Recommendations for best gripping boot?

[dwbpa1]

The current pair of OBOZ i wear for day hikes do not have a very good grip on wet surfaces. With an upcoming thru hike in 2019, I would like recommendations for very good gripping boots in wet conditions. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Slo-go'en]

Good luck, I have yet to find any such thing. Some are better then others, none are all that great. For best grip you need soft rubber but for long life, you need hard rubber. So they compromise somewhere in the middle. Or try too.

I had pretty good luck with a pair of Jack Wolfskin boots this summer. They lasted about 500 miles, not too bad for a lightweight boot.

[Venchka]

Read what the Section Hiker has to say about the La Sportiva Ultra Raptors.
I own 2 pairs of Ultra Raptors. I don’t have enough miles on them to offer a long term review. They do grip well on tilted slabs of Colorado and Wyoming granite.
They aren’t boots. They are just fine for backpacking with or without trails.
Wayne

[RangerZ]

The current pair of OBOZ i wear for day hikes do not have a very good grip on wet surfaces. With an upcoming thru hike in 2019, I would like recommendations for very good gripping boots in wet conditions. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I agree that Oboz don’t seem to grip well on wet rocks - but they were the only brand available when I needed a new pair of boots in Damascus. I think that Lowa Renegades have a better grip.

[JC13]

Best wet grip shoes I have found so far were the Vasque Constant Velocity. They are trail runners though and not boots, feet got too wide to continue wearing them. Great cushion though especially if you heel-strike. I had multiple times where others were sliding on wet rocks and I was having zero issues.

[dwbpa1]

Thank you.

[tdoczi]

almost every new pair of boots or trail runners ive ever had grips fabulously for about 3 days. and then they dont.

i'm notoriously hard on shoes, so maybe it might be a week for normal people.

[MtDoraDave]

The keen targhee 2 has been great for me on most surfaces. I haven't hiked in anything else, do I don't know how they compare.

[Wavey]

Well, you prob know vinram soles are pretty good at traction n gripping.

[Traveler]

almost every new pair of boots or trail runners ive ever had grips fabulously for about 3 days. and then they dont.

This has pretty much been my experience as well. Though I have seen some boots lose their grip but seem to regain it after a hundred miles or so. I think a lot depends on the type of surface and what is on the surface that will be between your boots and whatever you are walking on. I avoid trying to walk on wet roots or wood given they will secrete water sometimes as you step on them, mud is a self fulfilling prophecy that will ultimately lead to a slip if not careful, algae/lichen/moss can be treacherous on rocks and slaps even on dry days.

When you find the ultimate traction sole that gets more than 200 miles of wear, please let me know!

[Mouser999]

I took my Merrill MOAB's to a shoe repair and had Vibram Lug soles put on. They work better than the standard Vibrams that come with the boot.

[Deadeye]

I've been very pleased with the traction on all of my Salomon shoes. On the flip side, I found my Altra Timps to be extra slippery, and relegated them to pavement after 2 short hikes.

[RockDoc]

For gripping you want a softer rubber, probably with more surface area contact than the hard Vibram type boots that we all have worn for decades (those are for mountaineering, really). Watch out for deep lug boots, they can trip you up on sticks and rocks. Some of the more popular trail running shoes might be a good choice. I've had good luck with North Face, but several others too...Oboz are not bad.

[camper10469]

in my younger tears i had a pair of reichle boots that had black vibram soles. those boots gripped like billi goats!

when i replaced them 20 years later, the new boots slipped on anything wet. wet logs n roots, wet rocks.. etc.. the traction sux! i hate all the new soles on boots today. seems the newer soles are made of plastics instead of carbon rubber. car tire rubber was what soles were once made of.

i wonder if vibram still makes soles like the old ones?

this is what great boots looked like...

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...mageBasicHover

[Tipi Walter]

in my younger tears i had a pair of reichle boots that had black vibram soles. those boots gripped like billi goats!

when i replaced them 20 years later, the new boots slipped on anything wet. wet logs n roots, wet rocks.. etc.. the traction sux! i hate all the new soles on boots today. seems the newer soles are made of plastics instead of carbon rubber. car tire rubber was what soles were once made of.

i wonder if vibram still makes soles like the old ones?

this is what great boots looked like...

