Trail runners in winter?

[ShelterLeopard]

I'm thinking about starting my 2016 thru in the winter again (well, late February), and I'd really like to stick with my trail runners through the entire trail- I just don't like the clunkier winter boots. Has anyone hiked through sizable amounts of snow in trail runners before? How was it? (I will say, my scarpas did a decent job of keeping my feet warm and dry- I don't know how my runners would hold up) Thanks all!

[fiddlehead]

I've done it, but on supported hikes or, hikes in Nepal where I could get warm most nights.
I always carried extra socks, and didn't stop much at all.

I would try it, but use super gaiters or at least build some kind of plastic or rubber tongue to cover the front of the shoe to keep them somewhat dryer.
And don't use the all mesh ones.

When I hiked the AT SOBO through the winter of 2001/2002 (supported), we didn't get much snow.
Had some in the whites and some in VA but, most of the hike was dry.
So, not really tested over a long snowy stretch.
IN Nepal, we were out in tents only 4 nights.
YOu can see a video I made on that trip here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W75etSBkrng

even with the ice ax scenes at the end, all i had were Montrail Vitesse trail runners.

[Tipi Walter]

I would never use trail runners but then my pack weights are high and I require some lug tread to avoid sliding, the bane of trail runners. Just look for long skid marks in the mud and you know someone passed before you backpacking in trail runners. Plus, you will need and want Kahtoola microspikes in the winter, so the question is, can they be used with trail runners?

I heard of a guy doing the BMT in winter in trail shoes and he had to bail to Green Cove to thaw out his feet in a motel.

[g8trh8tr]

I use trail runners year round....in the winter I use Goretex Brooks trail runners coupled with gaiters, works well.

[bigcranky]

I use trail runner year round. In the winter I use Goretex lined trail runners, along with midweight wool socks. In the other three seasons I wear mesh trail runners and the same wool socks. I've used the g/t trail runners with snowshoes and they worked well.

Of course all this is in the Southern Appalachians with temps no lower than 0-F. Probably not the right choice for the Whites in the winter.

[peakbagger]

I have used microspikes with trail runners in the spring walking up the snow to Tuckermans Ravine on Mt Washington. Sizing is bit more important with Trail runner. Too big and the move all over and too small and they distort the shoe. The Hillsound strap helps to keep them on.

The New Balance trail runners are designed for ventilation that would not work well in winter. I expect that the approach used by some winter folks of permanently attached a gaiter to the shoes might work.

[Turk6177]

The question I have along with this is, if you wear gators with wool socks (that supposedly don't lose their warming properties when wet) and you put on dry socks at camp, how are trail runners much different warmth wise than hiking boots? I would assume both get wet throughout a day of hiking. I have been wondering this same questions after watching people hit calf deep snow in the Smokies. I am concerned more about frost bite than traction.

[ShelterLeopard]

Turk, that was my worry too- my trail runners have decent traction, and I have a great pair of microspikes. But I rally don't want to walk into camp, take off my shoes, and find that my toes don't move. I suppose my best course of action is to do a winter shakedown with trailrunners on, with a pair of boots on my pack. Thanks all, for the input!

[Drybones]

I used Asic trail runners this past spring, heavy snow, single digits some nights, high winds. The shoes are frozen in the mornings but thaw out after 15-20 minutes, hiking in the snow wasn't bad but going across Grayson Highlands we had to step in deep tracks which had icy slush in them, feet got really cold. I'd still go with trail runners again even tho that wasn't a fun experience...do use gators...I used Dirty Girls, helped keep snow out but still got wet.

[Malto]

I probably have a thousand miles of snow travel with trail runners. I know of only one negative. Many trail runners including LaSportiva Wildcats and Brooks Cascadias have mesh in the toes. In fresh snow you can get an ice ball that builds up in the toe that is tough to get out without applying considerable heat. If it builds up enough it can cause problems with compressing your toes. This has been worse when wearing microspikes. Now when I snowshoe or use microspikes I will wearing a portion of a grocery bag under the bindings to reduce the buildup. Here is a picture of my feet after an especially grueling trek through a foot of fresh snow going into Sonora Pass in 2011.

[garlic08]

I believe experience is more important than footwear (as in Malto's post about using grocery bags as an impromptu solution). So is fit, and fitness for that matter. I can guarantee that an experienced hiker who's done a few thru hikes in running shoes will have better looking feet after a few days of snow than a novice in heavy boots.

On my AT thru, I encountered a novice backpacker (from Alabama, if that matters) limping painfully out of the Smokies after a blizzard, wearing heavy boots and a heavy pack. I took what load I could and kept in touch for the next few weeks as he recovered from frostbite in the hospital. I was warm and comfortable in my trail runners. The problem obviously wasn't the footwear.

I used the "bagtex" trick (bread bags under the shoes, over the socks) selectively on the worst mornings, wore wet socks to bed to dry them out, had a spare pair in reserve, kept my feet clean and made sure they dried overnight, keep the shoes from freezing overnight by placing them in a bag under my sleeping bag, etc. Those were tricks I learned from hiking over five thousand miles in trail runners on the PCT and CDT.

That said, I'm sure there are times in the southern Appalachian winters I do not want to be out there in running shoes. If I'd ever attempted a February start, I might have different advice. But since I like hiking in trail runners, and I know I can hike the AT distance in less than four months, why would I ever do that?

In addition to a couple of Appalachian spring blizzards, I've done plenty of snow hiking on frigid winter day trips in the high Rockies with trail runners. With some experience, and proper socks, gaiters and traction devices (as with boots), it can be very fun and comfortable.

