform, the upper features 100D ripstop nylon at the front and sides and a Lycra mesh top for stretch and breathability. An adjustable shock cord saves weight over a full heel in keeping the shoe secure around the foot.
When it's time to pack up and move, the Ultralight uppers fold down to the sole for the flattest packing possible. The shoes can also roll up to fit in a smaller backpack compartment or mesh bottle holder. At an estimated 1.8 oz (51 g) per pair, the Ultralight Camp Shoes are much lighter than typical around-camp shoes and lighter than virtually any ultralight alternative we've seen, including the 8-oz (228-g) North Face NSE Tent Mule IV, 4.8-oz (136-g) Exped Camp Slipper, and 3-oz (85-g) Western Mountaineering Flash Down Booties.
Even those aforementioned half-sole Runningpads (which don't appear to be available any longer, replaced by full-sole Fullsouls) handily exceeded the Ultralights' weight at 2.8 oz (80 g) per pair. The only other shoe on Bikepacking's list as lightweight as the Ultralight Camp Shoes is the Imago from Mayfly Ultralight Equipment. It weighs in at the same 1.8 oz per pair but is a sandal, an option that may be preferable for some backpackers and trips but won't offer the same amount of foot coverage.
And if you want to shave another tenth of an ounce, the Nymph sandal from Mayfly comes in at an estimated 1.7 oz (48 g) per pair.
Of course, there are usually some tradeoffs to getting the lightest of the light version of any style of product, and the Ultralight Camp Shoes are no exception. They aren't exorbitantly expensive as is often the case with the lightest ultralight outdoor gear, but they are a lightweight half-shoe that won't be quite as warm as a full-bodied shoe or slipper and certainly won't provide much in the way of protection against rain or mud. In colder weather, a set of down booties might prove worth their slight extra weight.
That said, for less than 2 ounces of pack weight, the Ultralight Camp Shoes certainly seem better than the alternative of staying in hot, sweaty, possibly waterlogged hiking boots for the entire evening.
Zpacks launched the Ultralight Camp Shoes in November and sold out of its first few runs. The company plans to drop a new batch this month, so if you're interested in owning a set, make sure to check in at the link below. Retail is US$34.95, and the shoes come in sizes small to XXL.
Source: Zpacks
