View Full Version : shoes...again
2009ThruHiker
10-17-2008, 11:05
Concerning shoes for a thru-hike, not boots... Gor-tex on hiking shoes...please share your experiences...i've heard it's harder to get them to dry out and waterproof is a joke after days of rain...which makes sense...but i'd like to know peoples experiences with gor-tex or other waterproof shoes for long distance hiking.
thanks
Lone Wolf
10-17-2008, 11:07
Gore-Tex is overpriced and overrated especially with walking shoes. your feet are gonna get and stay wet at times even with gore-tex.
Lone Wolf
10-17-2008, 11:09
Gore-Tex is overpriced and overrated especially with walking shoes. your feet are gonna get and stay wet at times even with gore-tex. there is no such thing as "waterproof" boots or shoes for long distance walking
We heard you the first time! :D
Lone Wolf
10-17-2008, 11:16
i added to the second time
Footslogger
10-17-2008, 11:16
GORTEX works ...unfortunately the same properties that keeps water out ends up keeping water in when it comes to footwear.
It adds warmth to footwear that typically generates perspiration and if your feet are warm and hot ...and it's warm and humid outdoors that moisture ain't going anywhere.
'Slogger
2009ThruHiker
10-17-2008, 11:28
GORTEX works ...unfortunately the same properties that keeps water out ends up keeping water in when it comes to footwear.
It adds warmth to footwear that typically generates perspiration and if your feet are warm and hot ...and it's warm and humid outdoors that moisture ain't going anywhere.
'Slogger
What about a drying agent in the socks such as a foot powder to offset the moisture --sweat not rain obviously...?
Lone Wolf
10-17-2008, 11:29
the powder will turn to batter
2009ThruHiker
10-17-2008, 11:33
the powder will turn to batter
Wolf do you own stock in Gor-tex ? Because you are sure selling the heck out of it right now. Seriously though, my suspicions sound confirmed...i'll aim to look at non waterproof, highly breathable shoes. thanks.
garlic08
10-17-2008, 11:53
What a forum! '09, you got a good answer in less than a half hour.
2009ThruHiker
10-17-2008, 11:58
What a forum! '09, you got a good answer in less than a half hour.
first time for everything i guess...
MARKO HANGMAN III
10-17-2008, 12:00
Obviously, the final decision on footwear is yours, but I'll share my personal experience...
One of my main concerns before I started my hike was what kind of footwear to use (boots? trail runners? Gore-tex?). After about 2 dozen day hikes, I ultimately decided to go with trail runners, with no Gore-tex. I was a little anxious about this decision, because with a March 8 start date, I knew I would eventually run into some snow. But I figured a day or two of snow would be easier to deal with than weeks of blisters and/or heavy boots.
Did I make the right decision? Kind of. I never regretted my decision to go without boots. But I developed some problems with my achilles due to lack of support in my arch. By the time I got to Damascus, I bought a new pair of shoes and added Super Feet to the mix. This seemed to work best for me, and I ended going with this combo all the way to Katahdin (ended up buying 4 pairs of shoes along the way, all different brands).
Regardless of which route you go, I would encourage you to take several practice day hikes, with a full pack, to give your feet, ankles, knees and back an opportunity to get used to your footwear. Try for 10-15 miles, giving your body a week of rest each time. By the time you hit the trail, since you will be hiking everyday, limit your miles to less than your practice day hike mileage for the first several days. You will have the energy, adrenalin, and pressure to do more, but I would encourage you to resist the urge to do so, unless you're very good at listening to your body and you know you are ready for bigger miles. After 6-8 weeks of low-mid mileage hiking, you will be amazed at how your body responds, and you will be able to crank out 15, 20, 25, even 30+ mile days with ease.
HAVE FUN!!
Footslogger
10-17-2008, 12:01
What about a drying agent in the socks such as a foot powder to offset the moisture --sweat not rain obviously...?
============================
...what Lone Wolf said. Gortex works on somewhat of a pressure/temperature prinicple. So, like I said before, if it's hot and wet inside and hot and humid outside ...the moisture vapor can not escape through the Gortex membrane and gets trapped on the feet. About the only thing you can do at that point is take the footwear off and allow both your feet and the footwear to breathe and dry out a bit.
Another issue with Gortex lined footwear is that once they soak out they tend to take a lot longer to dry than a regular pair of the same footwear ...either boots or trail shoes.
For the record ...I own/hike in both Gortex and non-Gortex lined footwear. Out west here in Wyoming where the temps tend to be cooler and there is substantially less humidity than on the AT ...Gortex works pretty well and the added warmth is actually a bit of a blessing at times. That said, when my wife and I flew back in 2006 and 2007 to finish off a few sections of the AT she had missed, we both hiked in regular (non-Gortex lined) trail shoes. We knew the chance of rain was good and that the temps/humidity would be high.
