Thanks Iris

Don't worry I haven't done drugs in 30 some odd years. I would never give anything to anyone with out telling them first. I even make sure people know about the nuts in food I make.

I wore socks with sandals during the day and I never got playa foot. Of course, I applied liberal amounts of Gold Bond medicated lotion before I went to sleep, and covered with clean socks so it would soak in and heal. That felt really good, too, because it has menthol and is cooling! :-)

Platform boots at night were my choice... I did have friends who wore boots during the day but I thought it was just too dang hot.

i have the really high platform flip flops with no socks and leave the boots for night time chills.i also wash feet morning ,midday and night and put an oil on them.i have never experienced dryed out feet and this will be my 7th year, last years oil was nag champa massage oil.........

Oh, and a pair of flip flops is nice when you are laying on your cot in the afternoon heat, so you can air out your feet but still run around your camp for a few minutes.

really good, comfy sneakers are not bad.

I don't recommend going barefoot. My boyfriend ended up walking around in his socks during his first year because his shoes didn't fit right. He was suffering for a LONG time (during and after BM). When BM ended, his feet were so bad he could barely walk.
Playa foot is bad.
Some people dig the sandals/minimal foot wear. Others suffer BADLY for it.
If you don't know how you handle it, the consequences could be very bad.

I hate shoes & socks in the heat - but ended up wearing teva sandals with socks at BM last year with no problems. I also frequently cleaned and massaged my feet with lotion before changing my socks, going to bed, and/or heading out for the night. Never got playafoot this way. Several of my campmates brought the lemon / vinegar kits to deal with the alkali, but I never used it.

I also kept around sneakers just in case and flip flops for wearing around camp on the rare occassion.

For night time, PLAYA BOOTS! Keeps your feet warm and cozy! Problem - this means something different to everyone! We rode our bikes at night (don't worry - we were very well lit) - so heels were not a good idea. Even when I wasn't on my bike, heels for walking and dancing for hours on end don't work for me. I found some mid-calf suede boots on sale at Shoe Pavilion last summer - these were great for me and they were cheap so I didn't mind playa-fying the leather.

Everyone has great suggestions here! Mine is "socks, socks,socks"! When your socks get a little worn or maybe a tiny hole in them, throw them into your "Burningman Supplies" box. I must buy cheap socks or wear them hard, but I end up with 15-20 socks every Burn (well-I am married and I take off with DH's worn socks too). Then you can wear them under the comfy sandals, Berks, etc and not trash your feet. Just change every night before bed because you want clean socks in your bed. I take the old socks because they never come clean anyway, so they get their last hurrah at Burningman before I throw them out . I have extras for friends too!

Don't worry about what sandals with socks will look like-what is dorky in the default world is just plain sensible at BRC-and people admire you more for taking care of yourself out there than your fashion sense. Plus-no matter how fabulous your pedicure is-it is covered with thick dust -no one can see it-about 5 minutes out on the Playa anyway. If you are really mortified to look like a 60 year old tacky tourist, get the "boot covers" and cover them up in style!

My campmate wore her Ugg boots the whole time we were out there and they looked smashing with her cool Barbarella outfits, I found these bitchin' "Tactical ResponseGear" boots on sale at Sportmart (cheap-maybe $30-but comfortable and durable!). They told me these are what the Highway Patrol Wears. Also-NO "Man-made materials"-they don't breathe! Leather-and maybe cotton-will keep your feet from reeking and they will feel cooler too. Add Gel inserts and socks, and I really only needed that one pair of boots all week.

One last word of advice-don't buy a a new pair of shoes/boots the day before you leave-for one thing they could give you blisters, and for another thing they will be playa-fied, as in ruined for the default world. Buy a pair now, wear them around, revel in their new shiney-ness and that way you will have gotten your money's worth, broken them in, and you won't be so sad when the Burn week is over and they are that dusty grey that wont come off no matter what!

shea butter is what african women have been slathering on their skin for hundreds of years, since it is so healing and contains a natural sunscreen.

it's yummy yummy stuff!! and it's not petroleum based!!

bridget o leary,
my first bm I had to fly in from the east coast, couldn't pack much either. I had shipped some stuff ahead of time (probably not an option for you), and then bought the rest of what I needed in Reno (which you CAN do). Anything I had leftover I gave to other burners who could use it before my flight back.

bridget,
you might also want to check out the Burning Man Virgins 2007 tribe for lots of information on what to pack, what to expect and a to ask all your newbie questions. (You can find the link in the list of tribes on my page).

Good luck!
spork

I totaly recomed connecting with some uero burners they will probably be abel to tell you just what to do