Suggest a lightweight shoe for heavy loads and lots of Water+ technical terrain? Raptors, Salomon X Ultra ?

Everyone's feet are different. But I've had great luck with the La Sportiva Boulder X approach shoes for off-trail Grand Canyon hiking (i.e. technical terrain and water carries). The soles wear down fast, so it's an expensive habit – but my feet feel more comfortable in them than anything else and that's what matters.

Nick, thanks for the suggestion on the La Sportivas, but I think that the leather and suede that form the uppers of those shoes (as opposed to a synthetic mesh etc.) would take a very long time to dry. I want to find a shoe that is burly enough to handle technical terrain, but also fast drying.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the La Sportiva Helios (not the SR version, though). Just remember to size UP one full size.

I recently picked up a pair of Patagonia Rovers and they’re fantastic for what you’re talking about. I got them mainly for their grip on rock (which is great), but they’re also very quick-drying, light weight (20 oz), and have a wide toe box. They have a rock plate in them too, so they provide good protection and work fine with microspikes. So they meet all of your requirements.

Here’s Dave Chenault’s review of them at ToeSalad. Patagonia discontinued these (along with the rest of their footwear line), and Amazon appears to be running low on some sizes. So get them while they’re still around!

Michael,

I have a a couple of pairs of the Salomon Ultra X's. Been using them twice a week for about 2 to 2.5 years now.
Have them in mid (GTX, take ages to dry) and the lower version in mesh.
Also had the Ultra Raptors but for me they didn't fit well. I have a narrow foot. If you have a average to narrow foot the Salomon's might be better. If you have wide feet the Ultra Raptors might be better.

I think the Salomon X Ultras are more sturdy. Good thing is you can still run on them as well.
For me the mesh version dried really fast, with thin wool socks on it didn't "feel" wet anymore in 5~10 minutes, but I only used them in really high temperatures.

They work well with microspikes, have used them extensively with those.
The outer sole and overall shoe construction is very tough to the point of being indestructible. Really in between a light trekking shoe and a tough trail runner. I wore mine for 30~50Km treks/runs twice a week on very rocky terrain for more more than a year and they were completely fine still. No issues on the upper, sole rubber very solid still. I felt the insides had a bit less support so in the end I did replace them with new ones.

My only gripe is the rubber and sole is very solid, but there is no rock plate. After 40 Km I really start feeling the bottoms of my feet. After 55Km they would be battered. But, I do think they give better protection than many lighter trail runners that do have a light rock plate. Certainly seemed more protective than the Ultra Raptors for example. The raptors will feel a bit lighter I think. The problem could also be simply that I have a bit sensitive feet, although it would seem that they would be somewhat conditioned by now (certainly not for a lack of training).

Not to try to sell these at all, just sharing my experience. I think fit would be one of your most important factors to figure out?

Have also used Montrail Bajada a lot, but less protection than both Ultra X and Ultra Raptors. Have run a lot with heavier pack on technical trail in the JP Alps with Ultra X. Montrails would run nicer but wasn't sure if support would be enough and I was glad with my choice there. Love La Sportiva Mutant as well, not sure if Ultra Raptor would give more protection but it does seem like it.

Hope you find what you need.

Mitchell and Ito…..both of your suggestions are very helpful and make the Patagonia Rovers and Salomon X Ultras seem like excellent options for my intended use. Just for clarification:

1) I have rather skinny ankles and heels.
2) The front of my foot is a bit wide with a taller big toe, so I like a roomy toe box (both of the above options seem like they may work with my foot shape).
3) I want a minimalist upper for faster drying, but I'm not a minimalist hiker/runner, so I feel like I need a somewhat substantial and forgiving sole as opposed to a minimalist sole, especially since I'll be doing a substantial amount of boulder hopping.

Without trying both of these shoes on yet, a significant advantage of the Patagonia's over the Salomon's seems to be weight (20oz. vs. 30 oz)

I hiked the Winds from Big Sandy to Green Lake with some CDT hiker friends who were thru-hiking at the time. I brought my leather Keen hiking shoes thinking maybe this trail would be too rugged for something lighter. That was a big mistake. There were a couple of creek crossings where I got my feet wet, plus one very rainy day. I never had dry feet ever and it was fairly miserable for my feet. There was nothing about the hike that would require anything more technical than trail running shoes. Even climbing Knapsack Col wasn't much different from doing some of the high passes on the JMT when there's snow. It was similar to Mather Pass when there's snow. I probably would have been very happy to have crampons but I didn't have any and made it. Nobody in my group had crampons.

I moved the other way, from Brooks Cascadias to X Ultras, last fall. My feet feel so much better at mile 15 because of the stiffer sole. Hiking here in the desert is means lots of rocks poking at your feet. Durability is much better than the various Cascadias I've hiked in over the last few years. They've been great shoes for me.

Off topic but interesting to hear about your Wind River Range experience, Piper.

I'm doing a trip into the Cirque this year, but a loop that goes over Knapsack Col is on my todo list.

Do you have a published trip report anywhere?

I love the LaSportiva Raptors and Ultra Raptors. I have even used them elk hunting where I have carried 100+ lb loads off trail.

