Footwear dilemna

[bigben]

Upfront info:
-I'm big, 6'3" 260lbs, good shape, good knees, iffy ankles,13 WIDE feet
-Ive always used boots for backpacking
-My pack, 2 wks ago with 5 day of food and a liter of water was 40lbs

The boots Ive always worn aren't made anymore. Bought new Lowa's, broke them in, did 3 overnighters, didn't love or hate them, but on the AT they killed my feet. Had Superfeet greens and Smartwool socks.

So im thinking its time to try trail runners. Is this a bad idea with 40 lbs? I will drop 5lbs with new gear purchases upcoming, but that's it. What ones should I look at? Like waterproof, NEED wide

[Paddlefoot]

Upfront info:
-I'm big, 6'3" 260lbs, good shape, good knees, iffy ankles,13 WIDE feet
-Ive always used boots for backpacking
-My pack, 2 wks ago with 5 day of food and a liter of water was 40lbs

The boots Ive always worn aren't made anymore. Bought new Lowa's, broke them in, did 3 overnighters, didn't love or hate them, but on the AT they killed my feet. Had Superfeet greens and Smartwool socks.

So im thinking its time to try trail runners. Is this a bad idea with 40 lbs? I will drop 5lbs with new gear purchases upcoming, but that's it. What ones should I look at? Like waterproof, NEED wide

I'm 6'8" 245 lbs. (225 at hiking weight) Also good knees - one ankle that I have sprained badly in the past playing basketball that I have rolled several times after. 16.5 narrow feet (consider yourself lucky with those 13Ws!)

I carried a pack that weighed 40+ pounds at times last summer on the Colorado Trail - the last 2/3 of which I did in Columbia running shoes. Started out with Lowa Renegades, but they ate my toes.

I did fine. In fact, zero problems after I ditched the boots.

Do you use trekking poles? I think my poles are the better at preventing rolled ankles than any boots ever were - and I used to wear heavy Limmers.

That's still a heavy pack with a heavy body attached to it. I'm trying to get my base weight down in the 15 pound range to further protect feet, ankles and knees. I also plan to start my next hike in better shape.

I'm guessing guys our size will wear through shoes quicker (mine were mostly shot after 400 miles.

And I'd get non-waterproof shoes. Shoes dry fast and WP shoes are worthless in my opinion.

[colorado_rob]

I have a wide foot, but have found that "regular" width Merrells fit me very well. The support of a boot/shoe comes mostly from the stiffness of the sole. Merrell Chameleons, though a low-cut hiking boot/shoe have very stiff soles, and have served me very very well over the last 6-7 years that they have been around. They come in size 13. The chameleon 5 is the latest model, and it is Gore-Tex lined and "waterproof". REI has the 20% off coupon thing starting this Friday, if you're a member. If not, on-sale Merrells are hard to come by, though they are on sale occasionally.

http://www.rei.com/product/860107/?cm_mmc=cse_PLA-_-pla_multichannel-_-product-_-8601070006&merrell-chameleon-5-waterproof-hiking-shoes-mens,-black-slate&preferredSku=8601070006&mr:trackingCode=64F62E50-98DA-E211-A755-BC305BF82162&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla_multichannel&mr:ad=44272141360&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=61471762480&msid=yYNr6kH0_dc|pcrid|44272141360|

[RockDoc]

300 lbs on the trail on little trail runners? Noooooooooooooooo
Picture a Mack Truck on bicycle tires. There's a reason that they don't do that.

[bigben]

See, thats what I've always thought. But then again, at least HALF the thru hikers I met/saw a week ago between Hot Springs and Erwin had trail runners on, with an avg pack weight of 30-40(per what I observed at Uncle Johnnys pack scale. So, IDK? And plenty of over 200lb hikers too.


300 lbs on the trail on little trail runners? Noooooooooooooooo
Picture a Mack Truck on bicycle tires. There's a reason that they don't do that.

[Venchka]

Do you know about Limmer Stock boots?

http://www.limmerboot.com/#



Men's wide sizes 7 - 12,13,14,15,16


Give them a call.

Wayne

[gram cracker]

See, thats what I've always thought. But then again, at least HALF the thru hikers I met/saw a week ago between Hot Springs and Erwin had trail runners on, with an avg pack weight of 30-40(per what I observed at Uncle Johnnys pack scale. So, IDK? And plenty of over 200lb hikers too.

