When would you hike with running shoes vs hiking boots

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I’m not sure I understand what difference rocks make.

Years ago I was at mile 2200 or something like that on the PCT and the trail was full of big tilted rocks and some blowhard was standing nearby giving a lecture to his friends, using me as an object lesson of the dangers of stupid ultralight hikers and their inadequate equipment. As if 2200 miles didn’t prove my equipment’s worth. I’m totally minding my own business, hiking in my brand new blinding white Brooks road running shoes I bought at the Seattle REI when I hear him talking about me. “Look at how dangerously inadequate her shoes are. Look at how her ankles bend!” I stopped and looked at my ankles. Yes, they were bending. Wow. Isn’t that what ankles do? That made no sense to me.

Also years ago I hiked a portion of the JMT wearing Chaco sandals and a skirt. My feet were never happier. People made comments when I went by. “Wow, that creek barely broke your stride.” I hiked over several passes, but the worst was Muir pass. There was a lot of snow on the south side for a long way and I lost the trail for some distance. The snow would ball up under my toes and stick to my wool socks. It was annoying, but not a huge deal. And snow isn’t rocks. The rocks were not a problem.

By the way I have not stubbed my toes any more or less than when wearing shoes. I have stubbed my toes wearing shoes lots of times.

[Kattt]

Sounds like trail runners always work  for you Piper, great.
We are not all the same . For myself and others there are places where they are inadequate and then we use light boots. Some people do it all barefoot.
This is one of those things where some people believe their way is the way and others need to jump on board. I disagree with this in general and here in particular.

 

[Kattt]

FWIW I like tools and I believe that Visegrips are maybe the single best tool one can carry for general purposes. If I don’t have a hammer I’ll try the Visegrip for that too but if I have both I’ll pick the one that works best.

[kevperro .]

I’ve suffered the same judgment of my gear or lack thereof on the trail.      I wear shorts all year……shorts + gaiters in the winter unless the wind kicks up.     I must get a dozen comments every mountain I climb about how I must be cold or really warm-blooded or some other such approval or disapproval.

All that matters is that you are comfortable and getting out there and doing it.

[kevperro .]

Oh… and hammers are MUCH better than Vicegrips.   I don’t know what you are thinking.

[Kattt]

^^^lol.
exactly

[AK Granola]

I think the resurrecter ? of the thread meant she was 45 pounds overweight and over age 60. I’m not sure if that impacts her footwear decision and moves it toward trail runners or boots. I am about 20 pounds overweight and 56, but trail runners have been a game changer for me, *after* lightening my pack. Losing the 20 would help too, but that extra body weight does not mean I need the boots. I still use boots in snow, and on off trail tundra hikes, where there is just too much shoe-sucking mud, tussocks, scree, and what not. On trail it’s trail runners for sure. But 45 pounds over? I have no idea. You’d definitely want some supportive footwear.

[SIMULACRA]

I did say “as a rule”….were you wearing running shoes through that?

I was teasing Jscott. I did put a wink in there.

Um, let’s see here. On that trip I was wearing my La Sportiva TX4(1st pic) (2nd pic, August not much snow) TOPO Mountain Racer (they got tore up). Super grippy and light for the boulder jumping I was doing but would have really preferred my Garmont Dragontails for the rock plate and toe rand protection. I took that trip in September and the only snow travel was some sparse hardpack snow fields and the glacier down in Surprise Basin where the Dragontails would have performed better. I did survive

[SIMULACRA]

PS: I’ve got several different sizes of vice grips

[Kattt]

^^^ then you are set

[jscott]

“I was teasing Jscott. I did put a wink in there.”

 

You did! I was kidding back, but maybe it didn’t come through. More power to everyone that can wear running shoes and such while backpacking; they’re way lighter etc.

[Author]

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