Hiking or Trail Boots and Shoes

[JatoTheRipper]

What boots or shoes do you guys use for trail runs? I typically wear sneakers, but I'm looking to move on from that. Sometimes I like boots that cover the ankle for support, but I also want something more flexible than work boots. I also want waterproof.

I know there are "adventure" shoes like Altra, Keen, The North Face, etc., but I'm looking for personal experiences and feedback on specific brands/shoes. I absolutely won't buy Nike.

BTW this is my 12,000th post on RCC! I've been a member for almost 12 years so that's about 1,000 posts a year. Time flies when you're having fun!

[Jim85IROC]

I've got a few different sets of shoes, depending on weather and environment.

99.99% of the time I wear my Saucony sneakers. I just prefer sneakers, and I don't need ankle support.

I've also got a set of Merril hikers. They're ok, but they're heavier than my sneakers (like, at least 2x the weight) and they make my feet sweat like a fat guy eating habaneros.

Lastly, I've got a pair of "Guide Gear" boots. They're my winter shoes, but also my hunting boots. Waterproof, warm, and great traction. These are what I wear into the woods when I'm off trail (i.e. hunting or scouting) as well as what I wear everywhere all winter long.
I've had this pair for going on 3 or 4 years now, and they're holding up extremely well. I'm not sure if they're still available, but I'm sure something similar is.
https://www.sportsmansguide.com/prod...-gram?a=552713

[high plains drifter]

Congrats on the milestone, Jato. You've helped out a lot of people here.

I wear Merrell's and have been for at least 5 years or more at work and doing outdoor activities... hiking, trailing rc's, etc. The ones that I mainly wear are the Moab Ventilator's. They're lightweight, ventilated ( so no... not waterproof unfortunately), pretty damned durable, and insanely comfortable. These are a mid-height so they offer adequate ankle support. Additionally they grip on the rocks. They're also available in wide widths.

If anyone needs a good trail shoe and doesn't need it to be waterproof and especially if you have wide/ flat feet... these are worth looking into imo.

[rkj__]

I wear a waterproof, mid height, hiking boot.

Currently, I have the Oboz Bridger Mid BDry.

https://obozfootwear.com/en-ca/produ...dry-waterproof

They are comfortable and rugged. The rubber toe cap gives good protection. The sole is nice and stiff, so you don't feel rocks poking through the sole. The aggressive tread does well in dirt and mud, but is a little slippery on wet rock.

I have admittedly had some durability issues with the sole. The orange rubber tread blocks were ripping away from the black rubber of the sole. However, Oboz did replace them under warranty after 11 months of use. Their service was very good.

[Almighty Malach]

Altra /thread. My Lone Peak 4.0 have been amazing trail/running shoes and are never lacking traction. They offer taller shoes with more ankle support too that are still lightweight and flexible.

[JatoTheRipper]

Thanks, all. Great info. Please keep it coming!

Originally Posted by high plains drifter

Congrats on the milestone, Jato. You've helped out a lot of people here.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Almighty Malach

Altra /thread. My Lone Peak 4.0 have been amazing trail/running shoes and are never lacking traction. They offer taller shoes with more ankle support too that are still lightweight and flexible.

I wouldn't say that. Options are good. If you only look at one brand, like Altra, you don't know what you're missing.

How long have you had your Altras?

[TheLetterJ]

I know there's hundreds of solid choices out there, and I really haven't tried too many brands to give an unbiased comparison, but... I had a pair of Merrell's (that I can't recall the specific model name of) for 10 years before shoegoo could no longer save them, so I've just been wearing my Redwing work boots while I contemplate the purchase of new hikers. Looking at Merrell's current product line, they looked virtually identical to the Moab 2 mid waterproof (so I'm guessing it may have just been the "Moab"?) Those were the single most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. The mid height (5") was just tall enough to offer ankle support without totally limiting movement like a 6-8" would. Wearing a size 14.5 AA makes it difficult to find something that fits, but going down to a 14m was narrow enough for me to actually tie them without the leather touching in the middle, so that was a plus. They felt like featherweights to me (compared to what I'm used to) at around 3lbs.

I would suggest springing for the Gore-tex version over their "waterproof" version as it will definitely offer better breathability and longer lasting water resistance. I bought the "waterproof" version simply because that's what was in stock in a brick & mortar store where I could actually try them on. I refuse to buy shoes without being able to put them on my feet first since I've had some 15's fit tight and 14's fit comfortably from the same brand, same model.

