Tattered shoes... When to replace?

[B-Rabbit]

Was just wondering what kind of footwear through hikers use and how often they should be replaced? Recommend drop locations for new pairs or replace as needed? Any suggestions of aftermarket insoles or is that just a waste of money. Any advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks

[Spirit Walker]

If you're wearing running shoes, replace them before they get totally worn out. You will have lost internal support by the time they start looking really ratty. That can cause foot and knee problems. Mine last 400-500 miles or so. Mid-weight boots usually lasted me about 1000 miles. My husband is heavier, so his don't last as long.

Whether you need insoles really depends on your feet and the kind of shoes you're wearing. Do you pronate, supiate, need extra padding or extra arch support? In some cases, the shoes will take care of the problems. If you're wearing boots, you'll probably need insoles.

[B-Rabbit]

I am pretty flat footed but it doesnt really bother me in everyday life or weekend adventures.... then again I havent walked 2000 miles either. Any recommendations on trail runners vs boots, brands I should look into, ways to find if I should use insoles or not?

[4eyedbuzzard]

+'s of buying them in advance and shipping them/mail drops - they can be mailed in two days and they're exactly the brand / model you want.
-'s of shipping them/mail drops - your feet may be a 1/2 to full size larger after 500 to 1000 miles and/or you may find you want something different.

[sbhikes]

If you mail your shoes to yourself, do a test. Put one of the new ones and one of the old ones on your feet and walk around. If you can't really tell any difference, ship the new ones ahead up the trail and keep going on the old ones a little more. Lots of people end up at the end of the trail with shoes held together with dental floss and duct tape because they burned through them at the beginning of the hike.

[B-Rabbit]

Great advice. Any suggestions about what shoes to try?

[Doc Mike]

new balance 8XX i use 806 but any of the 800's should be good.

[hikerboy57]

Instea of asking for what shoe to buy,go to an outfitter like EMS, REI and get properly fit.every shoe isnt right for every foot. you need to allow for extra room as you're feet will grow as much as a full size during a thru, replace them as you go along, as you wont know what size you'll need beforehand.comfortable shoes=more miles

[ChinMusic]

If you mail your shoes to yourself, do a test. Put one of the new ones and one of the old ones on your feet and walk around. If you can't really tell any difference, ship the new ones ahead up the trail and keep going on the old ones a little more. Lots of people end up at the end of the trail with shoes held together with dental floss and duct tape because they burned through them at the beginning of the hike.

I agree.

My plan is to buy several pairs of my favorite footwear (same as Doc Mike, New Balance 806) and wear each pair for a couple shortish hikes.....just so I know there isn't an issue with any of them. I would then swap them out as needed. My plan would fail if shoe size changes somewhere along the thru. I'm thinking the chances of this are less at my age.

[lush242000]

I use Merrell Chameleon's. They are light and slip on so you don't have to worry about shoe laces breaking.