rain shoes

[pixel]

this is a serious question so if you're tempted to laugh me off the page ... i'm a little shy and may not return to ask another question. :D so ... i'm going to hike the AT ... from what i've read you usually go through two pairs of shoes. i was thinking ... what if i bought a rain shoe AND a hiking shoe, wore the rain shoe for wading across streams and rainy days, wore the regular hiking shoe for all other weather. since i'm going to probably go through two pairs of shoes anyway, wouldn't it make sense to start with two and use them per need? i'd always have a dry pair and would be more practically suited for rainy days. i found these... http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-bogs-mattie-corsage-plum-p_id189356?green=20616236056&mbs=w&mbpz=prod_2 (lol! i'm almost afraid to hit the enter button!)

[pixel]

i realize they're goofy looking. but if practical i could learn to like them. :)

[HiKen2011]

Buy some goretex sox or sealskinz sox, you'll go thru at least 3 pairs of shoes..............probably

[johnnyblisters]

Get used to hiking in wet shoes. Goretex is a hoax, not worth the money IMO.

[Jersey Tim]

From the looks of that link, those boots aren't designed for long-distance hiking (proper support, padding, etc.) which means at the end of the day your feet would be screaming. What works for me is a pair of non-Goretex trail runners; low-cut shoes are going to get wet in the rain anyway, negating the Goretex advantage, so they might as well be able to drain and not slosh. Pair them with wool (or a synthetic variation thereof) socks, which will still insulate when wet. For stream crossings, Crocs are light-ish, cheap, dry quickly and get the job done while doubling as good camp shoes.

[kayak karl]

you don't have a clue, do you? go do some hiking and THEN ask questions.

[Slo-go'en]

Those are pretty funky looking shoes! Do they make them in mens?

Seriously, I don't think they will be all that practical to hike in. With a -20F rating and made of neoprene, they will be way too warm and your feet will sweat like crazy. Traction and support might also be an issue, but impossible to tell until you try them.

Anyway, your not going to want to carry two pairs of shoes. At least not ones which weigh more than a few ounces like Crocks. Also, I doubt you'd wear them enough to make the other boots last much longer. Certinally not for 50% of the trail. As for wading streams, you only do that a couple of times in Maine, there is either a bridge or easy rock hop everywhere else.

Although a lot of people don't like them, I personally go with Gortex lined boots. You might want to switch out to a non-gortex boot for the summer months, then switch back to the Gortex ones somewhere in New England. Depending on how hard you are on your boots, that might be enough.

[Omega Man]

Back in July, I bought an expensive pair of Keen Gortex boots for my thru hike. They fit great, look cool and offer excellent foot support. I started the process of breaking them in doing five to ten mile hikes in all weather conditions and terrains. In dry conditions, they were perfect. In snow, they were okay, but they made my toes feel cold and they never seemed to hold the heat generated from activity, but still, they were acceptable. Then I hiked during rain storms and for the first half of my hike they kept my feet feeling fine, but inevitably, the rain seeped inside and my feet got wet and cold. It then took days for them to dry out. The Gortex works for rock hopping over a creek, but they do not work for a constant drumming of rain. They get wet and stay wet. I will not wear Gortex boots on my NoBo next month, but rather, I've decided to go in the opposite direction and hike in a much lighter shoe that WILL get wet. Heck, drops of my sweat falls on my toe and I can feel it soak through, however, they dry in hours and I must admit wearing a lighter shoe is far better than my heavy Keens. Don't get me wrong, I love my Klamaths, but they are now relegated to dry weather day hikes and casual every day wear. I've read that the AT is considered a "wet" trail and your feet WILL get wet no matter what shoe you choose, but nothing is worse than hiking with wet shoes on a sunny day. I suggest you consider something that will air dry relatively fast and feel light on your foot. It's really made a huge difference in my over all hiking comfort. Good luck and have a great time, "gettin' it done" on the AT!

[Land_Shark]

Land shark on the move. Can u say trail runner. Learn it live know it.

[garlic08]

You wouldn't be the first person to carry a spare pair of shoes on the AT, that's for sure. You know, on the AT you can carry whatever you want. Once I saw some people carrying motorcycle helmets and a cooler. That being said, since you asked, my recommendation is to bring just one pair of shoes at a time. I prefer a light, comfortable shoe that you can walk all day in, dries out quickly, and you can loosen up for walking around in camp doing chores.

[bigcranky]

The problem with rubber shoes is that they will fill with water in heavy rain. Slosh slosh slosh. The other issues with those shoes are identified above -- they really won't be comfortable on the trail.

Just wear regular hiking shoes. When it rains, they get wet. When it stops raining, they dry out. Light non-Goretex trail runners dry out pretty quickly in my experience.

[Blissful]

Use your crocs to wade streams (which doesn't happen until Maine) and wear trail runners which dry out nicely.

[Megapixel]

you don't have a clue, do you? go do some hiking and THEN ask questions.

seriousLY? this is your response? are you sure u belong around people?

[pixel]

you don't have a clue, do you? go do some hiking and THEN ask questions.

wee bit full of oursleves are we? :) i've logged over 300 miles in mountains through rain, snow (drifts thigh-high), heat and cold. ha,ha,ha! but now maybe i'm being a wee bit full of myself. anyway ... back to the question.

[Hooch]

Don't over think it. Get some trail runners and go with them. They'll get wet and you can walk them dry. The end. :D

[pixel]

my husband and i did a recent shake-down hike in the rain. water was sloshing in and out of my shoes within minutes. i have a good pair of vasque hiking shoes. it was a pretty good florida down pour though! just didn't expect my shoes to fill so fast. that's what got me thinking about the rain shoe idea. what about gators? i've never used them before. do they direct the rain off the shoe pretty well or will it still fill with water in the rain?

[Mr. Underhill]

I agree with most of these posts, especially Omega Man. Your feet will get wet. I have never had any real luck with Goretex. Your feet get wet and stay wet, which can lead to all kind of blister and other problems. I use a decent pair of trail runners now. Take a few pairs of wool socks. I like a light weight water shoe that don't weight much ( the kind you might use on a jet ski) for camp at night or when breaking for lunch. You'll definitely want to keep your pack weight down so an extra pair of shoes is a luxury. Gaiters are really good to wear. They will keep your socks and shoes drier when going through grassy areas after a rain storm or even in the mornings. They'll also shed and redirect some of the rain water running down your legs from going into your shoes.

[bflorac]

Here is your test. Take your boots, what ever they be and fill them with water. Then stick your feet in them, toss on a heavy pack and hike 15 miles. As already mentioned the sooner they dry the better. I also carry a few extra pairs of socks. as soon as they get dry enough that they are not squishing water out I put on dry socks. Then again, if you are hiking all day in rain, your feet are going to turn into prunes anyway. Met a guy hiking in bare feet last year cuz it was must easier than slogging in the water logged boots.