Three Points of the Compass ignores over a decade of personal preference and adds the Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes to his gear. Why!
On more than one occasion I have explained that I do not include camp shoes in my gear when backpacking, indeed I wrote a whole post on the subject. For many years I have preferred simply taking a pair of waterproof socks, and wearing these around camp, or inside my trail shoes if going further. However I have always been realistic to the limitations of this method. They don’t suit use after showering, sopping up water and depositing it far and wide, are liable to puncture from pine needles and can get more than a raised eyebrow, when staying in hotels and B&Bs, particularly if any walking has to be done outdoors as they can get muddy and wet and no owner wants that tramped into their carpet. But I was steadfastly reluctant to add weight and bulk to my set-up, for something worn relatively infrequently.
Then I saw some camp shoes advertised across-the-pond, they looked admirable, and despite the cost, I took the plunge and ordered a pair of the Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes and have used them on every trip I have made this year. They shall continue to be slipped into the pack as they have proven to be a welcome and efficient addition to my gear.
While it at first appears there isn’t much to these, careful design makes up for any lack of materials. They are constructed from durable Robic 100D ripstop nylon fabric around the front half and toe of the foot, stitched to stretchy breathable Lycra mesh above. The mesh allows feet to air, dry and breathe. It also removes any vestige of waterproofness from the front of the shoe. The back of the shoe is open.
They are adjusted by pulling on a shock cord that passes round the back of the foot, and tightening the cord lock on top of the foot. There is a small fabric loop on the cord at the back of the foot to make this easier to pull up over the heel, this isn’t at all fiddly and the Camp Shoes are quick to take on and off. The fabric covering the forefoot is wrapped around the edges of the sole and stitched through, both top and bottom, to the sole.
The soles are very thin, comprised of a 4mm hard foam sole with a very minimal tread pattern. I can still feel pointy stones, roots, pinecones etc through the sole, but they make walking on rougher ground and detritus much more comfortable. The soles are tough enough that pine needles etc are not going to easily puncture the shoe sole and feet. I do suspect cracking on the sole might occur over time, especially if rolled for storage. I always take care on wet grass as I suspect these could slip easily despite that slight tread.
A lot of thought has obviously gone into these Camp Shoes to make them as light, minimal and practical as possible. They are a great deal lighter than any sandal I have ever seen and a good deal less bulky too. They are barely noticeable when packed. You cannot say that about a pair of crocs.
On more than one occasion I have finished packing my backpack, then realised that I had forgotten to pack these. No problem, they have easily slipped down the side of the inside of the pack. Some hikers might choose to keep them outside of the main pack, sliding them into a stretchy outside pocket for immediate use once reaching camp. Instead of packing them flat, they could be rolled instead.
I would not wear them for river crossings. Mud could suck them off and any sort of current is going to fill them with water and pull them off your feet. These are for around camp and night halts. You cannot hike in these. They simply do not have enough integrity, support and sole to allow that. Walking short distances around a camp, padding outside the tent for a night-time pee, absolutely. Walking around a hostel, B&B, or hotel, very much so. Insulating feet from cold stone bothy floors, perfect. Use after showers, why not? They allow your feet a break from trekking shoes or boots, allow feet to spread and air, and the shoes take up minimum space with minimal weight penalty when packed away during the day. I have worn them both with and without socks.
Designed by US company Zpacks, made in China, retailed by Zpacks, these are a niche and expensive product. However I would hope for many years use from my pair as they ‘shouldn’t’ have a hard life. They might also suffer from the tariff issues recently introduced. Regardless of that, I am a UK resident and while retail price was $34.95, additional tax and shipping to the UK was a GREAT DEAL MORE! I see very few UK backpackers purchasing these.
They are available in S, M, L, XL and XXL. For my size UK 12 feet, I purchased XL. They are quite loose on my feet, less so when wearing socks. I have heard of some users trimming the sole behind their heel a little.
Zpacks Camp Shoes come in five colour options, Azure Blue, Burnt Orange, Storm Gray, Olive Drab and Jet Black, shown here. the advertised weight is 53g (1.9 oz). My size XL weigh 70.4g.
I do wonder if I might have got away with a size large instead of extra-large, but with the cost of them I am not going to find out. It may be due to the loose fit that my foot can sometimes slip sideways on rougher ground, and I have had my foot slide forward when wet and on a downhill slope. But… these are camp shoes, and as such I shouldn’t get hung up with any perceived loose fit, they are not intended to be a snug fit by design.
I can see the design being tweaked by Zpacks in response to many users requesting thicker soles. I think this will be to the detriment of the produce, doing away with the very minimalist design. As they are, the thin soles means these shoes take up very little room if rolled for packing. If you want thicker soles, just fix in a pair of regular insoles, Superfeet or something similar.
These camp shoes are deliberately airy and breathable. They are not waterproof in the slightest (other than the impervious sole). So feet get wet in wet vegetation. For that reason, and also because I have applied foot-balm to my feet at the end of a day’s hiking, my feet might be slippery, so I usually slip on a pair of socks over them, either clean hiking socks, my waterproof Sealskinz, or my dedicated sleeping socks. The latter can now be kept clean if I slip the Camp Shoes on to exit the tent for a pee during the night.
If I had removed the Sealskinz from my gear list as a result of adding the Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes, I would have experienced no weight penalty, but as it is, I have been accepting a 70g penalty while I continue to bring along my waterproof socks. I might yet transition away from including these going forward.
Though expensive, as soon as I saw these advertised I thought they might suit me. This has proved to be the case. I am always reluctant to add weight to my pack that wasn’t there before. I prefer to refine gear and drop a few grams instead. So these really were going to have to prove their worth for them to keep pack space. They have. So much so, that they even get slipped into weekend bags when I go away, without any hiking in mind. Their weight and bulk truly are minimal, while functionally and usefulness on longer hikes has proven to be a pleasant surprise. The Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes are recommended by Three Points of the Compass, but that cost!
Three Points of the Compass 
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