Hiking shoes

Inov-8 found here available from REI, Zappos and many other suppliers in the USA. They are the most comfortable and supportive shoes I have used. Furthermore, they have soles that are designed for the outdoors.

I'm partial to New Balance trail shoes myself (I like the extra roomy toe box) and have carried packweights above 50 lbs while wearing these shoes when I was training for a climb up Mount Rainier. But I also hike a lot year round and my feet are used to high mileage days. I've got to ask how much physical prep you did before your last trip? I wouldn't think your feet should be sore just after 7-8 miles unless you really weren't physically prepared for the trip.

My guess is that switching to another shoe isn't going to help much.

-adam

There could be a couple of different reasons.

You mention that they were 'very lightweight' running shoes. Are we talking almost racing shoes?

Was the trail extremely rocky? My feet hurt badly one day after 15 mile day hike where I was stepping from rock to rock most of the time. Although not as efficient, hiking shoes need some rigidity to spread out the impact from rocks.

Were the shoes worn out? Or a poor fit?

Have you worn these for other activities and found them comfortable? I had a pair of shoes that were just a little too narrow in the mid foot and after working out about 30 minutes my feet would ache badly.

Or maybe there's something else going on.

Physical condition wasn't my problem adam, I run 4 miles a day. However, as kirk asked, the trail was extremely rocky. My shoes are a great fit, are not worn out and have served me well without any discomfort for hundreds of miles of running. The rocky theory may hold up as the running shoes aren't very supportive in the horizontal direction. I just found that my feet ached. My shoes aren't racing shoes either, they are the Asics kayano 12. Good, durable shoe, but not very supportive in the horizontal direction while walking on extremely rocky terrain.
I have seen things about the Inov-8, but I don't want to order online for fear of a poor fit. Also, the nearest store carrying them (from their website) is 2 states and 8 hours away. Also, there are different grades of cushion, represented with arrows I think. What grade do you use Roger?

Hi Stephen,

I also use Inov-8 shoes (specifically the Flyroc 310) but not all the time. These are very lightweight and minimally-supportive shoes. They are part of the "barefoot running" movement in which the shoes provide minimal support to allow natural foot movement on the trail. In BackpackingLight print magazine #5, Alan Dixon writes a great article on the subject- you should really check it out.

That said, my Inov-8s were before the cushion rating system- I think they are like 2.5's. They are marvelous shoes but it took me awhile to strengthen my ankles and feet to adapt to the minimal support. Now I love them and rarely use anything else. However, I'm looking at their 3 arrow cushion models for longer distances.

For winter I use a Montrail Hurricane Ridge- more support for snow edging and Goretex for warmth. For scrambling and rugged off-trail, I use a La Sportiva Exum Ridge because of its edging, friction climbing, and toe jamming strengths.

Now, getting to your problem. First you need to zero in on what caused your pain. I once got foot bruising by using a soft road running shoe in rocky terrain. That was miserable. I also get foot soreness now from using a shoe that is too stiff because it limits my foot movement (and I'm used to more movement).

Deciding if you need more or less support will be the deciding factor between trail runners (more support and restriction of movement) and Inov-8s (less support and more free movement).

I also buy trail shoes at least a size bigger than normal. In the past I used my running shoes and found that swelling of the feet caused discomfort (and coldness).

Best of luck with your journey! You should try the barefoot approach- at least sometimes. You might be suprised at how much you like it.

Doug

Stephen, footwear and foot conditioning are critical to having an enjoyable experience.. I think your shoe outsoles were too soft for the terrain; why else would a runner like yourself have sore feet after just 7 miles? Look for a shoe with a full shank..?

Any shoe choice should have a 'last' which matches your feet, but I recommend what I use.. Inov-8 Terroc 330s for smooth terrain and low pack weight, and Montrail Torre GTX for rough terrain and/or high pack weight. For socks I use wool toe-sock liners and REI light wool hikers (low or high depending on temperature). Took me a long time to dial this in, but it works perfectly for me. Let us know what eventually works for you?

For readers not familiar with the shoes I mentioned:
http://www.inov-8.com/Product.html
http://www.montrail.com/Product.aspx?prod=46&cat=150&top=1

Adam, What model(s) of New Balance do you like? I have tried various brands of trail runners and keep coming back to my New Balance 809's due to the fit. I just wish they had a little firmer sole and better traction.

Gerry,

I'm a happy user of the 809's as well. I plan to pick up a bunch on clearance soon. I agree that the traction isn't so great for really muddy or rocky terrain. I first started using the NB's after losing toe nails on a trail marathon with some shoes without enough room in the toe box. Since then I've used the 809's for trail marathons, 50 milers and a 100k, plus plenty of hiking and backpacking.

I really wish the INOV-8's fit me better, I liked their tread and the low heels, but after 8-10 miles the rim of the shoe would numb my ankle bone.

-adam

On the AT, you will find most folks who go the distance use trail runners. Folks who start in boots frequently (usually?)convert. I have not seen anyone go back to boots after using trail runners.

If your feet ached on your test trip, the make and model, fit or age of your shoes was to blame. That does not mean that all trail runners will cause pain. Hiking is different from running and uses your feet differently. It also changes the way your shoes fit. What fits for running may not fit for hiking – especially in length.