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...mageBasicHover

Love your post. I've been saying this for years---lug sole boots really grip the trail and don't tend to slide as much in mud. Nowadays most backpacking boots feel like every step is risky---and when I follow backpackers wearing tennis shoes, i.e. trail runners---I notice how often they slide on muddy trails---leaving their "skid marks". Boot soles are so bad nowadays that I often consider just slapping on my Microspikes even with no snow on the ground---just to get that lug grip.

You can still get Vibram lug soles but they don't generally come on decent lightweight backpacking boots. And the lugs aren't all that deep.

v109vibram-109-logger-sole-heel-unit.jpg
Not so deep lugs.

413JI+TOkBL._AC_.jpg
But much better than most boot soles.

[peakbagger]

If you really want Vibram lug soles, Peter Limmer and sons use them on their stand and midweight boots. They are lifetime investment if taken care of and they will replace soles.

[TwoSpirits]

I have a pair of modern "combat" boots that have a Vibram sole and have the best grip of any hiking boot or shoe I've ever tried. They are made by (or sold by) a company called Blackhawk!, that sells mostly tactical type stuff for military or law enforcement.

And yes, I do hike in them.

I spent a long time and a lot of money to come full circle back to these boots that I've owned for years (not these exact boots; this is my 3rd or 4th pair.)

They are less expensive, give better support and protection, and are infinitely more comfortable than anything else I've tried -- everything from Merrell's, Lowa's, Solomon's, etc. (And they weigh an ounce less than the Solomon's, too ) The Vibram sole is a good, "grippy" compound, and the lugs are spaced well so as to not collect a lot of mud, etc.

I'm probably the only person who hikes in army boots.

[Hosh]

LOL, I’m pretty sure there are lots of active duty solders that wish you were right about being the only one to hike in them!

[Tipi Walter]

I have a pair of modern "combat" boots that have a Vibram sole and have the best grip of any hiking boot or shoe I've ever tried. They are made by (or sold by) a company called Blackhawk!, that sells mostly tactical type stuff for military or law enforcement.

And yes, I do hike in them.

I spent a long time and a lot of money to come full circle back to these boots that I've owned for years (not these exact boots; this is my 3rd or 4th pair.)

They are less expensive, give better support and protection, and are infinitely more comfortable than anything else I've tried -- everything from Merrell's, Lowa's, Solomon's, etc. (And they weigh an ounce less than the Solomon's, too ) The Vibram sole is a good, "grippy" compound, and the lugs are spaced well so as to not collect a lot of mud, etc.

I'm probably the only person who hikes in army boots.

Back in the 1970s/80s I wore Nam jungle boots for all my backpacking trips and they had good lug soles for the most part.

Tipi Walter Camping at Laurel Falls on AT,-L.jpg
Near Laurel Falls on AT 1980s in jungle boots. I actually used them in the jungle too (1972---Republic of Panama).

Jungle boots have been out since 1942 (developed in Panama matter of fact) and had several sole configs. Like this---

Third_Pattern_Jungle_Boot_Panama_Sole_2.jpg

[Leo L.]

Jungle boots have been out since 1942 (developed in Panama matter of fact) and had several sole configs. Like this---

Third_Pattern_Jungle_Boot_Panama_Sole_2.jpg

I'm doing most of my hikes in similar boots, developed and manufactured by a local company here around the corner especially for the Austrian Blue Helmets

(the middle one in my pic), and for winter hikes / snowshoeing I'm using the winter boots designed for the Austrian Alpine Military (the one to the right).
I just love boots for hiking mostly due to the simple fact that no debris is falling in from the top, so I don't have to untie and empty the shoes all the time.
Those military boots are sturdy, soles can be replaced and they are comparably cheap.

The grip of the soles on the winter boots ist just perfect (old-style black Vibram), the grip of the Blue Helmets' boots sole on wet rock is just OK, it being a special Vibram to not wear out too quick on sharp rocks. Desert means no wet rocks, anyway.