The search for the Treasure of the Sierra Madre holds nothing over my eternal quest for lightweight hut slippers that can double as trailhead stumble footwear.
Kross model shoe by Lizard (shown at right above, Wallyworld cheapos to left) doubles as a slipper or light walker. This version is a bit heavy with solid insulated upper, they make mesh versions that might be a few ounces lighter and thus more appropriate for hut shoes. Research continues. Click to enlarge.
For the last few years I’ve simply used a pair of Wal-Mart bedroom slippers that stung my feet like boiling oil unless I wore socks, and had zero traction on snow. They also lasted about as long as a snowflake in July. But they don’t weigh much, don’t cost much, and look fantastic.
Nonetheless, time for a slipper upgrade. At recent trade shows we’d seen that Lizard shoes has a few minimalist shoe offerings that appeared useful for hut footwear. I got a pair of their Kross model for a go on this trip.
With a grippy Vibram sole the Lizard Cross has excellent traction; useful for stumbling around on packed snow at the trailhead or on the hut porch. The upper of this particular model is a soft shell material insulated with a thin Primaloft quilt. A bungie cord drawstring system holds the shoe on your feet. Toe area of the Kross is covered with waterproof coating. They keep your feet quite dry while doing outdoors type duty, but I’ve found them to be hot and sweaty on the feet when used for slipper wear, especially in the non-breathable toe area. Nonetheless I’ve not found anything better for my purposes, so into the pack the Lizard Kross went for our Otztal hut trip. They worked, but a model with thinner and more breathable fabric might be better if you have feet that tend to stay warm without a lot of insulation.
Size 43, 257 grams (9 ounces) each. Not sure if this is their lightest enclosed shoe, but it is definitely low in mass for what you get in performance. Compare to the Crocs Ted is carrying, which weigh about 127 grams (4.48 ounces) each, meaning for MUCH nicer shoes I paid with about 9 ounces. Italians would probably appreciate this sacrifice, though I’m not sure Ted did.
Am not finding much in the way of web shopping for Lizard products, if anyone has suggestions, please leave in comments.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