'Slogger
NICKTHEGREEK
10-17-2008, 12:15
I've had great luck with GTX xcr in low cut hikers and regular boots and a wonderful Arcteryx shell. Never more than 3 days of wet and nothing with GTX soaked through. The footwear outers dried quickly when the wx got below 100% humidity, the jacket never felt clammy except the hood. Any moisture in the boots was wicked away by my merino socks and they stayed dry.
Goretex footwear is hotter and after long periods the inner and outers gets dirty and won't breathe as freely.
I still use the boots but after wearing out 2 pair of rather pricey lowa GTX renegades I opted for less pricey non-gtx lowa low cuts to 1- help keep the family eating regularly, and 2- ii was coming up on spring and a decent puddle will flood the lowcuts so the gtx is overkill there.
What works perfectly for one can be pure hell for another.
Gray Blazer
10-17-2008, 12:34
I use Columbias from the discount shoe store. Comfortable, as waterproof as any other and last a long time (well made) not to mention very inexpensive.
TunnelvisionGAME09
10-17-2008, 12:44
I like my GTX for winter hiking, but for everything else my feet just get clammy and don't dry out to well (regardless of what socks I wear). For long hikes I have done in the past trail shoes that aren't lined work great - and if it is nice out any moisture will just evaporate. And, as noted above, when it rains for days on end your feet will be wet regardless. I prefer that my shoes dry out when the sun appears again as opposed to waiting for a few days.
Wolf do you own stock in Gor-tex ? Because you are sure selling the heck out of it right now. Seriously though, my suspicions sound confirmed...i'll aim to look at non waterproof, highly breathable shoes. thanks.
I get the impression he's anti gortex not pro gortex. Read post 2 and the improved post 3.
2009ThruHiker
10-17-2008, 15:18
I get the impression he's anti gortex not pro gortex. Read post 2 and the improved post 3.
sorry for the confusion, it was a poor attempt at sarcasm. thanks to all who posted. i feel a bit more confident in deciding to go without waterproofing for a thru hike.
Blissful
10-17-2008, 15:24
Gore-tex is a joke here in the east for sure. (I wore gore tex boots for the first half of my hike)
Your feet WILL get wet. (there should be a sign for that like at the amusement park water rides). :)
Pedaling Fool
10-17-2008, 15:26
Your feet will get wet either from sweat or rain. Wet feet are just a part of hiking. I have one pair of dry socks just for camp than put on my other socks for hiking.
bigcranky
10-17-2008, 15:27
I use Goretex trail runners in the winter, say from Thanksgiving through March. With the g/t trail runners I wear tall Goretex gaiters when it's raining or there is snow on the ground. This system works well -- last year I walked a couple of days straight in cold, heavy rain, and the only thing dry and happy were my feet. Oh, and Smartwool Adrenaline Light socks. Great socks.
The rest of the year I wear mesh trail runners (Salomon XA Comp.) But it's all a personal choice; you can do the trail in pretty much anything from bare feet to mountaineering boots.
If you do use GoreTex, your feet will get wet, and will then stay wet for days. If you don't use GoreTex, your feet will get wet, and then will be dry in an hour once it stops raining/you stop wading through puddles.
Haiku.
Expecting your feet to stay dry, regardless of what your boots are made of, is an exercise in futility unless you are willing to wear waterproof gear from head to toe (or at least ankle). Water will otherwise work its way down your legs and into your boots or shoes which will, essentially, turn them into a footbath. Gore-tex and heavy leather boots will take nearly forever to dry once thoroughly soaked. Gore-tex is, however, nice to have for an overnight or weekend hike in the rain, where you can wear raingear head to toe and, with reasonable care, keep dry. When you get home, you can put your sweat-soaked Gore-tex boots in a warm place where they can dry.
I have and use a pair of Gore-tex Columbia boots which I wear for hiking in the snow. Gore-tex works best when the inner and outer temperature and humidity are very different - in other words, when you least need it! Cold air is nearly always drier than warm air (inside your boots), so the Gore-tex works by allowing some humidity inside to work its way to the outside. There is some disagreement, however, as to whether the laminate does the work of moving the moisture, or the mere bellows effect caused by the simple act of walking, pumping air out around the ankles.
m0rpheu5
10-18-2008, 00:17
I use gore tex high cut hunting boots for every season. Your feet will get sweaty during the summer though. As far as low cuts, it is pointless. 1) the goretex works with a temp differential and dont work too well above 45 degrees fahrenheit. 2) first stream crossing or floodout you come to and you will get water in them because they are low cuts. Once water gets in, it has to vaporize before they dry or you will have to take them off and let them dry out, so most of the time you will be hiking in wet shoes. With my 10 inch hunting boots, they wrap the leg tight and are higher than most stream crossings out west so i chose goretex. for a running shoe i would never use goretex. Also gortex with cloth is far inferior to goretex with full leather boot
I used to use Gortex Hiking Boots but I was always having the problem of my feet sweating, staying wet and the boots not drying out overnight. After at least a dozen different pairs of boots, I decided to switch to a Trail Runner. They're certainly not meant to keep the feet warm, but they are so much lighter and dry very quickly, I wonder why I didn't switch sooner. I feel much lighter on my feet and at the end of the day, my feet don't hurt like they did with my boots. I would definetely recommend a Trail runner for warm weather hiking.
