Looking for hiking boots that work well in wet/slippery conditions

[nartreb]

As far as I can tell, Salomon calls all its soles "Contragrip". There seem to be different kinds: "winter Contragrip", "runner Contragrip", etc., each spanning a variety of tread styles

My old workboots with Vibram soles and a simple deep ridge tread were much better on wet slabs than my Salomon "water shoes".

 

[Mike P.]

I also have found the contragrip & the Asolo to be good. Years ago I Merrell approach shoe that was soft & had great traction. LaSport & 5-10 make climbing shoes so the advise on their brands should be great.

Now for 1Adam12's comments, nothing works on the Allen Slide It's about the only place I hav found in the ADK's like that. Most of the bare rock areas in the High Peaks have great traction even when wet.

 

[NewHampshire]

This may be of no use to you, but my LL Bean Cresta's have proven to be a simple joy to own. Mine are a bit beat up but are still waterproof and are only starting to get a little slippery on me (this, I suspect, is from the approximatly 500 miles of trails put on them ) but would buy another pair in a heart beat. The only catch......they are technically backpacking boots, so may be heavier than what you are looking for (they are along the lines of Limmers)

Brian

 

[Silverfox]

Montrail Trail Runners,,Stratos series..in my opinion, stick better to what used to be slippery rocks and ledges better than any vibram sole i have ever tried...Nice and lightweight as well..goretex..You may only get a season or so out of them but they are virtually slip proof

 

[una_dogger]

Well the ultimate test will be: Take your new boots and head to the Allen Slide in the ADK. If they stick on your ascent please let me know what you bought. I will definately buy a pair

LOL

I was brave/crazy enough to try out a brandy new -out of the box- that morning pair of boots on Allen. No issues that day, nor the next day in the Santas or the next day Marcy/Gray/Skylight. I'd say I put 'em to the test that three day weekend!

They were awesome, and still are. Asolo -- call me Old School, but nothing beats a pair of heavy weight leather hiking boots when it comes to grip and support on slick rock.

http://www.asolo.com/ita/prod_det.php?area=2&catid=4&itemid=81


Very comfy -- supportive and protective of balls of feet on rugged stuff....soles have lasted about 400-500 miles before showing/feeling real wear...mine are near replacement age..don't waste your money on the goretex version, either model leaks like a seive (but has great grip and contact).

BTW, I think Drewski wears these, too.

 

[drewski]

he does...

 

[Abster]

I had a couple of pair of Lowa GTX's back-to-back - great right out of the box and on all surfaces.

 

[jfb]

I've had good results with Salomon Contagrip rubber. I get good traction with my Vasque Breeze shoes with Vibram rubber and my rock climbing shoes by Boreal also have good rubber.

 

[LRiz]

Wow! Thank you to all for the suggestions and advice.

 

[--M.]

LOL

I was brave/crazy enough to try out a brandy new -out of the box- that morning pair of boots on Allen. No issues that day, nor the next day in the Santas or the next day Marcy/Gray/Skylight. I'd say I put 'em to the test that three day weekend!

Holy crap, this is the first time I really felt I needed one of these:

Those are three hahd-coah days in row! In NEW BOOTS?!

Wow. Congratulations.

In new boots...


wow.

 

[--M.]

Wow! Thank you to all for the suggestions and advice.

Oh yeah. I was totally thrown off by that ADK story.

I heard a complaint by a Limmer wearer that the "Lightweight" sole (a Vibram) was too stiff and slippery, an opinion I found to be pretty severe once I had gotten out there on my pair. I just now had them re-soled, and while I did switch to the heaviest, most-durable option (you can only re-sole so many times), I haven't had any complaints for traction, and have seen others take spills which I avoided in identical foot-placements (preceded a partner up the Beaver Brook trail and warned him about the mossy stones.., just as he wiped out).

I am now also on my sixth month of breaking in a new pair (Standards) and will put them to their first hard use this weekend.

The guys at the shop can apply a variety of grippy soles, as long as it's a Norwegian welt. Glued shoes are one-timers, but would maybe be preferable for a dry Huntington Ravine.

Before I got good boots, I made do with some old-school Doc Martens (from before they went to China): plenty of ribbing from the thru-hikers, but they had incredible grip! They just can't take the abuse. Thru-hikers, that is.

Another friend likes his Salomons, too, and my wife LOVES her Merrell's.

Good luck, and please further describe your actual slippage anecdotes!

 

[J.Dub]

As far as I can tell, Salomon calls all its soles "Contragrip". There seem to be different kinds: "winter Contragrip", "runner Contragrip", etc., each spanning a variety of tread styles

+1 on the Salomons w/Contragrip! Didn't know about the different kinds, tho, will have to check that out.

I have a pair of Salomon low hikers that I love, and my Salomon trail-runners are uber-sweet.

IIRC, the treads on the trail runners are called the I-Ran Contra grip...

 

[Darl58]

LOL

They were awesome, and still are. Asolo -- call me Old School, but nothing beats a pair of heavy weight leather hiking boots when it comes to grip and support on slick rock.

http://www.asolo.com/ita/prod_det.php?area=2&catid=4&itemid=81


Very comfy -- supportive and protective of balls of feet on rugged stuff....soles have lasted about 400-500 miles before showing/feeling real wear...mine are near replacement age..don't waste your money on the goretex version, either model leaks like a seive (but has great grip and contact).

BTW, I think Drewski wears these, too.

Darl wears these too@!@! I bought them days before I hiked the Grand Canyon and no sore feet or blisters in hot sweaty conditions! Love these boots!! Wear them almost 4 seasons!!

 

[leaf]

I was brave/crazy enough to try out a brandy new -out of the box- that morning pair of boots on Allen. No issues that day, nor the next day in the Santas or the next day Marcy/Gray/Skylight. I'd say I put 'em to the test that three day weekend!

that was a good weekend. still kickin' myself for not doing marcy/gray/skylight with you the third day.


people 'round here really love to talk about their shoes, eh?

 

[sierra]

Ill tell you right now, Merrill Wilderness. You can buy them at the hardware store in Gorham, these are all you will ever need for a 3 season boot. Full grain leather, stiff yet supple, watewrproof with the proper treatments, they breath great and you can run down trails slick with wet leaves like a deer.
They will set you back about 240.00 but my first pair went 10 years of weekly hiking.

 

[una_dogger]

that was a good weekend. still kickin' myself for not doing marcy/gray/skylight with you the third day.

Damn straight, and you woulda loved the 4 Sewards in a Day hike.

Good luck with your boots, Rizzy. Break in time?? Never heard of such a thing!

Holy crap, this is the first time I really felt I needed one of these:

Those are three hahd-coah days in row! In NEW BOOTS?!

Wow. Congratulations.

In new boots...


wow.

Damn good boots, I tell ya what...