Need help with women’s shoe for backpacking-newbie!

Amy Tan are you the author?

Second question, How much weight in your pack? That will determine which type footwear to buy. Where you will be hiking will also be a big factor.

You have stumbled upon the great marketing double standard. I have the same problem finding any outdoor clothes or shoes. I guess women don't buy hiking footwear as often a men.
I found my boots at REI a few years ago. The salesman looked at my foot and set me up with a sweet pair of Keen boots. They are like heaven on my feet. No, really compared to my former boots, these are great.

Since I live in the mid-west, I don't know what store are in you area. Is there a Cabela's? or EMS? Mom and Pop outfitters? I know you would like to be fitted, but Zappo's has free return shipping, and lots of boots.

I hiked last summer with a 30# pack (that's not base weight, that includes my consumables) and a pair of heavy Keen boots. I got blisters from hell. This year, I'm using a pair of Inov-8 boots, which are about 11 ounces per shoe. My feet are much happier, and now that I'm trying toe socks, even better. I would have used the lighter boots last summer, but my ankles were simply not strong enough–they wobbled and I supinated a lot. The answer was working out to strengthen my ankles, not wear heavier boots. I think these are a nice bridge between the heavier boots and the lighter weight shoes. I order mine from Zappo's, as they have a liberal return policy. You aren't supposed to wear the shoes outside to try them out, but just put plastic bags over them so they don't get dirty or scuffed. Definitely go to the company web-site, and check out the different lasts they use. The lightest weight boots (Roclite 288?) use their performance last, which may or may not be the best for long distances. The slightly heavier boots have a wider toe box, and are constructed on their endurance last, and have a little more cushioning, which might make them a better choice if transitioning from traditional boots.

http://www.inov-8.com
http://www.zappos.com

Each person is different, but I think you could probably get your pack weight down low enough to use a low cut, lightweight shoe, especially if that's what you like for hiking now. It's what I use whether I'm solo and carrying 10 lbs, or if I'm the family pack mule and carrying 60-80 lbs. Of course, I'm moving much slower in pack mule mode!

I think Inov8 and New Balance are good choices, and they have a wide range of models to chose from. Go to a store where you can try out a wide range of brands and models. Fit is impossible to judge without trying them on.

Avoid waterproof footwear. They'll eventually get soaked, and then they'll hold in water the whole trip. If you really need waterproofing due to cold weather (less than 40-50F or so?), then there are several waterproof sock options which will work better than waterproof shoes.