Footwear is pretty personal, since fit is probably the most important criteria. After that, it depends on what kind of hiking you’re actually doing and how much weight you’re carrying (both pack weight and body weight). I can get away with lightweight trail shoes (New Balance 809’s, etc.) on nice trails on day hikes, but when I’m carrying a backpack in the Sierras, it’s almost always Lowa Tempest Lo’s with the green Superfeet insoles. Stiffer, thicker sole with more protection for the bottoms of the feet. In winter, I’m currently wearing Lowa Whistler GTX’s for snowshoeing and Salomon SMLite’s for climbing and crampon work (I don’t go up vertical ice, so they don’t have to be *that* stiff). I don’t know if either of the latter two are still in their respective product lines — I got them in closeout deals.
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