Lightweight Hiking Bootss?

[Col Defender]

Hey guys, I haven't bought hiking boots in decades. Mine are so old that date back to my climbing days, heavy, stiff leather and all that. Now when I head out I wear either running shoes or hunting boots.

Mostly now everyone wears lighter weight nylon/mesh shoe with good support, comfort and traction. Bit what are the preferred models these days? Hopefully something I can find at Cabelas so I can actually try them on...fit will be my deciding factor at the end. These will be for light duty day hikes with 25 pound pack and maybe just beating around the farm.

Thanks.

 

[leghog]

Much subjectivity in boot selection. First find a maker who uses a last compatible with your feet. Fit is paramount. Regardless of anything else, if fit is off the boots will suck. Does your heel move? Do you toes jam into the front of the foot box on long downhills? Proper fit is really tough to truly determine in a store. A boot you may think fits well may really not fit well once your feet swell or you are on a long downhill slog and your toes are hurting. So ensure that where you buy the boots has an impeccable return policy.

That said, look at what Keen offers.

 

[Dddrees]

Much subjectivity in boot selection. First find a maker who uses a last compatible with your feet. Fit is paramount. Regardless of anything else, if fit is off the boots will suck. Does your heel move? Do you toes jam into the front of the foot box on long downhills? Proper fit is really tough to truly determine in a store. A boot you may think fits well may really not fit well once your feet swell or you are on a long downhill slog and your toes are hurting. So ensure that where you buy the boots has an impeccable return policy.

That said, look at what Keen offers.

Difficult but not impossible.

There are no absolutes because leather will stretch and your foot will settle but there are a couple of things you should try to do and look for.

Do your best to try on shoes or boots at the end of the day and not at the beginning of the day. Your foot tends to be bigger at the end of your normal day of walking and working.

Make sure your wearing the same type of socks when trying them on that you plan on actually wearing them with.

Look for shoes or boots where the wide part of the shoe matches the wide part of your foot.

Look for shoes or boots where the end of the shoe is about a thumbnails difference between the end of your foot and the end of the shoe.

When trying shoes or boots on get up and walk a bit and determine at this point if there is anything that feels odd or wrong.

A bit of heel slip maybe fine but too much generally indicates a problem.

Snug out of the box is generally Ok, but painful is not.

The more you do this the better you'll get.

 

[darsk20]

Brands I have personally owned and recommend:
Vasque, specifically the Sundowner - break in is required.

Lowas - little to no break in. Comfortable right out of the box.

La Sportivas - usually just their trail runners, so again comfortable out of the box. They also make them with their climbing rubber so that they grip rock so well.

Salomons - again just trail runners and comfortable out of the box.

What you also need to take into consideration is the area you'll be hiking. As a climber you know that shoes and weight can make a difference.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[leghog]

Difficult but not impossible.

There are no absolutes because leather will stretch and your foot will settle but there are a couple of things you should try to do and look for.

Do your best to try on shoes or boots at the end of the day and not at the beginning of the day. Your foot tends to be bigger at the end of your normal day of walking and working.

Make sure your wearing the same type of socks when trying them on that you plan on actually wearing them with.

Look for shoes or boots where the wide part of the shoe matches the wide part of your foot.

Look for shoes or boots where the end of the shoe is about a thumbnails difference between the end of your foot and the end of the shoe.

When trying shoes or boots on get up and walk a bit and determine at this point if there is anything that feels odd or wrong.

A bit of heel slip maybe fine but too much generally indicates a problem.

Snug out of the box is generally Ok, but painful is not.

The more you do this the better you'll get.

Hiking boots used on the trail have a bit more considerations re fit. I can't stress the long downhill considerations too much. As an example, I've only found one Vasque pattern that works for me on the trail, and that was after trying a few. In the store I couldn't really tell the difference even using stairs.

 

[Dddrees]

Hiking boots used on the trail have a bit more considerations re fit. I can't stress the long downhill considerations too much. As an example, I've only found one Vasque pattern that works for me on the trail, and that was after trying a few. In the store I couldn't really tell the difference even using stairs.