In addition to failing to keep your feet dry and taking too long to dry, I don't think goretex is as sturdy as other possible fabrics for footwear, i.e. leather. It's heavier as well.
So, mine is just another opinion that says the additional cost of goretex is not worth any possible benefit.
HEY! Gore Tex isn't the only waterproof membrane in shoes. I find my Keen Shellrocks with E-Vent to be more breathable than any other waterproof shoe I own. And, there are other manufacturers(HiTec comes to mind) that also make waterproof shoes with this material. Everything I've researched says E-Vent is the most breathable truly waterproof material currently being used. Sure, after 3 days of steady heavy downpours your feet R probably going to be wet, but U can minimize getting your feet wet most of the time if U wear short waterproof gaiters under your waterproof rainpants. As far as your feet perspiring, I have found it helpful to wear highly wicking sock liners under my highly wicking merino wool socks. When I take my trail runners off I find my feet dry and most of the moisture from perspiration is in my wool socks.
gonewalkabout
10-21-2008, 11:36
Problems with Gore Tex Boots:
Summer much hotter on your feet.
Winter gore tex cause your sweat to condense 0n the inside of the boot instead of in the boot material and you end up with a poddle of sweat in your boots if you run hot. When you stop the water cools and your feet get cold. Most mountaineers won't wear gore tex boots in the winter due to this.
goretex gets a bad rep b/c it's trendy and expensive and sold at places like bass pro and dicks (the bane of 'real' hikers' existances, but really it's pretty good stuff. i landscape in the summer w/ goretex hiking shoes. do my feet sweat? sure, but they would regardless. simply changing socks at lunch and taking the insoles out overnight usually take care of most moisture.
that said i prefer non-goretex for hiking. nikes to be exact. still unsure as to what i prefer when there's snow. i truthfully prefer warm socks and a cup of cocoa sitting by the fireplace. ehehehhe
2009THRUHIKER, it is ultimately up to U to decide what's right for U and your hike. I, like everyone else, can only offer U some options. Don't let anyone try to decide for U what's right for U based on what may be right for them. Here is an option to consider. If U R starting your hike early, say early-mid March there will be a good chance U R going to encounter cold, icy, and possibly snowy conditions. Conditions like this can even be experienced northbound on the AT in late April. If U like your feet to be warm and dry, like I do, under those conditions waterproof shoes make real sense. When it starts to warm up switch to quicker drying non waterproof shoes if U don't mind hiking with wet feet in prolonged heavy rain. Some thru-hikers don't mind hiking in wet cold trail runners. I do, so I try to keep my feet comfortable and dry as much as I can. To do this, even if I'm wearing low cut WP trail runners, I wear shortie waterproof gaiters under my rainpants. This system worked well FOR ME, especially early on in my AT thru-hike when it was cold. When it gets really wet, warm, and humid I can cange to the non-WP trailrunners. When I know I'm on a hike with numerous fords I bring along sandals. During the summer, I'll even hike wearing sandals in the rain and put my trail runners away. If your feet get cold with just the sandals consider wearing them with thin fleeced neoprene socks/booties. The thin neoprene socks will also help keep your feet stay warm if U do decide to hike all the way with non-WP shoes(U may have to adjust for a half-size larger shoe). And yes, shoes with waterproof membranes typically do take longer to dry as compared to the same shoe without a waterproof membrane, but also consider that wet non-WP trail runners in cold wet overcast conditions, like U will experience early on in your hike, may not dry as fast as others may have U believe. Gore-tex also comes in various forms. Some forms, like Gore-tex XCR, R a bit more breathable and faster drying. There R also WP shoes made with E-Vent that R more breathable and, IMO, dry faster. And, when considering shoes, I find it helpful to consider feet as a system or package that is part of a larger package - me. I look at my orthotics, socks, sock liners(if U wear them), anti-chafing gels, gaiters, clothing(rain pants, pants,shorts), trail tread, various weather scenarios, and gear combinations. Just trying to keep the options and considerations open!!! Enjoy the journey!
Problems with Gore Tex Boots:
Summer much hotter on your feet.
Winter gore tex cause your sweat to condense 0n the inside of the boot instead of in the boot material and you end up with a poddle of sweat in your boots if you run hot. When you stop the water cools and your feet get cold. Most mountaineers won't wear gore tex boots in the winter due to this.
Indeed, some mountaineers don't wear Gore-tex lined boots, but 2009THRUHIKER has said he's going to wear trail runners/shoes not heavy mountaineering boots. Gore-tex lined trailrunners being worn on an AT thru-hike is NOT the same as wearing heavier Gore-tex lined mountaineering boots while climbing to the summit.