Wide vegan hiking shoes?
I can't seem to find wide vegan hiking shoes (not trail runners). Any suggestions?
Wow. And I thought I've seen every question possible.Originally Posted by Gelfling
I've thought that before. Still waiting for the "What color is your pack" question.
Up to now, I never thought shoes ate anything.
They're called Crocs.
I don't know why your legitimate question has met with some sarcasm on this thread.
Here is a link to the footwear section at veganessentials.com. They have done the legwork to figure out if shoes are truly vegan or not:
https://store.veganessentials.com/footwear-c3.aspx
I'm not sure how many of their shoes run in wide widths and I haven't tried any of them. I use all-synthetic models (either trail runners or regular running shoes) in a 4E width from New Balance. I know there is no leather in the New Balance models I've worn over the years, but I don't know for certain whether there might be any trace amounts of animal products in the adhesives they use.
Edit: when I look through the selections at veganessentials they don't carry nearly as many shoes as they used to. Zappos says several Saucony and Merrell models are vegan, but when I go to their websites the vegan lines only come in a medium width. When I look at the regular walking shoes by Saucony they have wide widths but have leather.
Last edited by map man; 07-02-2016 at 09:35.
Life Member: ATC, ALDHA, Superior Hiking Trail Association
Dont limit yourself to vegan shoes.
Its pretty easy to not have leather or animal products in shoes if thats your goal.
As far as being green or environmentally friendly...theres no such synthetic material.
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 07-02-2016 at 10:01.
I think it is inlikely to find hiking shoes or trail runners that have any leather.
If anything, nubuck, and nubuck isn't leather.
The glue isn't likely to be made from horse hooves, either.
Plastic, and synthetic materials.. that's it.
No rubber, either, and that is from a plant.
Even Crocs are made of synthetic materials.
Thank you map man (and others) for taking the question seriously! I have found a lot of non-leather hiking shoes, but so far, none of them come in wide widths. I have tried hiking in vegan/non-leather trail runners (Altra, Saucony, and, Salomon Speedcross) but my feet hurt mercilessly during my three 10-mile shakedown hikes with 30lbs on my back. The Altras had the widest footbed and were the most comfortable, but Altra doesn't make a hiking shoe, and the blisters and arch pain benched me for days.
Thanks Connie, but nubuck is leather. Merrell makes a lot of non-leather hiking shoes, but for some weird reason, their only wide option is leather.
The Altras could be made to work for you..
I have Good Feet MAX for "insoles" I recommend, especially helpful for hiking with a heavier backpack.
Next recommendation: lighten that backpack load.
Google: wide hiking shoes There may be something there.
Last edited by Connie; 07-02-2016 at 12:31.
The Altras don't have enough support or cushion. I'm going to try Hoka One One Challenger ATR 2 and hope the reviewers were right about the "wide toe box" and extra cushion.
I feel your pain, literally, because I have the same issue and the same concerns. I have researched the issue extensively.
In short, there are no vegan hiking boots on the market in wide widths. Boot manufacturers are already dealing with a niche market, and they are unwilling to invest in what it takes to produce them. Believe me, I have searched and searched for them, and I am probably out about $250 in attempts to make what is out there work for me. I normally require a 4E or 6E width in my footwear, because I have custom orthotics that are fantastic and I will not give up, and that I couldn't give up even if I wanted to do so, because that would lead to serious foot issues.
Sorry for the long answer, but I hope that this will save you some time and effort. Here are the models that I researched and what I found. Every model below has been verified to be fully vegan, and that includes the glues used in the manufacturing process. The owner of VeganOutdoorAdventures.com has contacted the manufacturers to verify this information, and she has a few more models than I cover here on the VOA web site.
Adidas Terrex Swift Mids: Too narrow, very little support.
Arc'teryx Bora Mid GTX: Built in gaiter cuff. Reportedly rigid, hot. New model, Bora 2, has removable liners. Never tried them on, but no reports that they are available in a wider width or that they fit people with wider feet.
La Sportiva Trango S Evo GTX: Narrow, but not totally uncomfortable. Not much ankle support. May work for some that don't have overly wide feet.
Mammut T Cirrus Mid GTX: Reported to be narrow. Never bothered to go through the effort to get a pair.
Mammut Comfort High GTX Surround: Reported to have a “generously tailored fit” by the manufacturer. However, when I tried them on, they hurt my left pinky toe. Other than that, they may be a candidate for you.
Mammut T Aenergy GTX: They have a memory foam interior and are on the heavy side. I never tried these, since the one above was supposed to be the widest shoe of this manufacturer.