Point taken.

 

[Aias]

Solomon Quest 4D GTX hiking boots--just did ten miles up a modest mountain last week and three and a half miles to a falls the week before and my feet were not fatigued... They can be pricy, but I got a holiday deal a on them a little while back.

 

[Maven]

These two guys have offere good advice. Ill add...

If youre used to old school heavy leather boots. Stick with em. Especially if you tend to pack heavy. They offer durability and ruggedness that few modern full synthetic boots/shoes can at any price.

With that said if you tend to pack light, or only go on day hikes I'd HIGHLY recommend switching to the new style lighter shoes/boots. Youll find youre fresher after any given distance, youll find it easier to pick your footing over rough trails, and youll find you trip/stumble less often as its just so much easier to place your foot where you want it.

A waterproof trailrunner might be all you need if you just need a shoe up to tackling the outdoors and you never go heavy. Many people bemoan the lack of "ankle support" in a trailrunner or other low cut shoes. The thing is if youre carrying a light load and wearing a shoe that weighs only a half pound or so the ankle support often isnt needed. Unless youve got a medical condition preventing low shoes youll most likely find that switching to appropriately low cut shoes will actually strengthen your lower leg and ankles and improve your foot placement on trails.

A lightweight synthetic boot is still a great option compared to a full leather boot. The difference in weight is immediately felt. If water resistance is important to you be sure you specifically look for ones that claim to be waterproof, and dont go for ones that simply profess to made with "water resistant materials". Waterresistant materials mean nothing when theres mesh sections that allow creeks to flow straight through your boot.

Under Armor Valsetz are a relatively (<$120)inexpensive entry to into superlightweight boots. They are essentially high top trail runner/cross trainers. and they are very comfortable (to me). Nice traction bottom, but still nice and wide and moderately flat. No excessive fore/aft or side-side rocker built into the bottom. There is a waterproof goretex variant with a slightly different model anem that I cant recall.

Merrel offers many shoes that DO have the more modern trend of having non-flat bottoms with rounded/rockered heels and forefoot tread. I dont like these, though I do like some of their very light weight low tread profile trailrunners.

Salomon GTX series of X Ultra, XA Pro and Quest boots/shoes are arguably the cream of the crop in modern lightweight trail shoes and boots.



I personally just picked up a pair of Cabelas "Goretex Trainer CT1" boots. (My Salomon Quest 4d GTX were left too close to the fire..... ) They are heavy compared to everything ive mentioned in this post at about 2-1/3 lbs for the pair, but they are still lighter than most traditionals. And they are $100 less than the Quests. These wont see any serious trail time, but will be general work boot and outdoor shoe for kicking around camp and going on 2-3 mile woods wlaks with the CubScouts.

My everyday sneaker is a Saucony TR9. Very comfortable, nice a light. too well ventilated for serious trail use as it allows in sand through the vents.(even though it looks solid) Ill probably buy another pair when these wear out as they are high quality, comfortbale and relatively inexpensive. Even though they let sand in through the mesh, and I feel the forefoot is slightly low on the outboard edge. Not enough that I feel off camber or anything but enough that i notice I wear the fabric over my pinky toe more thant anywhere else.

Ill pick up another pair of Salomons soon. I think they are exceptional.


You should be able to find Salomon, Under Armour, Saucony and Merrell at Cabelas.

 

[EricV]

Salewa and Solomon have been my go to boot brands. Salewa fits my narrower feet perfectly, the solomans are usually a bit wider, but more common if you want to try them on before buying. Otherwise REI, Moosejaw, and backcountry have great return policies on boots.

 

[GermanyChris]

I buy Lowa because I know they'll fit and be comfortable and the icing on the cake is that if you send them in for a re-sole you get a whole new foot bed and laces.

 

[Maven]

I buy Lowa because I know they'll fit and be comfortable and the icing on the cake is that if you send them in for a re-sole you get a whole new foot bed and laces.

