New hiker, need shoes...

Hi all, I'm new to hiking but am enjoying it a lot. I live in Las Vegas and Red Rock is right around the corner from me. Lots of hikes to do there. But it also consists of varying terrain from dirt, to small rocks, bigger rocks, boulders and everything else. I'm 6'2" 185 lbs, long legs, need a decent shoe that is good for hiking down the trail, but also good for climbing areas such as this:

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/b/f/c/highres_1188124.jpeg
(plenty of hand and footholds)

and also areas like this:
http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/8/c/d/highres_1154541.jpeg
(slick rock at location of dry waterfall, which I did slip on quite a bit in regular running shoes)

And of course this:
http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/9/0/7/highres_1154599.jpeg
(regular scrambling through the wash)

I have a Sport's Authority very closeby to my house and saw many shoes there but didn't know what to get. There's also a walmart that has hiking shoes but I'm guessing they're probably no good..

Thanks in advance!

They still make "five-tennies" ??? Five-tennies were constructed like a running shoe but the soles were made of rock climbing shoe sole material - so you could walk around in 'em like a regular tennis shoe BUT not go slippy-sliding on rock -

Perhaps some of the more "modern" folks who hang around here will be able to be more helpful!

Steve

http://www.mtntools.com/cat/rclimb/rshoes/510_GuideTennieShoes.htm

Description, prices and so forth - they still make 'em -

It seems like what you want is an approach shoe. Basically a mut of a shoe, combining light hikers with rock climbing shoes. I have the North Face Buildering shoe, which i love. Good stiff edges, sticky rubber and they lace down to the toe. The sole is very supportive but i wouldnt do a 15 miler in them. I use them most for mountainbiking out to a good bouldering spot as well as scrambling up stuff like in those pictures you posted.

Backcountry.com has some good options.

As traveladdict noted, what you are asking for is basically an approach shoe. Several companies make good quality ones - Five-Ten, La Sportiva, Kayland, ... If you have strong ankles, the low-top version are fine. But some people prefer a little support as you can get from mid or high top versions (the "high top" in approach shoes is just above the ankle). These shoes have sticky rubber soles, usually with a "dot" pattern (lots of circular dots with an indent in the center, so they act a bit like a suction cup). The two problems with them are price (everything costs these days, especially quality shoes) and the sticky rubber does wear a bit faster (price you pay for good traction). Five-Ten is famous for their sticky rubber, but many other companies feature it these days.

As you suspected, you won't find this type of shoe at Wal/K-Mart. You should go to a specialty climbing shop (some good ones in LV). REI carries them as well (got my last pair of La Sportiva Boulders there on sale - model no longer made, but look at the Cirque Pro). Trail running (sometimes called mountain running) shoes are another alternative. I have a pair of Adidas trail runners that have fairly sticky rubber that I occasionally use for scrambling, although the rubber is not as sticky as approach shoes (Adidas has a new version with more sticky rubber). You can sometimes find trail runners at specialty running shops (roadrunnersports.com is a good runners shop on-line that recently opened a brick&mortar store near me). Problem with runner stores, though, is that their personnel are not very knowledgable about the needs of trail runners, much less hikers who scramble.

There are reviews and info for a number of approach shoes here:

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/boots/approach/

Is there anything worthwhile at Sports Authority? They had about a dozen different shoes there..

What about the Five Ten Mountain Master shoe? It's on clearance right now, thing is, it would be nice to be able to try on the shoe locally before buying..

I have not had good luck with Sports Authority (including their various previous names of different branches, like SportMart) in the area of climbing-related or other outdoor gear. They do carry some trail-running shoes, although the two nearest me have a very poor selection of those. RoadRunner Sports has a much wider selection.

I just wanted to stress that it's always preferable to try shoes on before buying because a good fit is so individual. You can be a different size in different brands (and even between models) and different brands use different lasts. So certain brands may fit you very well and others are a no-go, no matter how great they are for someone else.

I think once you've found particular brands and models that work well for you it's easier to go ahead and buy your next pair online, but I highly recommend you go to a good outdoor and/or climbing store to try some on, especially for your first pair.

