Footwear.

H

hollowdweller

Joined
Sep 22, 2003
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I just ordered some new backpacking shoes boots.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/...il-Shoes-Waterproof-Gore-Tex-XCR-For-Men.html

In ordering backpacking shoes I'm always torn between some taller boots for support, or something lightweight because heavy boots tire you out more than anything.:rolleyes:

I used these last 2 years

https://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/...kyORfpj2bAoOuBtnJThJ2mhbwVQ227FfPqpkiw3+92Vlz

Waterproofing was great super light but did cause some post hike painless ankle swelling from lack of support. Great shoes though. Slip on so your laces don't untie all the time:thumbup:

This time I went for 4 more ounces in weight and am getting a bit more support on the sides. But back to laces:grumpy:

I have a nice 4 lb pair of leather Cabelas hikers but after the light shoes they are like a damn bag of cement on my feet and also they wear blisters.:rolleyes:

What are y'alls favorite boots?

So I'm trying these Vasque's this year.
 
I generally wear Wolverine steel toe light hikers everyday. I prefer ankle support,and ya never when you might get a chance to kick somebody.
 
Bates ICB. I wear them on the ambulance, hiking, hunting etc.... Leather, full gore-tex, vibram sole, and they feel like a tennis shoe on my feet. They are almost the same as the danner USMC boot. The ARMY went to these boots for issue in black right before they went to the desert boots. I found mine at an ARMY surplus store new for 60.00 a pair. I bought 2 pair, so for 120.00 I got 2 pairs that still cost less than the Danners. They are getting harder to find in black so I am looking to get one more pair.

In the summer I wear the MERRELL waterpros when I wear shorts. The venting keeps your feet cool and they dry super fast.
 
I got some Asolo Fugitives(?) that I like a lot.
6219-75010-d.jpg
 
Good thread, I wanted to post up something about footwear too. For easy or well maintained trails I wear a pair of Nike trail running shoes. They are really light and comfortable, but if the trail gets rough the soles don't offer any protection.

For cold weather backpacking, I have had a pair of Danner Acadias for about 10 years. Really an awesome boot. I generally hike in hot, arid places though and those suckers get hot.

My newest boots I got last year are Danner hot weather Marine Corps boots. These work great in hot weather, they are super rugged for the rocky scrub I hike through, and I got them on sale :) They are heavy, but they are comfortable.
 
I wear Salomon trail shoes most of the time - really light and really comfortable. I've been wearing the same pair for more than two years now and they're still going strong. If I'm on a farm or in the bush and its muddy or wet I wear a pair of blundstones, or 'blunnies' as we call them.
 
jh205 said:
I wear Salomon trail shoes most of the time - really light and really comfortable. I've been wearing the same pair for more than two years now and they're still going strong. If I'm on a farm or in the bush and its muddy or wet I wear a pair of blundstones, or 'blunnies' as we call them.
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I've looked at those. They look really nice.
 
I think lightweight trail shoes would be good for dayhiking, but only on trails, and only on trails with no loose rocks.

One problem I've seen with the very lightweight trail shoes, they don't have real soles, so mesquite thorns go right through the bottom. Nylon shoes can also be a magnet for cactus needles.

Danner Mountain Lites for me.
4198CBAMC7L._AA280_.jpg

A good balance of weight, flexibility, support, and durability for the widest variety of hiking conditions.

I have a pair of New Balance cross-trainers also. They have absolutely no ankle support so they're useless for hiking, but they're just right for mountain biking and off-bike stops.
 
Bob W said:
I think lightweight trail shoes would be good for dayhiking, but only on trails, and only on trails with no loose rocks.

One problem I've seen with the very lightweight trail shoes, they don't have real soles, so mesquite thorns go right through the bottom. Nylon shoes can also be a magnet for cactus needles.

Danner Mountain Lites for me.
4198CBAMC7L._AA280_.jpg

A good balance of weight, flexibility, support, and durability for the widest variety of hiking conditions.

I have a pair of New Balance cross-trainers also. They have absolutely no ankle support so they're useless for hiking, but they're just right for mountain biking and off-bike stops.
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I have used my lightest trail shoes on fairly rocky trails w/o pain to the soles of my feet.

Hike25.jpg

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Those look a lot like the CAbelas ones that wore me out. I still use mine but not for extended trips. Of course the Danner could be a totally difft animal.:thumbup:
 
If I'm not mistaken, Danner used to make boots for Cabelas. So could be basically the same boot with a different tag.
 
Those look a lot like the CAbelas ones that wore me out. I still use mine but not for extended trips. Of course the Danner could be a totally difft animal.
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I'd actually prefer something more stiff than the Mountain Lights for long-distance backpacking. But I can't find anything that fits as well as the Danners...
 
