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What are some good name brand and type of shoes to wear for a thru hike? Water Proof vs Mesh? I have read many opinions and was hoping to hear from some people who have thru hikes the AT. One common opinion seems to be to NOT wear hiking boots of any kind. Thanks in advance...All info is appreciated!
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Woof Shaven
10-19-2014, 19:50
Yes, I agree on the common opinion. I have heard that advice from PCT/JMT bloggers and also from within this WhiteBlaze news group.
I have no practical experience trekking. I may cave into the prevailing advice (peer pressure?). However my pre-this-advice research led me down the road to what Uncle Sam was currently issuing to his combat troops in the mountains. I picked up a new pair those boots for $75.00 on EBAY. They were new in the box. These boots can still be purchased retail in the $300 range if you wish to go that route.
The company is Belleville and this American company has been making boots for Uncle Sam since WWI. The current contract for mountain combat boots comes in to varieties: Belleville MCB 950 (all weather) and Belleville MCB 990 (hot weather).
My MCB 950s are very light. I don't consider them heavy. I like them a lot. I may bring them along on my section hike and disregard the prevailing advice.
I used 5 pairs of shoes on the AT. I started with some Aasics trail runners that I had been using previously. I changed the insoles in Hot Springs to help with plantar fasciitis (I cannot emphasize how important good insoles are. I was a fan of the classic Spenco, but I know people like Superfeet as well.) I switched to a pair of Montrail Mountain Masochist in Damascus. Despite feeling small, I believed the salesman when he said they were the right size. I warrantied them within two weeks after they fell apart. I wore the second pair from Glasgow, VA up to Palmerton, PA. Again, I was dealing with Plantar Fasciitis (insoles don't really last 1000 miles), and had a few pair of Salomon Synapses sent to me from Amazon. I tried them on, found the size I needed (a size up from the Montrails) and returned the other pairs. I replaced the Salomons with the same shoe in Lincoln, NH.
I know a ton of people who hiked in the Salomon XA Pro and few more that used the Synapse. I was told by a fellow hiker that the Synapse was made for walking. I don't know if that was true or not, but I was very happy with the Salomans and less so with the other brands. The Brooks Cascadia also seemed popular.
HooKooDooKu
10-23-2014, 08:47
From a comfort stand point, there seems to be a lot of folks that like Salomon. I personally hike in a Salomon hiking boot while my son wears a pair of water proof Salomon trail runners.
Got a pair of saloman boots that are fantastic, but usually just wear trail runners ie from oboz or keen.
People with wide feet often go for New Balance. They're called "trail runners" but basically are glorified running shoes with serious treads and stiff soles. I've hiked in running shoes as well. Haven't hiked in leather boots for ages.
People with wide feet often go for New Balance. They're called "trail runners" but basically are glorified running shoes with serious treads and stiff soles. I've hiked in running shoes as well. Haven't hiked in leather boots for ages.
I still have a pair of Merrell "guides" that are about 25 years old and been resoled 3 times. Even after all the years and miles they are still nowhere as comfortable as the trail runners you can purchase today.
Slo-go'en
10-23-2014, 19:38
I'm in the minority in that I hike only in Gortex lined boots. Trail runner soles are too soft and usually too wide for my feet. I like Scarpa boots as they fit my long, narrow feet the best.
The problem is, what works for one person does not work for others. What seems like a good fit in the store can suck on the trail. It's really impossible to tell how well a shoe or boot will work for you until you get out there, then it's too late. I suffered for nearly 200 miles in Virgina last spring having made a poor choice for shoes which caused me to end my hike earlier then I had planned on doing. Sorry, low cut trail runner shoes with really flexible soles do not work for me. Their great for road walking and around the house, but not on rocky trail.
They say a walk of the AT is around five milliion steps. About 30,000 steps a day. With every one of those steps you're lifting the weight of you boots or shoes or whatever it is you're wearing. Logically it would seem you'd want to minimize that weight. Work = force X distance.
