Camping Boots and Camp Shoes: Your Camping Checklist

Camp-Tested Camping Boots, Shoes, and Sandals

No matter who you are or how you like to explore, camping is a great way to immerse yourself in the outdoors. From thru-hiking and backpacking to using your tent as a base for day trips and adventures, there is nothing better. Campfires, canopies of stars, peaceful scenery, and a break from city life are all part of an important back-to-basics exercise for us human beings. As with any outdoor activity, how you prepare and what you wear make all the difference to the quality of your experience - and shoes are especially important for mobility, comfort, and protection for any backcountry break.

Our founder, Steve, spends extended periods living an enviable tent life in some pretty wild places around Southern Africa each year. As a result, our camping footwear recommendations stem from true camp life experience - tested to be the best for happy campers around the world.

Footwear Camping Checklist: Picking and Packing Camping Boots, Shoes, and Sandals

1. Camping Boots: Combining ruggedness with comfort gives you boots you can wear both on the trail and around camp. The design depends on your preferences, but our slip-on Chelsea boots - the Buffalo Boots - have become a firm favourite for easy-on, easy-off convenience around camp.
2. Camp Shoes: A comfortable pair of closed-toed shoes are a must for time in camp or for whenever your sense of adventure takes you out on the trail. Offering protection from insects, they are a vital tool in confident camping.
3. Camp Sandals: Toe be or not toe be? As any camper knows, few things beat the relief of giving your feet some R&R after a long day in a hiking boot or trail shoe. Camp sandals should be comfortable, outdoor sandals that are designed with toughness in mind.
4. TOP TIP: Invest in Camp Footwear Accessories: Sometimes, it's the little things that have the greatest impact. When it comes to your camping checklist, this is certainly the case. The wrong socks can undo the work of great boots and shoes, for instance. Get your hands on (and your feet in) socks that are moisture-wicking, quick-drying, long-lasting, and blister-proof. Ankle gaiters are also a simple, lightweight accessory for walking, fishing, or simply preventing insect bites on vulnerable ankles. Take a look at our range of socks and gaiters.

Shop the Footwear Camping Checklist

Camping Boots

Buffalo Boots
• Made from genuine cowhide leather with a grippy rubber sole.
• Surprisingly lightweight (a size 8 weighs only 0.62kg/1.3lbs per boot)
• Design features for extra durability, longevity, and reduced water seepage.
• Slip-on camping boots with double reinforced pull tabs.
Shop now >

Rufiji™ APU Combat Boots
• Made from genuine leather, with sturdy rubber soles.
• Walking boots made for - and worn daily by - anti-poaching patrolmen and women.
• Laced design for active camping adventures - and a degree of waterproofing.
• Part of YOUbuy, WEgive - a project that assists conservation efforts in Africa.
Shop now >

Camp Shoes and Camp Sandals

Rufiji™ Explorer Veldskoen Shoes
• Suede cowhide upper
• Handmade in Africa
• Steel eyelets with an antique brass finish.
Shop now >

Women's Leather Sandals
• Made from genuine leather with sturdy rubber soles.
• Adustable fit and brass buckle detail.
• Wraparound leather thongs arranged for comfortable, secure wearing in camp.
Shop now >

Veldskoen Desert Boots
• Suede cowhide upper and crepe soles. Steel eyelets with antique brass finish.
• Hand-crafted in Africa.
• Traditional high-top veldskoen design.
Shop now >

Camping Footwear Accessories

Mara&Meru™ Ultimate Blister-Free Socks
• Double layered design prevents friction and blisters. Design for support where it matters.
• Wicking yarns promote cool, dry feet.
• Quick drying for wash-and-wear convenience while camping.
• Durable and long-lasting.
Shop now >

Rufiji™ Canvas Ankle Gaiters
• Made from safari-grade canvas with leather and antique brass detail.
• Elasticated fit on the lower leg.
• Protects ankles from mosquitoes, ticks, and insects in camp and on the trail.
• Tab and clip design to secure gaiters to shoes.
Shop now >

Rufiji™ Suede Ankle Gaiters
• Made from suede with leather and antique brass detail.
• Elasticated fit on the lower leg.
• Protects ankles from mosquitoes, ticks, and insects in camp and on the trail.
• Tab and clip design to secure gaiters to shoes.
Shop now >

Shop the Rest of the Camping Packing List

Build a Never-Fail Camping Wardrobe For Comfort and Protection

• Made for the outdoors: Find out more about camping clothes and shop the men's camping clothes, women's camping clothes, and children's camping clothes essentials. Go directly to the full camping packing list
• Advice on all forms of camping apparel: The right gear is a strong start for the success of your camping adventures. Read our camping shirts advice, camping pants advice, and camping jackets advice.
• Top camping accessories: No camping trip is complete without insect repellent, sun protection, and a good torch. Read our advice and shop the essentials: insect and mosquito repellent for camping, sun care for camping, and torches and camp lanterns
• That's a wrap: Never get cold on a camping trip. Find out our top choices of beanies, scarves, and head and neck tubular scarves and shop the recommendations on our beanies and winter scarves advice page.