trail shoes vs. boots

[bruno]

the "backpacking boot" thread has me thinkin' about the whole boot wearin' issue (if indeed there is one). i really really like my boots. i have 2 pairs o' limmers (the standard black ones and the lightweight brown ones--ok, i admit, i'm a boot ho) and have worn them happily for years (even had to resole the brown ones once). when i run the trails though i wear asics trail shoes. for the past few hikes (with some runnin'), i've eschewed my beloved boots and just worn the asics--even in the northern rocky parts of the presidentials. for me they've turned out to be ideal. maybe i have sturdy ankles or maybe it's because i never carry more than say about 15 or so pounds, but the trail shoes are a revelation. i think my nice big ol' leather limmers may just be worn every now and then for old time's sake. i mean i hope they're not obsolete as i (like i say) love 'em. aesthetically they are pleasing to me. trail shoes are disposable, but i find myself wearing them all the time now. i feel all conflicted and ambivalent!!!

just wonderin'--anybody else just wear trail shoes all the time now no matter where they go and how many nice boots they may own?

 

[mike46r]

I've used trail running shoes for two seasons of light hiking. I also have heavier leather hiking boots and for me it does not seem to make any difference - I roll an ankle on the descent on just about every hike, no matter what pack I have.

Most hikers, it seems, me included, tend to favor keeping their favorite hiking shoes forever. I wonder if there is any reason to change them the way we change running shoes to avoid injury.

 

[ajtiv]

Trail Shoes

I just made the switch after using my trail runners TNF ultra 102's on two hikes one to Allen and one to Colden from South Meadows. Both fair hikes in length with rock and mud.
My boots have been chafing my legs pretty badly and my old boots have lost their tread which is why I made the switch; it was to be a temporary change but I felt good after Allen.
I have tried on a number of boots including the Limmer ultralights and they just don't seem to feel good.
One issue I had was the bottoms of my feet did feel a little sore towards the end of ther hike. The plus is I feel faster and more agile in the trail runners.
I just bought Montrail Mojave XCR trail shoes that have a more sustantial sole and better torsional control.
I think they will be the thing I wear for a while.
I used to think you had to wear leather boots to hike I don't anymore.
Al

 

[jfb]

just wonderin'--anybody else just wear trail shoes all the time now no matter where they go and how many nice boots they may own?

I wear trail shoes whenver there's no snow on the ground, even when carrying a pack weighing up to 35 lbs. or so or in the Northern Presidentials. My shoes (Salomon Expert Low) have a very supportive heel cup and pretty stiff soles. I don't need any ankle support.

Once the snow starts to fall, I'll wear a pair of Gore-Tex lined boots with about 6 in. uppers, not for the ankle support but to keep my feet dry.

 

[^MtnMike^]

I wear a pair of Merrell Mesa Ventilators trail shoes. I like the trail shoes better than the old leather hiking boots I had. They are a lot more comfortable and I feel lighter on my feet. I really like the trail shoes for scrambling and slabs because I feel like I have an easier time with foot placement (I felt clumsy in my hiking boots).
I did get a little bit of foot pain when I first started using them, but I've never had any ankle problems in either the boots or shoes (YMMV).

The only minor complaint I have is that I end up with a lot more "junk" in my shoes because of the low cut. Little sticks, pebbles, leaf litter, etc. But a quick stop to empty the shoe takes are of that.

^MtnMike^

 

[Jkrew81]

Thats funny that you bring that up b/c just recently I forgot my boots up north so I was forced to use my trail runners and I def could notice that going up does just seem so much easier. Not only was going up easier, I was able to run some of the flatter sections of trail and do small sprints up shirt steep sections. No wonder that vast majority of AT thru hikers swear by them these days.

 

[KevCon223]

I switch between my Montrail Torre GTX's (which I love) For rougher hikes and My New Balance 976's for light hikes. The 976's are very comfortable and I find Myself wearing them around town also.

 

[KMartman]

I am torn with this same issues as well, and as earlier mentioned in this thread, on a section hike of the AT recently I was AMAZED to see how many thru hikers had opted for the trail shoe/running shoe. One thru hiker even ditched his boots about 300 miles in because he just couldnt shake the blisters from the full boots.
I am certianly going to switch for my next multi day hike, as like others I don't have too many ankle issues and would seriously enjoy comfort.

M

 

[Sleeping Giant]

After 40 years of wearing boots I tried trail shoes for the first time last summer. I liked them so much I haven't worn boots since, except in winter. I like scrambly terrain, and I find that the trail shoes give me much better touch and traction, not to mention the fact that they're a lot lighter. Boots used to make me feel as though I could conquer anything - you know, that s**t-kicker kind of feeling - but that sensation wasn't too different than how I'd feel walking around in cement shoes. The lightness and touch of the trail shoes are a vast improvement.

