HI-TEC Shoes

[adh24]

Been looking for a new pair of trail kicks for a while now. I noticed that Dicks carries a lot of HI-TEC products and noticed that the prices aren't that bad on them. Trying not to break the bank. I don't hike every weekend (although I would like to) and in all kinds of weather so a top of the line boot/shoe isn't that important. Although I do have some standards like water proofing and what not. Was wondering if any one has experience with this brand. They seem to have a lot of technical features. Are they crappy quality that will fall apart after a hike or two? Any info would help. Also what's the deal with the removable sock liner feature. Went to their offical site and didn't find any indepth info on it.

Thanks

[Skidsteer]

I wear Hi-Tec V-lites and like them very much. My current pair are just about worn out and at a rough guess they've got @ 800-1000 miles on them.

The only thing I don't like about them is the Sympa-Tex. Makes it harder to dry them out.

They weigh 2 lbs. 12 oz for a pair of size 12's.

Never heard of the removable sock liners.

[kyhipo]

I am hiking in my second pair and got over 500 plus on my first,their not bad shoes,I like them their like tennis runners with ankle support atleast the pair I have.ky

[icemanat95]

Hi Tec has been around for a while, a lot longer than I expected when I first encountered the brand. Early on, they were not well known for their durability, but their continued survival in the marketplace points to the fact that they offer good performance for the price.

All that said, the single most important thing to look for, or rather to feel for in a hiking boot is FIT.

A cheap boot that doesn't fit properly is going to hurt your feet, throwing off your gait as you try to compensate for it. This will cause you to put stress on the boot/shoe in unusual ways, drag your feet, kick your toes into things, etc. Which will kill the boot early. However, more importantly, all these conscious and unconscious attempts at compensation will throw your body alignment off . Your joints, spine, and muscles will not be engaging in ways they expect and are trained for which will cause additional fatigue. I am also increasingly interested in chi/ki flow in the body. Body alignment seems very important to this, and subtle differences can play a huge part. It seems that even fairly subtle changes in how a seemingly unrelated body part is positioned or is moving, can have significant effects on the rest of the structure. So if you believe that sort of thing, you can imagine how far reaching the effects of a poorly fitting shoes and a poorly fit and balanced backpack can be.

If the Hi Tec boots fit well and walk comfortably in the store, bring them home and walk around the house in them for a few days. If all seems well, then keep them. If something feels wrong, then consider returning them for something else.

I was sick and tired of putting up with uncomfortable fitting dress shoes a few years ago. When you are wearing the things, you tend to have to spend a lot of time on your feet in receiving lines, standing in church at funerals, at receptions, etc. So an uncomfortable shoe makes the whole thing much more miserable. I went into a good shoe store well kinown for fitting feet and started trying stuff on, determined to buy the shoe that fit best...and I did. It cost me 300.00 for a pair of Mephistos, but I figure I'll have them for ten years or so, so 30.00 per year ain't that bad. They are literally the most comfortable shoes I own.

Seriously...your feet are your interface with the Earth. They are the foundation of your entire body. Treat them well and your whole body will feel better. If the Hi Tecs fit that bill for you, great, but if not, even free wouldn't be cheap enough to make them worth while.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I used to hike in the standard heavy boots. They have lasted for many, many years and probably have about 3,000 to 3,500 miles on them. They are still around and my footwear of choice for winter hiking. The sole is Vibram and can be replaced. These boots are on their fifth set of soles.

I bought a pair of really cheap boots that fit at Payless (sadly, not sold there anymore) and put about 800 miles on them. Then I switched to Montrail trail runners and loved them for their lack of weight and how fast they dry.

An accident and subsequent ortho injuries forced me to go back to footwear with significant ankle support. I bought a pair of Montrail Torre (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?AFC-google&productId=103721) without the goretex. While they fit well and don't hurt, they don't breathe well and are hot hot hot.

While doing research on light-weight boots with serious ankle support, I stumbled across the Hi-Tec Sierra V-Lite Fastpack WP (http://www.hi-tec.com/category.php?styleId=1768&colourId=4720). I got the model without the Sympa-Tex (Hi-Tec's name for goretex). The pair weighs about 4 ozs more than my trail runners. While I don't have a lot of miles on these yet (about 120 to 150), the only complaint I have is that I have to relace them about every two hours to keep the heel-lock feature working as well as it must for me to have the stability I need.

[adh24]

Thanks for the quick feed back. Should be going to dicks at some point this weekend to try some on and see what I like.

[Just Jeff]

I tried on all kinds of expensive shoes and some of the lighter boots. None of them fit me as well as my HiTecs.

I had one set that I wore hiking and around town for several years...no idea how many miles that equates to but I wore them out and they were very comfortable. My current pair only has a few hundred miles on them but based on their current wear I expect several hundred more.

Like AP said....not the highest quality or the biggest name, but that doesn't matter if the other ones don't fit as well. And their quality is good enough for me.

FWIW, I hike like you - weekends mostly, rarely in snow, sometimes in rain. I didn't want waterproof b/c they take longer to dry, but I did wear vapor barrier socks (actually, plastic bags) when I had them in deep snow. Mine are a step up from trail runners - more like hi-top trail runners, I guess. I like 'em.