Bigben, I can't find a pair of trail runners that fits my wide feet. What do the other half wear?

[Seatbelt]

I was of comparable size/weight also when I 1st started backpacking on the AT and trail-runners made my feet hurt and were not supportive enough in general; I have a lost a few pounds since, but I still wear mid-hi hiking boots when fully packed and going over rough or unknown territory. Losing weight in both my body and pack(now 20-25lbs) has helped tremendously. I use trial-runners for --trail-runs and dayhikes only. YMMV

[bigcranky]

When I switched over to trail runners a while back I weighed about 215 and had a 40+ pound pack. I started with fairly robust trail runners, something from Montrail I think, after wearing seriously big all-leather hiking boots for years.

Avoid anything with the words "minimalist" or "zero drop" in the name or description. Look for good cushion and support. Try them with your Superfeet, as some folks like rigid insoles in trail runners (I certainly do.) Start with whatever New Balance 800-series is out there now, or maybe the 910. If you can try them on, maybe the Inov8 Roclite 315 would work, though they are very light and flexible compared to any boot. Maybe too flexible. But there are plenty of options out there if you can get to an outfitter. I don't worry about "waterproof" as mesh trail runners and wool socks are the perfect combo in any sort of weather -- they dry very fast while hiking, so I can just get wet and not worry about it.

When you find a pair that fits well, work up to them slowly -- starting with no-pack walks around the neighborhood, then a dayhike with a light pack, then an low-mileage overnight with your normal pack.

Trail runners are one of the things that make backpacking comfortable for me. Another was getting my base weight down to 15 pounds or so (which means just under 30 with 2 liters of water and five days of food.) I feel so mucb better at the end of the day it's ridiculous.

[Spirit Walker]

Actually, it could be the Superfeet that are hurting your feet. I can't wear the green ones; they're too rigid. You might try the orange ones, or something like Dr. Scholls.

DH has wide feet. He can't hike far in trail runners, but he does wear Merrills for dayhikes and Lowa Renegades for backpacking. I'm okay with trail runners - which one depends on what is available, as I also have wide feet and they can be hard to find in women's shoes.

Before switching to trail runners, I would try to lose some weight from the pack. Unless you're carrying more than a week's worth of food, 40 lbs is a heavy pack.

[Just Bill]

Ben-
Without much debate- you never know until you try. Even if trail runners end up being a bust- as many mention- they are great for dayhiking. Coincidently- wearing trail runners (and short walks barefoot around the neighborhood) may strengthen your weak ankles. Even if you don't "convert" they are still something I think every hiker should own and operate to build ankle strength.

Also agree with the comment about the smartfeet- slapping an insole, or orthotic into a shoe without professional advice may do more harm than good.

I am very happy with Altra shoes for backpacking and Merrell for training/dayhiking.

[turtle fast]

You may want to invest in some liner socks as well as it relieves some of the friction and aids in transporting sweat away from the foot and into the smartwool sock. Using some of these changes to your footwear and socks may make your current boots workable for you.

[bigben]

Thanks to all. Some answers....

-My old boots were Montrail Torre GTX's. Fit great, heavy and supportive. And discontinued. Always wore green Superfeet with them with great success.
-I DID add liner socks this year, Wigwam Coolmax ones and REI Coolmax ones.
-I KNOW New Balance 13 EEEE fit me well. Gonna try these, 790's, http://www.newbalance.com/New-Balance-790/MO790,default,pd.html?dwvar_MO790_color=Black_with _Red_and_Dark%20Grey&start=17&cgid=104000
-Re: the ankles. Not weak, but have sprained them multiple times playing football, and at work(firefighter). When they sprain, they REALLY sprain!

[Tron-Life]

Having the same dilemma finding shoes that are light but still tough enough to protect my feet. I've been hiking alot this year but after 10 miles or so my feet start to kill around the ball and the top part of the curve of my foot. I suspect that wearing shoes that are too rigid might be my problem but I can't find trail runners that are tough, grip rocks, have alot of cushion, and yet are flexible enough for my feet to have a natural range of motion. Like you I'm big ( 6'3 and now down to about 235 after all the hiking this spring) so I still need support. I usually carry less than 25lbs including food and water. I'm hoping that when I lose some more weight my feet won't hurt as much so I can take less breaks and hike farther during the day. I'm currently using The North Face Hedgehog IV GTX XCR Hiking Shoes. I've hiked about 140 miles in them so far so they work but they are heavy and really rigid which I think is hurting my plantar fascia because of the lack of range of motion. Im using them with super-feet green which eliminated the pain I had around my toe joints but some pain still remains around the areas I mentioned before. I used to use Montrail Badrocks and used them for my hike from High Point to the MA-VT border but I had similar pain in the ball of my foot and the bottom and they don't seem to make them anymore. I tried boots, and while they protected the bottom of my feet, they hurt everywhere else and made walking 5 miles a real chore.

