new balance 473s

[stringbean]

i am thinking about picking up a pair of new balance 473s, they are on sale for $40.00. has anyone had any experience with these shoes? i plan on using them for a section hike from CT to ME.

[fiddlehead]

Fit is everything to me. How do they feel? That's what matters most.

[stringbean]

they fit great, which is really important to me too. i am wondering how durable they are, i have heard stories of people wearing running shoes that only last them a few hundred miles. right now i have a pair of merrells that are great, but i would like to try some trail runners. i just want to have something that will last me the whole trip.

[fiddlehead]

I haven't thru-hiked in 4 years now but last time i did, i used Montrail "Vitesse" trail runners and would get about 1500 miles out of a pair. They are probably considered heavy by todays standards though. But they fit good. (although i always buy them too big as i don't want blisters)

[vaporjourney]

I have used a pair of New Balance 476s for months now, which I'm sure are similiar to your 473s. My shoes weren't too durable at all, and the rubber from the sole of the shoe at the front started to peel off in less than a month. An even bigger deal with these normal running shoes is that they don't have very good traction, which is crappy in wet conditions. I've slipped around a lot trying to rock hop with mud in the tread, with water all over the rocks. Also, there really isn't enough support in the sole for walking with weight on your back over pointed rocks. They seem fine when walking on smooth land, but put them on really rocky parts of the trail, and I can feel the rocks pointing through the soles.

I recently just got a pair of Montrail Highlite's on clearance for $70. The sole's are much stiffer so I don't expect to feel the rocks as much. The tread on the bottom is much taller so it doesnt seem like they will get quite as filled with mud, ruining all traction.

[Nightwalker]

My opinion of this series is quite good. I've been using a set of NB 475s all Summer, and they're great. NB shoes come out of the box a little slippery on bottom, but if you clean the bottoms with a little alcohol before the first hike, the traction is good. (Learned through experience, lol. Just about busted my butt with my first 806s. :) )

[Hammerhead]

I have a pair of 471's which have suffered a blowout after about a month of just normal wear. I mostly wear them to work (desk job) and I've only put about 20 easy hiking miles on them. Oh, and they do kind of suck as far as traction goes, esp. when wet. I was going to use a pair of NB's for my 2008 thru but I think I'm going with a pair of Merrels instead.