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Posted by Bill S on January 9, 2008 at 12:05:20 pm EST
In reply to Trail shoes vs hiking boots posted by house on January 8, 2008 at 9:47:33 pm EST

house (you aren't related to the Chuck House I went to college with by chance?) -
The choice of trail shoes (including trail running shoes) vs boots for walking trails or backpacking is dependent largely on how strong your ankles are. You can develop strength in your ankles, but if the trails are less than well-maintained, smooth trails, a lot of people find that the ankle support of even light hiking boots or at least trail "shoes" with a mid to high top help a lot with balance on the uneven sections.

I have strong, flexible ankles myself, and use trail-running shoes (Adidas Supernova) for most of my local trail hikes, and even some backpacking (when ultralight, or at least under 30 pounds). I also use approach shoes (you find these in mountaineering specialty shops) for off-trail approaches to rock climbing areas when carrying 30 to 50 pounds of climbing gear (currently La Sportiva Boulders) and for scrambling up class 3 and 4 terrain.

However, for long distances and heavy loads, and sometimes just for the comfort, I use boots, usually a light to medium boot. For example, for last month's hike up Kilimanjaro, I used a full leather boot from Lowa, and for similar hikes in the Sierra and Rockies, I used a pair of full leather Merrels for a number of years (pretty durable, but I eventually wore out the sole). As you might guess, I do not care for Goretex-lined boots, primarily because I find they do not breathe well enough. At the other end of the scale, I do not like synthetic mesh boots, which breathe well, but they let too much dust (or water and mud in wet areas) through (yeah, yeah, my trail running shoes let in lots of dust and seem to be "water-seeking" rather than water repellent or water proof - a big pain).

Advantage of trail-running shoes and light boots is weight and they don't need breaking in (IF you get a proper fit) - rule of thumb is a pound on the feet is like 5 pounds in your pack, so lighter is better. Advantage of real boots is ankle support and durability, and you feel the rocks on uneven trails much less.

So decide what kind of trails you will be on before making your choice. In any case, go to an experienced and trained boot-fitter (or for trail running shoes, go to a specialty runners shop).

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• Re: Trail shoes vs hiking boots - house 18:45:49 01/09/2008
• Re: Trail shoes vs hiking boots - Jeff Chandler (Guest) 13:40:21 01/09/2008

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