Buying new hiking shoes, Need insight

[Brian321]

Hello, I will be going on my first thru hike this year. I will be starting in mid-late march. I am wondering what the best hiking shoe/boot would be?

Do they need to be waterproof? I would prefer low-mid cut but dont know which would be best for the AT. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

[hobbs]

Brian that depends on what your looking for the are pro and cons to everything.
I went thru them with people..
Here are the cons we came up with
1.Gortex makes your feet sweat
2.They take longer to dry than trail runners
3. They weigh more
4.Regardless if it say's its waterproof.They will get wet if you have a constant rain
for 3 days or more.
Now Pro's to trail runnners
1.They dry faster
2.They weigh less
4.Just as stable as a boot at times
5.Dont restrict your movement.
I chose trail runners after reading alot of material on the subject and going thru this process your doing now...
But that is your call to make...I was giving you the benefit of one verse the other...

[Brian321]

Brian that depends on what your looking for the are pro and cons to everything.
I went thru them with people..
Here are the cons we came up with
1.Gortex makes your feet sweat
2.They take longer to dry than trail runners
3. They weigh more
4.Regardless if it say's its waterproof.They will get wet if you have a constant rain
for 3 days or more.
Now Pro's to trail runnners
1.They dry faster
2.They weigh less
4.Just as stable as a boot at times
5.Dont restrict your movement.
I chose trail runners after reading alot of material on the subject and going thru this process your doing now...
But that is your call to make...I was giving you the benefit of one verse the other...

Well, honestly I would prefer trail runners but didnt know if they would have enough support for the AT and didnt know about them being water proof. You make some good points and I thank you.

Brian

[Grasshopper2011]

Your shoes need to match your pack weight. If you are going minimalist and have a really light pack trail runners are okay.. if you are going to have over 30ish pounds including food and water than you may be better off with something a little more heavy duty with more support.

Also, when you are starting can be taken into consideration. If you expect to hike in snow having something with gortex may not be as bad as hiking in gortex in the middle of the summer.

One other thing to consider.. I have been told that starting with a heavier boot can build up the muscles that help keep you from getting shin splints later on. Maybe somebody can comment on the validity of this but it makes sense.. When the first pair wears out switch to a low cut hiker or trail runner.

[Brian321]

Your shoes need to match your pack weight. If you are going minimalist and have a really light pack trail runners are okay.. if you are going to have over 30ish pounds including food and water than you may be better off with something a little more heavy duty with more support.

Also, when you are starting can be taken into consideration. If you expect to hike in snow having something with gortex may not be as bad as hiking in gortex in the middle of the summer.

One other thing to consider.. I have been told that starting with a heavier boot can build up the muscles that help keep you from getting shin splints later on. Maybe somebody can comment on the validity of this but it makes sense.. When the first pair wears out switch to a low cut hiker or trail runner.
I was hoping to keep my pack weight between 20-30 pounds. I will be starting in mid-late march, I am not sure if there will be snow or not around that time.

Thanks,
Brian

[Spokes]

Brian321, I'm afraid your decision is best found trying on several of the more popular brands since everyone's feet are different. Some long distance hikers prefer trail runners, others abhor them.

Go for comfort and proper fit over waterproofing. I discovered that GoreTex or any other proprietary water proofing material is really on good for about 7-10 days in constant wet conditions before it deteriorates (YDMV). Once water breaches the "seal" it's all over.

Cheers!

[Phreak]

I was hoping to keep my pack weight between 20-30 pounds.
I've carried up to 55 pounds with trail runners with no issues. You'll be fine with trail runners with your pack weight.

[Red Hat]

I used NB 977 for winter (snow), and switched to NB 812 for later. Both were great trailrunners!

[scope]

Lots of threads here on the subject, but it still might be too much info. Have you hiked/backpacked much? What do you wear then? What do you like and dislike about what you already have?

There is no substitute for comfort and fit, so take the following advice with that in mind first. Given the short amount of time until you start, I would go with the cheapest GoreTex trail runner that fits well... waterproof because its warmer, which you will appreciate now, and a runner because they are less likely to have break-in issues. Cheap because you don't seem to know exactly what you need and you might be replacing them early in the hike.