Thanks for introducing me them Chris!

I wont be switching out of my Quest GTXs, because all of the Lowa stuff seems to be a tad heavy for lightweight stuff, but theyve got an awesome looking goretex casual sneaker.

 

[10after10]

Oakley SI Assault 8 Inch Boot. Very comfortable with good all around support. Even though not specifically intended for cold weather, I've had no problems with warmth in a typical Chicago winter. I like them for hiking in the country as well as urban hiking.

 

[Maven]

Oakley SI Assault 8 Inch Boot. Very comfortable with good all around support. Even though not specifically intended for cold weather, I've had no problems with warmth in a typical Chicago winter. I like them for hiking in the country as well as urban hiking.

Ive tried both the Oakley SI Assualt, and the LSA Boot. I prefer the light more athletic LSA, the LSA also has underfoot puncture protection, the SIAssault does not. My SI Assaults started peeling around the upper after just 2 or 3 weeks of use(though they stayed at that peeling level for months until I wore out the tread). The LSAs suffered no such issue, but Im not a fan of non-insulated work boots.

 

[Col Defender]

Thanks guys for all the good advice. Today I went to our local Dicks looking for Salomons but they don't have them in the store. I left with a pair of waterproof Merrell Moabs and later did a mile on our gravel road. They seemed to work well on the level, uphill and downhill. If my newly started hiking program (part of recovery from open heart surgery) Goes well I may then spring for Salomons as well. Thanks again.

 

[Monofletch]

I walk all day long at work and hike on weekends. I wear KEEN MEN'S TARGHEE II MID. I was a big fan of Merills until I bought the Keens. These are fantastic boots.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

There's almost nothing one can't get used to.
Every single guy in the army wears army boots. Yes most guys get blisters for a few weeks and maybe even blisters under blisters but then it's no issue anymore.
I kept mine afterwards for years and walked 20 miles a day with them for months during one of my jobs.
After I got proper hiking boots they were better, no question but besides more initial comfort and lightness I don't see any performance improvement.
In fact the fancy stuff tends to break down faster or not be water resistant and often nearly impossibly to clean.

Maybe army boots come in more sizes and thus are better fitted than the more complex commercial boots?

 

[Maven]

Col Defender,
You should find those Moabs to be durable outdoor shoes. There's a reason almost every sports store sells that model. It's a great price point shoe.

Best of luck with you program and recovery. My father is now 15yrs post triple bypass, and in the best shape I remember him being in. You can get back to previous or better shape and outside is absolutely the way to enjoy doing it.

 

[GermanyChris]

Thanks for introducing me them Chris!

I wont be switching out of my Quest GTXs, because all of the Lowa stuff seems to be a tad heavy for lightweight stuff, but theyve got an awesome looking goretex casual sneaker.

Here they have different categories everything from basic just walking around to full mountaineering boots.

 

[leghog]

Col Defender,
You should find those Moabs to be durable outdoor shoes. There's a reason almost every sports store sells that model. It's a great price point shoe.

I wore Merrell Moabs for a few years (three pair). Very comfortable, but they didn't last long one my feet. I'd have thought I could get more miles out of them.

 

[Maven]

I wore Merrell Moabs for a few years (three pair). Very comfortable, but they didn't last long one my feet. I'd have thought I could get more miles out of them.

I would consider 3 pairs over several years reasonable mileage for a price point shoe. I used to wear Moab Ventilator lows, they can be had for like $65 at big box sports stores. Getting an entire year out of them wouldve blown my mind LOL. I was wearing Merrell Mix Master trail sneakers for about a year, they were close to $100 at the time, and they were super light, super comfortable. But they wore out faster than any shoe I had used before. I was pissed. They didnt fail, the tread just wore out. they loathed hard surfaces, I swear I could hear the rubber grinding off the bottom, and they were Vibram. They were my last pair of Merrells. My Saucony TR9 are much more durable, but suffer the issue of letting sand in. This is a big deal in southern NJ My next sneakers/woods shoe will be waterproof.