[Josh Calhoun]

you will be fine

[kidchill]

I used trail runners on my thru in 2012. I was SOBO, so I started in the summer and finished in the winter. I was in Southern VA when superstorm Sandy came through. I left Pearisburg, VA and had 2-6inches of snow on the first climb. Once I reached the top I was in anywhere from 1-3ft snow drifts! Trail runners are NOT made for this! I was wearing gaiters (I think they were mountain hardware, but the smaller kind like dirty girl gaiters) as well as pants, but it didn't matter. What happens is the snow seeps in, half melts, half refreezes, etc. It was one of the most uncomfortable 25miles I did on the trail. My feet/toes were way past numb and messed up! It was flat out painful, and then on top of that, try putting your feet in frozen shoes bright and early in the morning! Someone posted about the difference between trail runners and boots in terms of keeping your feet warm...I don't think it's a matter of keeping your feet warm, it's a matter of protecting them from the snow and keeping them dry. Obviously, if you're in extremely low temps then yes, you need to keep them warm, but it's really a matter of keeping them dry. I have a pair of Garmount Snow GTX's which are awesome in the snow! But, I'm not a fan of boots, and I definitely wouldn't wear them in anything but snow. I think if you were to take gortex trail runners with gaiters and pants you would be okay, as long as the gortex holds up. I would not recommend using non-gortex runners and wool socks. Even if the wool socks maintain insulation, your feet will still be wet so they're gonna end up getting macerated after 20+miles of hiking, and most likely your feet are gonna go cold. The other option, if you're opposed to gortex runners, would be to get waterproof/gortex socks and use them with whatever runners you have. But, if you're gonna stick with runners, I would highly recommend using gortex.

[Another Kevin]

I would never use trail runners but then my pack weights are high and I require some lug tread to avoid sliding, the bane of trail runners. Just look for long skid marks in the mud and you know someone passed before you backpacking in trail runners. Plus, you will need and want Kahtoola microspikes in the winter, so the question is, can they be used with trail runners?

I wear microspikes with trail runners if I get ice in shoulder season. If the shoes have a decent rock plate (so that the soles are stiff) the spikes don't slip. In this picture, both of us in the foreground are wearing Wigwam merino socks, trail runners, and microspikes. I'm the one in green with the blue OR gaiters.

By the end of the day, I was wishing I'd worn pac boots, and brought my crampons and ice axe, because an epic (and unforecast) ice storm blew in. The scrambling got really, really sketchy, but I managed to stay upright on spikes.

[Likeapuma]

I've worn my Moabs on quick dayhikes up Mt Monadnock in the winter. Once the weekend after Christmas, another time in February.

Microspikes, medium thickness wool socks, pants, & some cheap gaiters.

Luckily, that place gets packed out pretty quickly. The only issue I ran into was when it warmed up enough to make the snow mushy. Had wet feet, but never cold feet.

Looking into getting a pair of Salomon mid height boots with goretex for this winter... On to bigger & colder excursions! I'd probably try to suck it up with the Moabs again, but I can get Salomons for 65% off :P

[WILLIAM HAYES]

I hiked in gore tex trail runners and gaiters in the snow thru the smokies feet stayed warm no problem with traction did get ice balls on the bottom of the trail runners around the gaiters straps occasionally which I had to knock off with my trekking poles

[QHShowoman]

I hike in Salomon trail runners year round -- in winter I use trail runners with Climashield and pair them with REI Alpine Light gaiters and they give me equivalent coverage to boots. I just hiked the Chilkoot and there were some very wet and slushy snowfields, as well as a lot of runoff, and my feet never got wet using this combo. All the guides were envious.

[Dogwood]

If I was rolling in trail runners in mid/late Feb going NOBO on the AT I'd strongly consider WP trail runners preferably w/ an EVent one piece membrane and stretchy Schoeller fabric shortie 8" gaiters. I'd have pants to wear. And, I'd give careful consideration to my sock choices definitely with a back up pr possibly in a slightly different wt almost for sure both made of merino. Staying dry and warm are important goals at that time of the yr. Speed is less of a priority especially in the beginning of a 2200 mile hike at this time of yr for many.

Mind you though don't mistakenly assume you only have two footwear choices - big heavy clunky winter European mountaineering style boots or the flimsiest lightest wt very low cut trail runners. There are compromises in shoes within that range that don't absolutely entail going with either choice.

Although I for sure would so much love to rock the lightest wt trail runners, the most SUL CF tarp, my 50* Enlightened Equipment UL down quilt, a 8 oz day pack, etc all the time on long hikes I take into account likely trail/weather conditions, my skill set, experience level, hike specifics, etc in choice of gear and would do so here with choice of what's on my feet.

[Siarl]

I hike in Salomon trail runners year round -- in winter I use trail runners with Climashield and pair them with REI Alpine Light gaiters and they give me equivalent coverage to boots. I just hiked the Chilkoot and there were some very wet and slushy snowfields, as well as a lot of runoff, and my feet never got wet using this combo. All the guides were envious.

What is Climashield? And can it be purchased separately and added onto the shoe of choice or is it strictly incorporated into Solomon Shoes? I've looked it up but the links that pop up seem to be a very wide range of products and insulation links.

[QHShowoman]

What is Climashield? And can it be purchased separately and added onto the shoe of choice or is it strictly incorporated into Solomon Shoes? I've looked it up but the links that pop up seem to be a very wide range of products and insulation links.

Climashield is a waterproof, insulating membrane that Salomon uses. I don't think it's something that you can buy separately and insert or spray on.
I don't know what the technical difference between Climashield and Goretex is, but the Climashield seems to breathe better and my feet don't get as hot and sweaty as they do in Goretex.

Obviously, we're talking about trail runners, so you wouldn't really want to submerge your feet in water completely, if you could avoid it, but the times my feet have been submerged, the outside of the shoe got wet, but the water never permeated and my socks stayed dry. Technology!