[OliveOil]

A lot of people hiked in merrils the mid hight ones. after your first pair of shoes blow out if you call merril and tell them you're a thru-hiker they'll send you a new pair for free to the next trail town.

[Sassafras Lass]

Hello, I will be going on my first thru hike this year. I will be starting in mid-late march. I am wondering what the best hiking shoe/boot would be?

Do they need to be waterproof? I would prefer low-mid cut but dont know which would be best for the AT. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

You're getting some good advice here.

I went half n' half - I have the Keen Targhee II Mid boots. For a boot, they're pretty lightweight and flexible. However, they provide excellent traction and keep me from feeling every little stick and stone on the trail - a real plus. They fit my feet like a dream, nothing else fit this well. When I wear out my boots I will be switching to a trail runner/sneaker for sure - though a hiking-specific shoe that has good grip.

Boots touted to be waterproof just mean that they take longer to dry out. They will be waterproof for quite a while but then they're soaked and they'll stay soaked long past the point a sneaker would dry out.

Go to an outfitter with a few brands in mind - Merrell, Keen, Salomon, Montrail, Vasque, etc. etc. - and then try absolutely everything they have in stock, your normal size up to a whole size larger. Go with the hiking socks you'll be using to get an accurate fit as well as footbed (definitely recommend changing out the footbed).

[Brian321]

Lots of threads here on the subject, but it still might be too much info. Have you hiked/backpacked much? What do you wear then? What do you like and dislike about what you already have?

There is no substitute for comfort and fit, so take the following advice with that in mind first. Given the short amount of time until you start, I would go with the cheapest GoreTex trail runner that fits well... waterproof because its warmer, which you will appreciate now, and a runner because they are less likely to have break-in issues. Cheap because you don't seem to know exactly what you need and you might be replacing them early in the hike.
I have not done any extreme long distance hiking like the AT, But I have done pretty many short hikes, I started with just running shoes and decided on buying some good hiking shoes after a few hikes. I ending up buying Merrell Continuum's mid cut. I like them alot for water proofing and comfort but I noticed after a short hikes(5 miles) that it really irritates my right heel. I tried again a couple weeks later but this time it was an 8 mile hike, the next day it hurt to walk but only my right foot/heel.

It took about a month or more for the pain to go away. I still wear them sometimes but only for around the house/yard. I am pretty sure that they are broken in all the way. For that reason I am not sure if I want to try any more mid top shoes. I just cant afford to buy a whole bunch of shoes if im not going to wear them. That is the first time my heel has hurt like that, I am not sure if it was just the shoe or if all mid cuts will do that.

Thanks,
Brian

[AUhiker90]

merrel moab ventilators not waterproof
Merrell will replace them no problem.
Must get new insoles.. superfeet green

[hobbs]

I have not done any extreme long distance hiking like the AT, But I have done pretty many short hikes, I started with just running shoes and decided on buying some good hiking shoes after a few hikes. I ending up buying Merrell Continuum's mid cut. I like them alot for water proofing and comfort but I noticed after a short hikes(5 miles) that it really irritates my right heel. I tried again a couple weeks later but this time it was an 8 mile hike, the next day it hurt to walk but only my right foot/heel.

It took about a month or more for the pain to go away. I still wear them sometimes but only for around the house/yard. I am pretty sure that they are broken in all the way. For that reason I am not sure if I want to try any more mid top shoes. I just cant afford to buy a whole bunch of shoes if im not going to wear them. That is the first time my heel has hurt like that, I am not sure if it was just the shoe or if all mid cuts will do that.

Thanks,
Brian
I know I had the same problem with a pair of boots..Some boots your foot moves around alot and the back heal when you bend to take a step starts rubbing on the inside filler or back wall..I have a reccomendation for you...Go to a LOCAL running store..Key word is Local and try on a pair of running shoes..tell them to watch your gaite...in a short little run in the store...They watch how your foot strikes and where you and if your ankle rolls when you make contact...Dont buy the shoes but it gives you feedback to get a good shoe for the trail...You may overpronate with that one foot....Just a suggestion....