There are a few tips about getting a decent shoe fit here:
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/guide/boot-fitting.html

When I first started hiking I bought my first pair of boots at Sports Authority.

I purchased a pair of leather Nike All Condition Gear hikers. I loved those boots, except they were too hot for Florida. They were comfortable and waterproof. I ended up selling them to a camping buddy and he still wears 'em.

What brands of boots do they now sell?

Research the boots they carry on the internet and as Alicia wisely suggests, go to the store and try 'em on.

Well as the hike was tonight and I didn't have time to go find an outdoors store to get a good pair, I just bought the cheapy ones at walmart. I didn't see anything wrong with them; my feet hurt but I'm sure they would hurt in any shoe after a hike. I didn't slip on any rock either tonight. Here are the pictures if you all like to see them:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7550959@N05/
(there's two pages, link to page 2 is at the bottom)

Mike

I would have to say Merrell has the best hiking shoes for all types. The Chameleon II Stretch Hiking Shoe (www.altrec.com) is awesome. I have the Chameleon II Gore-Tex® XCR® shoe which is the water proof version, it's a little more expensive but it's worth it for what I hike in here in Utah. You can find some of the Merrell shoes at Sports Authority but only a few. A good shoe will be close to a $100, give or take.

Mike,

I'm sort of new to the hiking stuff. I don't have time to locate a real outfitter, so I just purchased a pair of WalMart's hikers also, the "WaterProof" model. I don't recall seeing them there before, so they might be new this year. They are supposed to have some sort of waterproof layer in or behind the leather. It could just be polyethelene, but if it's not too hot and works, I'll use them. Trying them on felt better than the one's I use now.

I don't have anything primo to compare them to, but I'll let the list know how they do and feel. My feet are already old and beat up, so who knows, these might just work. You just never know who Walmart has made a deal with to make their stuff for them.

Blackbeard

Well I went on that hike with the Walmart Reggie II shoes and my feet hurt, however, I don't know if it's because of the shoes or just because my feet aren't used to hiking yet.. Not sure..

It is hard to say why your feet hurt-depends on what part of your feet hurts. However, generally speaking, modern boots do not require a long break-in period like the heavy, full leather designs of the past. Many modern boots are like running shoes in terms of construction-lightweight materials, various types of sole support, etc. My guess is your boots just don't fit properly.

For example, I have fairly flat feet, so I need some arch support, but can't wear a shoe or boot with a high arch. I put Superfeet inserts into my boots and use one made under license to Heat Factory in ski boots and can ski all day long without my feet bothering me. For me Asolo boots fit well, while other brands do not.

If you plan to do much hiking, you need a boot or shoe that fits. If you aren't carrying a big pack, trail runners of some kind might work for you.

The problem with buying boots online or mail order (and I've done it with mixed results)is that you can't tell from a picture how they will feel. Better to spend a day boot shopping in person.

Well the soreness is one thing, it goes away after a while. But I also noticed some feeling (not really pain) on the inside bottom of my big toes, like it's developing a hard spot. I've discovered a few stores in my area I can go to. Have you heard anything about Red Wing shoes?

It sounds like your foot might be slipping around in the boot and making a blister or callus on your toe. A bandaid or some tape, plus a good sock should help prevent that. Don't overlook good socks. Something like Smartwool, Patagonia or Thorlos work well. Patagonia makes socks in different thicknesses. Their expedition weight socks are great for winter or wearing heavy boots, but for normal wear, something lighter would probably be better (and cooler).

As for Red Wing, they have a lot of different boots on their website, and also apparently own Vasque, which is a well-known brand of hiking shoes and boots.

Thanks for the info; I bought some pretty thick socks and my foot certainly didn't appear to be slipping around in the shoe. I had to retie it at one point but that was it.. I'll head out to the stores and see what I can find..

I seem to recall a thread or two about how this is all not supposed to be that complicated, that it's not about equipment but more about what works, and that we (people) have been doing this for thousands, maybe millions of years. That your pack and your shoes are the most important part of your hiking experience.

What kind of shoe did they buy back then?;-}

Blackbeard