Boot suggestions

[nokehiker]

Hi, i have a little experience with day hiking, but nothing compared to the thru-hike. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of hiking boots. I will be begin in Maine going south, starting in september.

Thanks

[Feral Bill]

You will be hiking through the winter. Are you otherwise prepared for that? It might not be a good choice for an inexperienced hiker. On the other hand, bugs, heat, snakes, and crowds will not be issues. Give it some thought.

[Lyle]

Will he be hitting winter conditions up north? If so, I agree, not the time or place for inexperience.

If not, by the time he hits winter in the south, he will be experienced and will have worked his way into it. should be much less of a problem.

[oldbear]

This is a bit off topic But your first priority is making sure that you don't get shot during hunting season ; so Blaze Orange clothing and possibly some gear will be important for you to have .

[Firefighter503]

Everyone's feet are different. I really liked my Solomon Quest 4D GTX boots with green Superfeet, which gave me exactly 1 blister over 1500 miles or so (due to back to back sopping wet days, 26.2 on the second day). With that being said, I now wear Cascadia 7s. I don't have any hiking miles yet on them, so I can't comment on them yet though.

[nokehiker]

my plan was to start up north where its just out of summer and the weather is reasonable and start going south where i would end in georgia during late winter. i was thinking that by going south during that time, by the time i hit georgia the weather will be cold but reasonable due to its geographic location.

[Feral Bill]

Will he be hitting winter conditions up north? If so, I agree, not the time or place for inexperience.

If not, by the time he hits winter in the south, he will be experienced and will have worked his way into it. should be much less of a problem.

If he gets past New Hampshire by mid October it should be okay, barring unusually early snows. I'm considering a similar thru, someday, and don't know what I'll do for footwear, probably trail runners with Sealskinz. Resupply seems more challenging , too.

[MaggieMaeFlower]

I started out with Keens waterproof mid-hight that came right above my ankle. The boots are on the heavier side for most thru-hikers. I chose them because I have wide toes and most shoes give me blisters on my pinky toe. Keens tend to have a wider toe box. I switched to Solomon trail runners during the summer and loved them. Regardless of what brand you choose, I recommend changing the insoles to something like Superfeet. They feel hard and stiff at first but help with the alignment of your knees and spine and might save your arches from dropping due to extra pack weight. A proper fit is also key! Size up! My feet went up at least a size and a half, if not more, after I had been on the trail for about a month. Take your socks with you when you purchase your boots. If you will be hiking in the cold, your socks will be thicker and you will probably be wearing more than one pair like many thru-hikers do. Happy Hiking!

[nokehiker]

do you think Keen Gypsum Mid boots would be suitable?

[MaggieMaeFlower]

They look similar to mine except they have less pink. (I'm a female) They have the same waterproof/breathable technology too. I would not order them online! Make sure you go try them on and get properly fitted by an associate from that department. I know other past thru hikers that have liked there Merrells as well, but I have not tried them. You will probably go through 2-3 pairs of shoes/boots on a full thru-hike, even the best soles are no match for sharp rocks. From my experience and the experience of my friends the boots are worn down more on the north end of the AT. So you may not have to live with your purchase for too long. Just a warning.