[Almighty Malach]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

I wouldn't say that. Options are good. If you only look at one brand, like Altra, you don't know what you're missing.

How long have you had your Altras?

I've had these for over a year and a half. That's countless trail miles, two 5k races and lots of daily wear. I have flipper shaped feet so the wide toe box is a god send, every other shoe pinches my toes and starts to hurt after a few miles on the trail.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by TheLetterJ

I know there's hundreds of solid choices out there, and I really haven't tried too many brands to give an unbiased comparison, but... I had a pair of Merrell's (that I can't recall the specific model name of) for 10 years before shoegoo could no longer save them, so I've just been wearing my Redwing work boots while I contemplate the purchase of new hikers. Looking at Merrell's current product line, they looked virtually identical to the Moab 2 mid waterproof (so I'm guessing it may have just been the "Moab"?) Those were the single most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. The mid height (5") was just tall enough to offer ankle support without totally limiting movement like a 6-8" would. Wearing a size 14.5 AA makes it difficult to find something that fits, but going down to a 14m was narrow enough for me to actually tie them without the leather touching in the middle, so that was a plus. They felt like featherweights to me (compared to what I'm used to) at around 3lbs.

I would suggest springing for the Gore-tex version over their "waterproof" version as it will definitely offer better breathability and longer lasting water resistance. I bought the "waterproof" version simply because that's what was in stock in a brick & mortar store where I could actually try them on. I refuse to buy shoes without being able to put them on my feet first since I've had some 15's fit tight and 14's fit comfortably from the same brand, same model.

I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum. I got girl’s feet! I wear 7, 7.5 or 8 depending on brand.

Gore-Tex is a great point!

Originally Posted by Almighty Malach

I've had these for over a year and a half. That's countless trail miles, two 5k races and lots of daily wear. I have flipper shaped feet so the wide toe box is a god send, every other shoe pinches my toes and starts to hurt after a few miles on the trail.

Interesting. All tire bad I’ve read about Altra is that they don’t last. Good to know your experience is different.

I have narrow feet so wide shoes are bad for me.

Originally Posted by hobbyjumper

Also, last Sunday I spent six hours trailing/hiking through the snow (and scaling cliffs when it came to that) in these. Good solid boots, too, if it gets cold where you live.

We have winter here. The problem is my feet get hot and sweat a lot in warm weather.

[HumboldtEF]

All I can add is make sure they fit well and are laced tight. If not as you stand on hillsides and uneven ground your feet will be sliding around in your shoe and in my experience this makes for some sore feet at the end of the run.

[cul8tr]

Keen Newport H2. Razor siping in the tread for extra grip on wet rocks.I like the fact that my toes are covered. No sticks, rocks stabbing my toes and no ripped off toe nails. Light so they don't weigh/wear you down on long hikes/walks.

Muck boots Muckmaster for the messy stuff.

[h22a4]

Merrill is all i wear great durability not too warm not too cold. I usually wear the soles out before they fall apart. However I do have wide feet so I can only speak to the wide width ones.

[JatoTheRipper]

Does anybody have experience with boots from The North Face? They have nice looking stuff and they can be found in lots of local stores.

Originally Posted by hobbyjumper

Then I would recommend the Vasque Breeze. They are designed with that in mind.

Well I don't want them breezy in the cold winter though.

Originally Posted by h22a4

Merrill is all i wear great durability not too warm not too cold. I usually wear the soles out before they fall apart. However I do have wide feet so I can only speak to the wide width ones.

That sounds good - a nice compromise in terms of temperature.

[rkj__]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Does anybody have experience with boots from The North Face? They have nice looking stuff and they can be found in lots of local stores.




Well I don't want them breezy in the cold winter though.




That sounds good - a nice compromise in terms of temperature.

A pair of North Face boots was the runner-up when I was shopping, but I liked the way the Oboz hugged my heel more.



Honestly, footwear is pretty personal. Go to a store, and try on everything. Find out what your feet like best, and buy them. Don't buy boots because they look nice, or some dude on the internet said they were great. I initially passed up the pair of boots I ended up buying, because I thought they were ugly, but once I tried them on, I decided they were the winner.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by rkj__

A pair of North Face boots was the runner-up when I was shopping, but I liked the way the Oboz hugged my heel more.

