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Posted by justinja on February 15, 2008 at 6:13:15 pm EST
In reply to Waterproof Shoe or not? posted by mikekey on January 14, 2008 at 11:50:21 am EST

I love this topic. All I have seen at a retail store level these days have been backpacking boots with Gortex, they don't even stock boots in the E. caost without G-tex. Here in the E. coast where rain is constant I understand why the market has shifted to this approach. However I couldn't disagree more with it technically. I lived out West for 10 years in Southern California. I was involved in Rock climbing, backpacking & winter mountaineering. In the backpacking, rock climbing arena I started doing exactly what you are doing, going lighter and lighter in the shoe dept. I ended up b4 I left doing a five mile two day trip in old Teva sandles. Armed with some medical tape I did great. "Out West" is a little vague by the way :) But down south most of the backpacking trainls I hiked were soft and forgiving compared to the E.coast sharp, rocky rooty Appalachians. So let me just put it simply. The advantage of a boot verse a trail shoe out "South-West" is mostly in protection from the cactus plants you are always encountering. On a night hike through Joshua Tree you could empale your foot quite easily if you are not wearing full leather uppers. Other then that I found the lightweight shoes worked out fine. The only advantage of a G-tex boot would be what was mentioned above by rambler, matter of fact rambler had some great advice,g-tex would allow you to run a non-leather uppper with waterproof protection. A g-tex all leather upper is redundent. I have been backpacking and winter mountaineering in a all leather upper with snow seal. Works great for me. Now admittedly I have not been on a two long winter mountaineering trek yet...then it might matter. But for everything up to around four days I have been fully satisfied. In winter I run Snow seal, I beat it up and it wears away perfectly for better breathability in the summertime. Lastly in a trail runner you might not have the shank required to keep your arches from feeling every rock if you are heavy or you + your backpack weight is heavy. Consider that if you go the trail runner route. I hope all of this helps although unorganized these are some of my thoughts.

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