If you can stand my terrible layout, I have some pictures with captions. If you click on any individual picture you can see bigger ones and go next, next, next through them.

http://santabarbarahikes.com/gorp/albums/winds_2012/

I put about 2400 miles on the Saucony Xodus 3 – I'm 175 lbs – vibram sole and mesh upper help up extremely well – most durable trail runner bar none that I've tried, including New Balance, Montrails and Salomons. forefoot rock plate, 4 mm drop and a roomy toe box, much more so than any La Sportiva, Montrail or Salomon I've tried (some NB of course come in wider widths). Tread has a very solid grip. Light enough for trail running, while plenty supportive for backpacking. I'm giving a new pair of Xodus 5 a go now.

Carrying 100 lbs with it? The only time I've done this is when I moved a bunch of heavy furniture and boxes while wearing the shoe at around 2200-2300 miles, which ultimately killed whatever cushioning was left.

Keep in mind that whichever trail shoe you get, carrying very heavy weights with it will destroy the cushioning much sooner.

I know you didn't mention these but I wear Merrell Moab Ventilators. Not UL but LW. About 30oz per pair. I've been wearing these for a while now after wearing traditional boots for years. The transition has been easy. It still feels like a hiking boot with a substantial sole but just a lot lighter. I'm not sure how fast they dry but I have read they do dry well. Report back on what you get. Good luck!

Can't speak to the Salomon's you mentioned but I do have the LaSportiva Ultra Raptors and love them. Solid yet nimble. Both ends are protected. The toe area is protected with a stiffer material that protects from banging into rocks. The heel has a solid cup which also protects.

If they fit properly, they are a good shoe to do the job you're asking it to do. In that regard, I couldn't get it to fit right as it seemed to be too narrow. I gave up actually. Then, I tried it a size up and it fit perfectly. Great shoe.

Micheal, I think your analysis was a very thorough one, and that the Ultra 2 and Ultraraptor should both work well. Buy whichever fits better.

From your description I think Altra shoes would fit you well. The more padded versions have some decent stiffness and I like them for carrying heavy loads. Their shortcoming is mesh in the upper which doesn't last especially long, and below par rubber which is not very sticky.

I have Altra Lone Peaks. The fit of my New Balance is much better. Believe it or not, they are much wider in the toe box. I have not found Lone Peaks to be wide enough in the toe box. I will probably just order the next size up in Lone Peaks even though I already know my heels pop out of them a bit.

I was going to order the salomon x Ultra 2 and La Sportiva Raptors in order to try them on. However, i won't know their grip until I wear them outside and can't return them. I was leaning more towards the Salomons' since my impression is that the sole is more substantial. However, i read some people saying that the SAlomon "cantagrip" soles are very slippery on rock, especially wet rock. I'll be doing a lot of boulder/big talus. Is this peoples' experiences with Salomons shoes? If so, i should go with the La Sportivas if they fit well. i know the La SPortivas' are specially known for their sticky rubber.

> I was going to order the salomon x Ultra 2 and La Sportiva Raptors in order to try them on
> Hoewver, i won't know their grip until I wear them outside and can't return them. I was
> I'll be doing a lot of boulder/big talus. Is this peoples' experiences with Salomons shoes?

I own now or have owned:

– Salomon XA Pro Ultra 3D
– La Sportiva Ultra Raptors
– Brooks Cascadia 7
– Altra Lone Peak (1.0 and 2.0)
– Saucony Xodus 4.0

I bought the Salomons because I needed to carry a heavy pack (almost 60 lbs) over a 9+ day trip
in the Sierra. They do have incredibly stiff soles and supported my feet well with that weight on my back. The stiffness of the sole makes it not grippy. I caught myself sliding several times on wet talus and on sandy talus and boulders. But they performed perfectly for the weight.

Would I use them again if I wasn't carrying that weight? NO!

The Saucony Xodus have a very solid sole and are a comfortable shoe overall but again the sole is made of stiffer rubber: liable to slide on wet or sandy rock.

I used the Brooks Cascadia 7 on a trip over Alpine Col – the talus field by Goethe Lake is one of the most brutal! They performed very well but were pretty worn after that one trip.

I love the Altra Lone Peaks but I'd worry about their durability. I've taken them on a couple of shorter Sierra boulder hopping trips and they were great.

I have the least mileage (yet) on the La Sportiva Ultra Raptors but they feel super secure on all kinds of rock, scree, gravel. Again, I worry that the soft, sticky rubber may cause them to wear quickly. I'm looking forward to putting some talus miles on them in the coming months.

Probably not the long winded answer you were looking for but there it is.

Another vote for the Salomon XA Pro Ultra 3D. I've used mine with pack weights up to 40lbs & have been really pleased with their support & comfort. I tried the X Ultra, too, but found the sole to be less substantial. It didn't offer the same level of support for my somewhat severe pronation (and I weigh 225 lbs).
They dry pretty quickly, and they've kept my blister-prone heels free from hot spots or blisters. I use mine in the fairly dry southern Rockies, so I haven't had too much experience with lack of grip on wet, slimey roots like you guys get in the NE or NW.

Steep and Cheap website currently has shoes on sale. Solomons, Keens, Salewas, ect. May be a good place to try something for a discounted price.

since you mentioned class 4 terrain …

IMO one VERY important aspect is the surefootness that you will absolutely not slip and fall

class 4 terrain is basically very easy climbing with serious consequences

a proper approach shoe/boot with climbing specific sticky rubber and an "edging zone" helps insure this

most of em should be able to handle some weight … fit is everything

;)