 

[JackH]

trail shoes

I have been thinking about this issue as well as I just did Mt Adams and had considered wearing my Nike ACG as I have found them very comfortable on short hikes here in CT. However I opted for wearing my Asolo FNS85 on Adams because of the weight I was carring and with all the rock hoping I thought I needed better ankle support. It turned out to be the right decision. The Asolos were great and my feet never hurt after about 15 miles or so. I think the trail runners would have left me in pain. It is a matter of weight, conditions and the support each person requires I think. Anyhow after I got home and cleaned up I finally threw out those old EMS jobs, made in Germany, that I had for 20 years and resoled twice. To think of all the miles in put in those things that would never bend and the best thing about them was taking them off at the end of the day. There is a definate trend I think for lighter faster footwear.

 

[Halite]

i really really like my boots. i have 2 pairs o' limmers (the standard black ones and the lightweight brown ones--ok, i admit, i'm a boot ho) and have worn them happily for years (even had to resole the brown ones once).

I've never really liked any pair of boots I've owned. I've spent hours trying on boots, and I'm always hopeful that the new pair is going to solve the fit issues I have in stiff boots. The problem has mostly related to heel lift when trying to move at a good pace in stiff boots--guaranteed heel blisters.

So I've set the boots aside and use approach shoes (with a really good heat moldable insole), even on rocky terrain with a heavy pack. The results have been stellar: no blisters, no foot pain, no real fatigue.

Strangely, I find my Koflachs very comfortable. The soft inner boot seems to mold to my foot, and so no blisters. I'm not sure what I'll do in the hip seasons when it's cold and wet but not quite time for the plastics. Maybe a lightweight goretex hiker?

 

[hockeycrew]

I generally prefer trail runners under most situations except for very wet or very snowy situations (yes, I like trail runners on packed snow). I find my ankles often hurt more after a twist in a hiking book than in a trail runner, I'm not sure why that is. There have been times however, where I wish I was wearing my boots instead of my trail runners and vice versa.

 

[Puck]

After I ripped off the sole of my boot I tied it up with some extra twine the next day I hiked out from 13 Falls via Wilderness, Thoreau Falls and Ethan Pond back to the car at Zealand Rd. I retired the boots to the car and donned trail runners for the rest of my trip. We hiked Wildcats and the Carters in these trail runners. Fortunalty it was dry. I was thinking what if...rain, sleet, snow...I guess we were lucky.

 

[Gris]

Ye old boot v. shoe thread.

It's a simple equation for me. Shoes (or sandals, if ya keep from stubbing yer toes) are better in warmer weather - provided they have good tread and enough "beef" underfoot - unless yer carrying a heavy pack in which case boots prevail.

 

[RoySwkr]

There is a definate trend I think for lighter faster footwear.

I was at EMS Peterborough the other day and there were twice as many trail runners on display as traditional hiking boots, if you count lightweight boots with the trail runners it was like a 5:1 ratio. And Mr. Schlimmer suggests sneakers for the medium-length trails in his book.

Of course rock climbers have used thin-sole lightweight shoes for years but they were looking for traction not cushioning.

I did buy some imitation Survivors to wear bushwhacking down S in snake country through mountain laurel where you can't always see your feet. My sister got some nice fang marks in her boot (and a photo of the rattlesnake that made them) on a trail in Mesa Verde last summer so I'm staying away from anything as light as canvas shoes in spite of their other advantages.

 

[GorpBurp]

trailrunners

I've got a pair of Merrel trail runners and I love em. I normally would only have worn them on short runs around Sleeping Giant but after a jaunt in the Pemi ending in a 16.5 mile walk on railroad beds, my boots had masticated my feet completely. The problem: we were only halfway through our weeklong trip AND Puck's boot sole had deployed from the mothership. I spent the next day waiting for my boots to regurgitate my hoofs. The next day, we banged out Hale in the trail runners which, by the way, brought our time down to about 5 seconds.

We still had to do our Wilcat-Carter overnight, and with the boot problem, we had to use the runners. It was a pretty good test for them because we were using semi-full packs of about 30 lbs., which they probably shouldn't be used for. The first (Wildcat Ridge) day, they were rigt at home with the rocky scrambles of the Ridge trail. We descended down to the Notch Hut without a hitch. The next day went smoothly except for a few ankle-rolls on the descent.

All in all, I wouldn't use them for a backpack, hell no, but for a series of day hikes or an overnight, they're just fine. The only downside: the lack of akle-support (but hey, I twist my ankle over pebbles)