Footwear
Depending on your activities while camping will determine what types of foot wear you need. In my opinion it is better to be safe than sorry. So, I will likely bring footwear for multiple uses and even some backups.
The three main categories of footwear is hiking, lounging, and water related. For many super outdoorsy people they may not see any point in lounging footwear, but especially if you are going to be doing a lot of hiking you may want to get your feet resting in the evening with something softer and more comfortable.
As far as hiking shoes are concerned if you are going to be doing just small couple mile hikes then you could just get sneakers or your everyday footwear. But if you are going to be going on more intense terrain or longer hikes you will want something that helps your feet.
To break it down you start with shoes or boots. Low cut footwear is good for flatter terrain, but if you are going to be dealing with loose rocks or steep trails you probably want more ankle support like you get with a boot.
Once you’ve decided on the shoe type you want to consider the material. There are leathers, synthetics, waterproof … Here you really want to consider breathability, waterproofing, and insulation depending on what time of year your adventure is taking place. There are positive and negatives to all of them, just take your environment into account. If you are a west Texas hiker, heat, flat, no rain… Then you are probably going to want a non-insulated, breathable shoe. If you are a Colorado Mountain camper you want snow boots that are insulated and waterproof.
Leather – very durable and good with water resistance
Split grain leather – Durable, but less water resistant
Synthetics – Lightweight, not typically water resistant, but quick drying
Waterproof synthetics – These are great for heavy rains or water crossings, but they don’t breath very well, can cause an issue with sweat build up during warm months
The comfort of the shoe is debatable. Some prefer shoes that are soft and padded, others prefer shoes that are zero drop and nearly like walking barefoot. I would recommend starting with the soft side unless you are a zero drop fan for the rest of your shoe wearing needs.
The soles of the shoes need to have great grip. You want to be able to grab the trail with your feet and not slide while dealing with sharp inclines. This is also why it is important to get a good fit. Your heel should be at the back of the shoe and enough room at the front for you toes to be comfortable. The biggest thing is that your foot not slide inside the shoe.
When trying on shoes always have full lacing, appropriate socks, and ideally try them on at the end of the day when you have been on your feet some.
When you are looking at water related shoes there is a lot of cheap stuff out there, but you need to consider how long you will be in them. If you are going to carry them to the river or lake or pool and then put them on, then pretty much anything on amazon should be fine. But, if there is any hiking that will need to be done in the shoes you want to find something that is more durable and has some kind of sole that keep your foot from being sliced open by whatever rocks you are walking across. The same goes for water crossings as they often times have tree limbs and other sharp objects on the riverbed.
Water shoes typically are not water proof, but more like wearing sandals. So the water will flow around your foot, but still give you grip on the floor.
The last category is lounging footwear. For this I would be looking for something comfy that won’t get overly dirty. So, slippers are out. But, sandals and flip flops are reasonable for much of the year. During the winter I may keep a super padded set of snow boots which can also double as a backup in case something happens to your hiking shoes. If not then you could double up your water shoes or go with hard soled down boots.