At first, I loved my Asolo Fugitives but I noticed that after I increased my daily mileage past 10 I started having severe foot pain right behind the toes. I had been thinking about trying out trail runners, and after experiencing so much foot fatigue with my boots I picked up a pair of Nike trail runners. The shoes work great, for the most part. The comfort level compared to boots is just, well, not comparable. My feet feel great. They aren't sweaty, I don't have nearly as much foot fatigue and I just feel lighter on my feet, which has definitely made me a stronger faster hiker.
But I have to admit that I miss the protection of my boots. Recently I was on a 45 mile trek in the Hell's Canyon Wilderness over some pretty rugged terrain and I found that the soles of my shoes just weren't enough to protect my feet from rocks and other debris on the trail. Some sharper rocks actually caused quite a bit of pain, and I was a little jealous of my boot wearing companions. Also, during brief bouts of rain and stream crossings water was penetrating my shoes and soaking my socks. I found myself trying to dry my shoes on breaks and in camp at night after days in which I encountered water.
My question is this: Is it possible to get the best of both worlds? A lightweight, breathable shoe that will still protect my feet? I shopped around at REI and it seemed like most footwear is either one or the other. Anyone got any recommendations or ideas about that?