Quote Originally Posted by Jaybird View Post
its ALL about personal preferance & what WORKS for YOU!
I'm going to echo this comment because I agree 100%. I don't think there is any rule of thumb so to speak, just whatever works for you. The best thing is to experiment with foot wear on shorter hikes to work out the kinks. Also remember that the most important thing is to find a shoe that fits your feet well. What works for others may not work for you, so try on different models from different manufacturers to see what fits you best.

My experience is that I wore varying types of boots for years (full leather to lighter weight synthetics), and did not reach a "foot nirvana" until I started using trail runners recently. My full pack weight is normally in the 25 - 30 lb range, but I have been out in them with a 37 lb pack and things went fine. I used to subscribe to the herd mentality where I thought I needed to wear boots, and it took a lot to change my thinking. I also had to build up my muscles in my feet and ankles to comfortably wear the trail runners. Some may be able to jump right into them, but I needed to do some training on local trails in them to get things built up.

Now I can't go back to boots. I wore my full leather boots in January on a hike due to the snow, and it just sucked walking in them. I love how the trail runners have the open mesh that keeps my feet cool, and the soft flexible soles that allow me walk more naturally.