You will most likely have to try different brands and styles before you have the answer of what works for you. Personally, after trying many different shoes/boots from Vasque, Merrell, Keen, La Sportiva, Montrail, Salomon and Patagonia..... I found that some shoes/boots would feel great for a couple hours or a day on a hike, but in the afternoon, or the next day, problems would arise .... I have this big shoe-rack in my gear room with a dozen or more pair of shoes and boots that I've only worn a couple times and given up on. I'm now using either Garmont Momentum trail shoes (discontinued), Oboz Traverse Low hiking shoes, or Keen Targhee II mids. I use the Superfeet insoles also. I'm going to keep experimenting with shoes on dayhikes this winter. Good luck!
UofWHusky
10-23-2014, 22:48
I had problems last year on the AT with thin soled hiking shoes. Feet got sore on the bottoms. Got off after 800 miles. Returned this year wearing Oboz shoes with Superfeet Copper insoles. The Oboz Sawtooth Low had a thicker sole that allowed my feet to get used to the miles. The Superfeet insoles were one size larger than I used last year as well, size F instead of E. The larger insole provided more room for my heels to spread without rubbing on the edges of the insole.
Love my Lowa Renegade, best boot/shoe I ever put on my feet in 57 year's.
HeartWalker
10-24-2014, 08:15
I completed my 2000 miles last year hiking 1850 miles to finish. I went through eight different pairs of shoes. Some wore out but others just didn't fit which I really didn't know until I had actually hiked in them. My feet definitely changed during the hike. My best advice is spend the dollars and time to get properly fitted. A brand of shoe that works for one hiker may and probably won't work for another. Each brand and each model are designed to accomplish different things. I wore Innov 8s, Merrill, Oboz, New Balance and Vasquez. Again my advice find a reputable outfitter/ running store that knows feet. If you're in the Southeast Outdoor 76 in Franklin, NC is excellent fittings.
ericmcdaniel
10-24-2014, 12:15
Another plug for Outdoor 76 in Franklin, NC. They literally saved several hikes among my friends in 2014, and if you're NOBO, it's only 67 miles from start to get there, if I recall correctly.
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Slo-go'en
10-24-2014, 12:16
Love my Lowa Renegade, best boot/shoe I ever put on my feet in 57 year's.
Man, those were the worst boots I ever owned - and one of the most expensive! They leaked like a sieve until I got to seam sealed all the stitching (which then wore off). Worse, there are a couple of rough edges near the toe of the shoe which rubbed the top of my foot raw each time the toe flexed. I hated those boots by the end of the trip.
Just goes to show ya, what works for one does not for another.
MuddyWaters
10-24-2014, 22:54
Fit, fit, fit.
To me, shoes are like a bed . New ones feel strange at first, but after you get used to them they become the new normal.
ericmcdaniel
10-28-2014, 01:07
Also note that any foot irritation you feel in a prospective pair of shoes will only get more annoying when you're spending all day, day after day on your feet in them. Finding the right socks was equally important to me as finding the right shoes. I found that practically any cushion in my socks led to irritation and hot spots as the cushion inevitably bunched or felt excessive in one spot or another. This went for just about every big brand out there (Fits, Darn Tough, Wrightsock). Socks designed for "hiking" seem designed for short hikes, not 150-plus consecutive day hikes.
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ericmcdaniel
10-28-2014, 01:16
Pressed enter too quickly....all of the big sock brands make light or ultralight versions designed for running. I haven't tried the lighter Fits socks, but for Darn Tough (Run/Hike Merino Ultralight or "Mesh"), Wrightsock (Coolmesh II, Stride and Merino Stride (also called "Merino Trail" or "Merino Stride Trail" depending on where you look) and Smartwool (PhD Running Ultralight), I really like their ultralight/no cushion models. Disclosure - I hiked in the two Wrightsock models mentioned. I've run miles and spent hours in the Darn Tough and Smartwool socks mentioned, though, and both performed almost identically to the Wrightsocks I used.