Merrell Capra Sport Mid GTX: I didn't try on this actual model, because the store didn't have it in stock. I had Merrells many years ago, before I became vegan, and I have good memories of them. However, the ones that I tried on now were so stiff and plastic feeling in the ankle that they were digging in to my shin, and I crossed this brand off of the list. The foot may have been acceptable, but I was unwilling to take the chance on these.
Treksta T745 Evolution Mid GTX: This may be your candidate. The only problem with these was that they have a built-arch support that cannot be removed. I wear custom orthotics, and they can't be worn with these permanent arches. Too bad, because out of all of the boots that I tried, these were the closest to perfect. They were plenty wide, and they were the only ones that felt great in the toe box, without any pain or pressure. They were also pretty lightweight, at about 30 ounces with the foam pad base removed. I would try these, if I were you, so long as you don't need orthotics.
Zamberlan 230 SH Crosser Plus GTX RR: These are a Backpacker Magazine 2013 Editors’ Choice. They are said to have good ankle support, and a wide forefoot. However, I never bothered to try them, because I read a report about problems of the design allowing dirt to work its way between outer fabric and the inner liner, and, if I recall correctly, they have an issue with water leaking around the tongue at fairly shallow water depths.
Vegetarian Shoes Approach Mids: This was another near miss for me. In order to have them fit for width in the toe box, I had to go up a size or so. By doing this, the foot placement in the shoe was not quite right. I tried to compensate for this by wearing an extra pair of thin socks, but this cause pressure on my toes. I even tried cutting the toes off of the extra socks, thinking that it would make the rest of the shoe fit where covered in two pairs. It sorta works, and I have done a few miles in them. However, they feel not quite right.
Just so you know, shoes in Europe are designed with a different "last," the shape of the foot that is the model for the shoe. They tend to have a wider toe box and a slightly narrower heel than in USA designs.
In the end, I am forced to stick with NewBalance runners plus I wear some additional lower leg to ankle support during my treks. They are available in 4E and 6E, and the materials of my model are artificial. However, the manufacturer cannot fully verify the source of the glues. I was told by another manufacturer that the industry went away from animal based glues a long time ago, and I am resting my hopes on that, but the manufacturer of NewBalance cannot fully verify the source of their glues.
I hope that this helps you out and saves you some time. If you come up with any good alternatives, please let me know.
Last edited by Vegan Packer; 07-11-2016 at 20:12.
"Not many miles, but a whole lot of smiles." Vegan Packer
Thank you Vegan Packer! Your post is extremely helpful! I actually bought the Merrell Capra Sport Mid GTX. They feel a little snug with a sock liner (injinji) and hiking socks (Thorlo), but their foot box is wider than most of the others I have tried on. I went on one short hike and they seem OK so far (no blisters). I'm going on a 5-day shakedown hike in a couple weeks, and I'm bringing them. My fear is that my feet will sweat too much in the GTX, and I hear/read that waterproof shoes are miserable on a thru hike once water from rain or puddles gets trapped in the shoe, especially since they take so long to dry. But I'm hoping they will work for winter at least.
The T745 looks like a promising alternative (I have high arches, but no orthotics). The reviews for the women's shoes say the T746 are narrow, but that the men's T745 might be a viable option for people with wide feet (if they come in a size small enough for me: 8 women's). I'm embarrassed by how much money I've poured into this search only to be disappointed and in pain on practice hikes long enough to void the return policy (REI has a good policy, but I buy from Zappos because it's cheaper to return shoes that I only try on indoors - and there have been many!).
I understand that hiking boots are a niche market, but there are so many vegan (or at least non-leather) trail runners and regular hiking shoes, that it seems at least a couple models could be made in wide. Sigh. I suppose either more vegans need to hike or more hikers need to become vegans.
Thank you again for your help!!
If I were you, I would try just using the Injinjis without anything over them. They have a few different thicknesses of the Coolmax only material (no wool blend), and you can find which feels best and fits best for you. I have been going it with just a pair of the liners for the past couple of years, and they are great. Most importantly, since switching to the Injinji toe socks, I have not had a single blister. In addition to that, they are great at keeping my feet from getting overly hot.
If you call Injinji and order directly from them, you can explain your situation, order a few different thicknesses of their socks, and they will allow you to return the ones that don't feel right for you, so that you can then order more of just the version that is right for you.
Like I said, I have been through all of this already. No sense in re-inventing the wheel.
"Not many miles, but a whole lot of smiles." Vegan Packer
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