Vasque made their reputation on the old Sundowner - but a lot of people (including my gearhead brother) say they've gone down in quality over the years:
http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Vasque-Sundowner-Classic-07142/dp/B0009C8J4S
"I have had a pair of Vasque sundowners and they were the best pair of boots I have ever owned. They were comfortable, sure footed and durable through miles of hikes and rough weather. It seemed time to at last replace them with a new pair of boots. I am obviously a loyal customer, so I went to buy a new pair of Vasques. Very sadly, the move to China manufacturing has resulted in a cheaper shoe. The quality is not as good, the shoe does not break in as well and the durability is no where near what it was. This is not China bashing. I have tons of products made in China that are great. The reality is that it is rooted in greed on Vasque's management. They could cheapen up the build steps and materials and expertise right in Italy, the move to China was to also get cheaper labor. Other companies outsource to China and maintain good build quality, but not in this case. Normally I would not care at all, as this seems the recent trend of events, but in this case the old Italian made Vasque's were real works of art, so Shame on Vasque management for allowing this to happen. VP Product Management take note and start offering a Vasque Standard (current model) and a Vasque Premium for 2X the money made in Italy like it used to be."

Personally, I wear Danners and if it's a light hike I usually go with Chaco sandals. But I don't have ankle issues - or, rather, my ankles have been sprained so much and so many times that they just roll instead of sprain plus I've developed enough muscle strength in my ankles from martial arts practice that I don't need a whole lot of support.

EDIT:

I do own a pair of Vasques - they just don't see much use since I got a pair of Danners. Vasques aren't bad IMO - they're just not shoes that will go for years and years. Picture of me backpacking with Vasques:

IMG_1284.jpg
 
those don't look too bad HD.... i like em...:thumbup: sierra trading post is bad news for me.... i can drop a lot of $$$ on my credit card at that place...:o

i have a whole bunch of different trail shoes... :)
-trail running shoes are my favorite's...
-i have some big burly montrail moraine mountaineering boots..
-some LOWA mid-weight, hi-top hiking boots..
- and some CHACO's..

for my b-day last june, i got some australian redback boots.. these things are awesome.. i wear them constantly.... they even slip on and off...:D http://www.redbackboots.com/
 
I can usually get one summer out of Vasque boots before they start leaking.

I have a pair of Ecco Rugged Terrain boots I really love and they lasted but the waterproofing finally went in them too:rolleyes:

My wife has a pair of Vasque boots from College, 30 y old. But the new ones just don't last. I always find Vasque to be a bit narrow so I ordered a size larger.

I think the best fitting hiking shoes for me have been the Eccos and Merrills
 
hollowdweller said:
This time I went for 4 more ounces in weight and am getting a bit more support on the sides. But back to laces:grumpy:
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Just by the looks they still seem pretty lightweight to me. I guess you should be ok as long as you don't haul too big of a backpack or stay away from loose rock terrain.

As Brian said once... ankle injuries are more about walking technique and ability (or the lack off it) than anything else but having extra support always helps.

Right now I am sticking to my Vasque Super Alpinista big boots (not double boots but not leather either!) for winter climbing but I will surely change to Boreal Pamir boots as soon as we quit ice climbing. Later on the season when there is only a few spots of snow/ice in glaciers I will take my trusty Asolo MTF700 (heavy and semi-automatic crampon compatible but more flexible then the previous mentioned ones). I just gifted a semi-new pair of Sportiva K3 boots (all leather, thinsulate insulated and nice for not so cold ice climbing. Long discontinued). They were just too narrow for me. My partner got lucky, he has almost the same foot size (a little bit smaller).

Mmm just remembered that it is time for a new set of OUTDOOR PICTURES!

Mikel
 
I have used my lightest trail shoes on fairly rocky trails w/o pain to the soles of my feet.
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I don't have pain on the soles, but walking on uneven ground without ankle support would cause problems for me.

The trail shoes in your first post look like they have good durable soles. But have you seen those ultra-light slip-on hiking 'booties'? A guy at work had those - every so often he'd start screaming out swears and have to pull a mesquite thorn out of his foot. :D

Long ago I had a pair of inexpensive nylon lightweight hiking boots. Cactus needles regularly went through into my foot. That sucked.

Only one thing has ever poked through the Danners, a rusted historic nail.
 
The times I have most needed heavy boots were all where the ground was obscured or really unstable but I had to cover a lot of ground.

One year in a gale I had to hike out about twenty kilometers through three or four inches of muddy water on a rocky, rooty trail, with no way to see what I was stepping on. Terrible! But I had really heavy boots on, and I could keep moving fast without worrying much about the rocks rolling underfoot, or the uneven ground twisting my ankle. Instead I would just get pitched around a bit, but no problems resulted.

Heavy boots are, in my opinion, an insurance policy. They are often not needed, but they allow you to move over really dangerous ground a lot quicker, I find.

I'm a heavy boot guy myself - at least for long trips where no help will come and I can't afford to mess around!
 
I hiked 1200 Miles of the PCT using a pair of New Balance 803 (have been discontinued) Trail running shoes. Hiked across the High Sierras through snow and rocks and all the way up to Washington and never had a problem with the minimal ankle support.

I was only 17 at the time so I know that makes a huge difference.

However my father who was in his late 40's also used a pair of New Balance trail runners and never had a problem either and he did the entire 2100+ mile trail.

I think that as long as you watch your foot placement hiking with trail runners shouldn't be a problem (unless of course you carry lots of weight :))
 
I think the hiking poles are really valuable on muddy trails. Often I can "sound" what looks like a huge pool and find where someone has actually made a ford using rocks.:thumbup:
 
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