Honestly, footwear is pretty personal. Go to a store, and try on everything. Find out what your feet like best, and buy them. Don't buy boots because they look nice, or some dude on the internet said they were great. I initially passed up the pair of boots I ended up buying, because I thought they were ugly, but once I tried them on, I decided they were the winner.

Agreed. In the end it's very personal - especially in terms of fit.

Originally Posted by hobbyjumper

I have a pair for winter and a pair for not winter, like every Canadian, is what I'm saying.

I hope I can avoid that, but are winters are much milder than yours.

[nightcrawler48]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

We have winter here. The problem is my feet get hot and sweat a lot in warm weather.

As TheLetterJ suggested, Gore-Tex is probably a good choice and you might consider moisture wicking socks. The only downside for me is these socks are almost all man-made fiber - nylon and polyester blend. I can't wear any of that, cotton or wool only for me. There are some that are wool and nylon/polyester blend but I haven't tried these and they seem to be more difficult to find.

I'll sometimes take an extra pair of socks to change into after trailing/crawling.

[GA Dawg]

Originally Posted by rkj__

Go to a store, and try on everything.

This is the only correct answer. Everybody's feet are different. I'd find an outfitter (not REI) that specializes in hiking and backpacking. They'll be able to steer you in the right direction.

[Shinchu]

i found a pair of columbias for $50 at famous footwear. works for me. i wear them camping and for backyard work. nice and broken in now but they hurt the first few times. rubbed on the back of my heels. fine now though.

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by rkj__

I wear a waterproof, mid height, hiking boot.

Currently, I have the Oboz Bridger Mid BDry.

https://obozfootwear.com/en-ca/produ...dry-waterproof

They are comfortable and rugged. The rubber toe cap gives good protection. The sole is nice and stiff, so you don't feel rocks poking through the sole. The aggressive tread does well in dirt and mud, but is a little slippery on wet rock.

I have admittedly had some durability issues with the sole. The orange rubber tread blocks were ripping away from the black rubber of the sole. However, Oboz did replace them under warranty after 11 months of use. Their service was very good.

I've had a couple pair of those in the low tops and they are good traction, waterproof and breathable, but the soles do wear a bit fast on rock/sidewalk use. The toe box could be a bit fuller ala Altras for my feet, but they work.

Originally Posted by Almighty Malach

Altra /thread. My Lone Peak 4.0 have been amazing trail/running shoes and are never lacking traction. They offer taller shoes with more ankle support too that are still lightweight and flexible.

I've got couple pair of Altras that I rotate out, love the zero drop soles (heels make my back hurt), they tend to wear out a bit fast though ime.

Originally Posted by HumboldtEF

All I can add is make sure they fit well and are laced tight. If not as you stand on hillsides and uneven ground your feet will be sliding around in your shoe and in my experience this makes for some sore feet at the end of the run.

Yes!

Originally Posted by rkj__

...Honestly, footwear is pretty personal. Go to a store, and try on everything. Find out what your feet like best, and buy them. Don't buy boots because they look nice, or some dude on the internet said they were great. I initially passed up the pair of boots I ended up buying, because I thought they were ugly, but once I tried them on, I decided they were the winner.

Agreed!

Originally Posted by nightcrawler48

...I'll sometimes take an extra pair of socks to change into after trailing/crawling.

ALways take a spare pair of socks, swapping them in the mid afternoon is like a fresh cup of coffee, dunno why but it's a great refreshing pick me up! Try it, you'll like it. I've found that the best socks in summer or winter are nice Merino wool blend, soft, wicking, with enough thickness for little padding but not overly thick.

Originally Posted by GA Dawg

Everybody's feet are different. I'd find an outfitter (not REI) that specializes in hiking and backpacking. They'll be able to steer you in the right direction.

Yep, everybody's feet are different, I've got D or just over width but kinda thin top to bottom and longer big toe, pita to find shoes that fit and when I do, buy several pairs! I'm wearing my Altra Esclante Racer NYC versions right now, comfy but not waterproof at all.

For all-terrain sandals I've got a couple pairs of Chacos Z/Clouds and love em!
https://www.chacos.com/US/en/z-cloud...Sandal&start=1

[ferp420]

ive got a pair of safty sandles they work great on custruction sites or while hiking the only t8me i ware boots id when im riding the dirt bike and only if im going for a long ride