Skinners for Barefoot Running and Ultraportable Footwear

Choosing a good pair of shoes is vital to enjoying your trip, but Skinners are shoes with a difference.

At first glance they do not appear to be a shoe at all, but rather a pair of socks. The secret lies in the lower section of anti-abrasive material which runs under the sole and around the sides of Skinners.

This high-tech material coats the lower section and makes it waterproof and strong enough to protect your feet from common hazards such as broken glass and insect stings. However, it is thin enough to give the feeling you are still walking in bare feet.

Barefoot running has become a trend for its health benefits, and practitioners of other sports can also benefit from streamlined footwear that allows you to properly feel the terrain underfoot. Hikers can also benefit, using Skinners around camp after a long day on the trails so as not to keep sweaty boots on or pack another pair of shoes.

Skinners pack down into a tiny package just 4 centimeters in height, giving you fully functional footwear you will barely notice either in your pack or on your feet. The company offers a wide range of sizes and color accents, although the base color is always black.

At the time of writing, the Skinners Kickstarter campaign had already smashed its funding goal with weeks to spare, and each pair costs $40.