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Elger
05-20-2008, 20:04
I am looking for a hiking shoe with the following qualities. Any suggestions?

Stable. I have weak ankles from too many soccer injuries and they tend to roll to the outside if coaxed by a stone, etc. (I would prefer not to have a high cut shoe and it's my understanding that the stability from a shoe comes from the construction of the shoe, not simply how high it is on your ankle).

Lightweight

Able to disgorge water and dry quickly ( I often cross mid-calf deep streams too frequently to stop and change foot wear, so I need a shoe that can handle getting submersed but not stay soaked for hours, which lets out goretex right off).

I will not be hiking in the snow. Moderate temperatures and mostly staying on trails.

Thanks in advance for your input.

taildragger
05-20-2008, 20:06
Any well vented trail runner that fits your foot.

Squeamish
05-20-2008, 20:58
I use Salomon XA Comp Pro and they work great. Get the gore tex.

PJ 2005
05-20-2008, 21:54
Your feet are going to be way different than mine... go to a boot store and try on a billion.

Quoddy
05-21-2008, 08:39
Any well vented trail runner that fits your foot.
I totally agree. I use Inov-8's for just what you're looking for, but some hikers find them just too lightweight. You're right, just stay away from any Gore-Tex models, regardless of brand, since once wet you'll be hiking in wet shoes for days.

AlwaysHiking
05-21-2008, 09:45
I wear Salomon Tech-Amphibs all year 'round now. They drain better than any shoe out there. Not better than a sandal of course, but better than any other shoe.

With wool socks, your feet will be dry in less than 30min. after a crossing. If you don't like the wet socks, you can change them out and stick the wet ones in your pocket, they'll be dry in no time and the new pair of socks doesn't get wet from the inside of the shoe.

Only major drawback is after several crossings and/or lots of mud, you have to empty out the shoes from dirt.

For ankles, I blew mine out too from 12 seasons of soccer. With these shoes I still roll, but my ankles have gotten stronger and it no longer hurts when I do. The muscles and tendons are much more flexible now and there is no injury if I do roll. In boots with high ankle support, I rolled them just as often and then it DID hurt.

Another contributing factor to my improved ankle strength is the regular use of balance training. Look into balance boards (Indoboard is one name) in an internet search (YouTube too).

I used one for two months on a regular basis, not even every day, but a couple times a week. Stopped using it after those 2 months and for at least 6 months after that my ankles had no stiffness, swelling, pain, etc... Before that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning without physical therapy. If I tried to stand up before pt, then I'd be in severe pain. After about 6 months, when they started hurting again, I went back to using the balance board and it has again taken care of the issues I was having. So now I keep up with it regularly.

All I do is stand centered on the roller and do squats. It's helped a lot with my knees too, but the biggest benefit has been by far in my ankles.

Mother's Finest
05-21-2008, 11:41
I bet the tip of my pinky finger that you need better support under your feet.

Many sports related ankle injuries are caused because the foot does not support the body properly.

Shoes can only do so much. There is only going to be a cushion inside of the shoe.

You want a shoe to fit you properly, that is all you can expect from it.

As others mentioned, muscle training can help.

A proper orthotic can be the hikers best friend.

peace
mf