Any suggestions from anyone who as had these issues?

[bamboo bob]

250' 6'3' Montrail bad rocks. Liner socks. 13 shoes. I think the pack weight should be under 30 with food and water.

[Tron-Life]

I was looking at Moab Ventilators but I'm worried that they are not supportive enough for someone my size and don't have enough grip for rocks. The Hedgehogs are terrible in this regard. I was trying to climb through the Lemon Squeezer in Harriman but they would not grip for anything. Has anyone my size used Ventilator for a thru-hike?

[Tron-Life]

250' 6'3' Montrail bad rocks. Liner socks. 13 shoes. I think the pack weight should be under 30 with food and water.

I tried using multiple dress socks (two or three pairs) and that works, but since my shoes are waterproof it makes my feet a bit sweaty. It's a really good tip though. I stumbled on that technique by accident after putting my shoes on in the morning with all my extra socks on from the cold night before and realizing that it made hiking way more comfortable. Like someone else suggested, I might try thicker socks in the future like SmartWool or something for the extra cushioning.

[Tron-Life]

I just bought a pair of Vasque Mind-benders which have been working nicely here at home but I'm not sure if I want to use them on my thru-hike since I fear that they aren't that durable, especially the unsupported mesh upper. I really want another pair of Badrocks but they don't make them. I tried the Montrail Rockridge shoe which felt awesome on the bottom and completely eliminated the pain along the side and top of my foot, but they are angled weird and rub/crowd my toes on the outside edge of my foot. Does Montrail (or anyone else) have another shoe with the shape of the Badrocks and the support of the Rockridge? These shoe/foot problems are really starting to depress me as I plan to hike to NH from NJ sometime in August.

[78owl]

Try some Oboz.

[NY HIKER 50]

If you say you can't use trail runners, I'm pretty sure that New Balance may help you since I've ditched my boots and use them most of the time. I have a problem with fit myself.

[faxanadu]

I spent the entire trail up Waynesboro Pennsylvania analyzing the hell out of about 4 different types of shoes i tried.

First Pair: Brooks Cascade Trail Runners (worked great for two weeks and then i got huge ball of foot pain)

2nd Pair: High quality hiking boot with Gortex (still big ball of foot pain + sweaty feet + don't dry easily)

3rd Pair: Nike Free's ... yup that's right. Excellent shoe except i rolled my ankle in it a lot. (No more ball of foot pain and the grip extremely well to even wet rock. Not so great on concrete)

4th Pair: Vibram Five Fingers. I actually bought these at the same time as the Nike's. To test a theory out i wore them in some of the rockiest parts of the trail. I had no ball of foot pain, never rolled my ankle, and stepping on rocks at weird angles was actually fun.


Since the trail ive done a lot of research on why my results were counter to what i expected.


My opinion:

Average hiking boots are over engineered and are designed for the weekend warrior that might do 10 miles of hiking at best in one day. In my opinion they aren't generally well suited for 15-25 mile consecutive days. A lot of the orthotics that people put in their shoe (i tried many + metatarsal pads) generally try to fix problems caused by the shoe itself. My ball of foot pain was a result of thick heel padding + stiff soles that didn't let my toes engage properly.

Another thing i noticed regarding ankle support. If i stepped on something that would of caused my ankle to roll but was saved by the shoe... that force just traveled into my knee and back. I was ABSOLUTELY AMAZED at how well the Vibram Five Fingers allowed my body to absorbed weird angles on uneven rocky terrain.

The perfect shoe to me would be the profile of the vibram five finger (with or without the individual toe slots) but with rubber sole material used in the Nike Free.

[Vthiker77]

VFF's here as well. It's all I wear out and about on the Long Trail. It's amazing how different your body reacts when you can feel where you put your foot down.