View Full Version : Thru-hiking footwear??
was wondering if anyone had any sugestions on thru hiking footwear... i am looking for some recomendations for my NOBO thru in march, am probably going to go with some heavy wight trailrunners, like montrail hardrocks or low lighthikers, any input would be appreciated. thanks
hopefulhiker
01-22-2006, 18:46
If your ankles are strong enough, I would go with the Hardrocks with gaitors to keep the rocks out...
Whistler
01-22-2006, 21:18
The Hardrocks are pretty nice shoes. If they fit you well, I can't think of a reason not to use them. I've had good luck with all the Montrails I've tried [Vitesse, Diablo, Hardrock, Leona Divide]. For the AT, I'd also recommend the Vitesse if you can find them and they fit.
Also, it doesn't have to be a 'hiker-brand' shoe to work on the trail. Just like Montrail, Salomon, Merrell, Inov8, etc make great shoes--companies like New Balance, Aasics, Nike, and others also make some very nice trail-worthy models. When fit is key, don't limit your selection!
-Mark
I loved the Vasque Velocity and got 1100 miles out of them on the AT. I hiked some in the Hardrocks last summer and liked them, and continue to wear them for knocking around. Depends on your pack weight and how strong your ankles are. You can start with a lightweight shoe like this, but you might wanna look at something with slightly stronger constuction before switching over, like the Garmont Nagevi or Eclipse. The Lowa Renegade Lo is also an excellent low top hiker with more beef than a trail runner
You need to check out all the other threads that addressed this question, tons of posts out there.