Innov8 and Nike Free Trails are the lightest trail runners. Innov8 is more of a bare-footer, having less heel than the Nike. The stride is more the toe-down, stalking step of barefooting. I prefer the Nike Frees, myself, because I have gotten stone bruises (under the heel) with Innov8 and can't afford that on the AT.

Regardless of what trail runner you choose, if you have used boots a lot, and if you have not worn running shoes for hiking a lot, your feet and ankles will have attrophied. Again, hiking uses your feet differently. You will need a training period to adjust. With either Innov8 or Frees the training period may be a revelation. Even after using trail runners for extensive backpacking for years, wearing Frees made my feet and ankles noticeably stronger and my balance became balletic.

Some trail runners depend on structure – such as the heel cup – for balance. This is not a secure system. If you use aftermarket insoles or heel pads that raise the level of the heel in the cup, the cup will not function properly and turned ankles become more likely.

It sounds like you may have used an old pair of runnig shoes. Some board lasted trail runners rely on the board to provide arch support. When the board breaks down you lose support – which happens imperceptably from the time you put them on – and usually makes them painful to wear before you have walked 400 miles. Others use the sole shape – which continues to work over the miles.

Regardless, a training period will let your atrophied feet learn to walk again. The plantar fascisti, the parallel tendons under your foot, need time to remember their job. This can take a few months.

what do you think about the new GoLite line up with the treds that act as spring to conform to the ground. Would those better than the Inov-8s?

Stephen,
I have no idea about the Golites and can only offer a theoretical opinion without trying them on the trail. What I see is a traditional trail runner with a hard heel cup and a soft heel strike. I commented on hard heel cups in an earlier post. The soft heel strike is another issue.

You will notice that the heel of the Golites, like that of many conventional trail runners, extends behind the heel cup. This part of the heel is composed of a softer material that is supposed to absorb the energy of the heel strike to soften the impact. If it were made of harder material, this shape would put undue force on the shin muscles and would cause shin splints – over use irritation of the shin muscles and tendons. The problem is that the material loses its resiliance as it ages and sooner or later either breaks down or stops flexing enough. In the latter case, you get shin splints. In the former case, you just get a harder heel strike (no real problem). Some shoes and boots use an undercut heel to place the heel strike in line with the heel-ankle-shin system so the shin muscles don't have to take any undue stress – as in barefoot walking. For example, shoes as different as Vasque Sundowners and Nike Free Trails are made with the undercut heel. To their credit, Golite seems to have undercut the heel a little bit. I just don't know how well that will work in practice. It looks like a compromise to keep from having a radical looking shoe.

I don't know how the Golites are lasted. I assume you know about board lasts, slip lasts and mixed lasts. If they are board lasted, the board will begin breaking down from step one. The others use the sole to provide support. New Balance has both board and mixed lasted models. You can tell by pulling the insole out and looking at the seam closing the upper. Board lasted shoes have a seam around the edges where the upper meets the sole. Mixed lasted shoes have the seam around the heel, but it angles to the centerline of the footbed in front of the heel.

The only ways to keep a board lasted shoe from breaking down is to 1) insert a shank under the midsole to support the area from the heel to the ball of the foot; or 2) extend the heel under the arch to provide support. Shanks are a bit heavy for running shoes. They had their origin in boots that had to have a distinct heel notch – such as western riding boots, logger's boots. They have been used since to make up for poor design. Again, I don't know how Golite is handling this.

I've had great success with Salomon XA Pro 3D shoes. They're designed for adventure racing but work well for hiking and backpacking. 75% of my usage is on the AT and trails like it, in particular through MD and PA which are regarded as some of the rockiest portions of the trail. Lateral stability is great due to a widened heel. Underfoot support is decent, more protective than most running shoes I've tried. I supplement the protection with Superfeet and that's been a noticable improvement over the stock insoles.

I went with these first and foremost for fit, where I needed a roomy toebox and medium heel. I cannot compare the fit to recent NB shoes so maybe my specifics will give you some idea of what to expect.

The lacing system is 1/2 gimmick, 1/2 practical. They're 100% synthetic and very breathable, on par with Montrail Hardrocks, maybe a bit better.

My current boot of choice is the La Sportiva Makalu. Flexible enough for comfy hiking, but stiff enough to allow for proper crampon technique and step kicking and to support my feet under the 40+ pounds I carry (for SAR).

I wear Salomon Tech Amphibs for 3 season trips. I like that they drain water quickly and allow my feet to dry faster. I haven't had any problems with twisting my ankle on any terrain, so I'm sticking with them. I do need to replace the insoles in them though.
For winter/ colder weather hiking I have an older pair of Merrel Pulse Mids. They're waterproof (not GTX though) and have worked very well for me over the past 3 years. They provide good traction and keep my feet dry and are very comfortable.

Adam

Thank you all very much. I am definately most interested in the popular Inov-8s. They seem more of my style. I also think that my problems were a combination of not training with a backpacking and my running shoes enough and the extremly rocky terrain. My next purchase will definately be new hiking shoes.

I use everything from barefeet to full blown combat boots when out on the trail. It all depends where Im going, when Im going, what Im doing, etc etc.

There is not a single set of footwear perfect for all feet or perfect for all conditions. Something that works for Mr Fastpacker probably wont be as appreciated by the guy who literally stops to sniff every flower on the trail. The guy carrying 5lbs of gear has different needs than the guy carrying 15lbs of gear, who has very different needs from a sheep hunter (who regularly use UL principals getting up the mountain, but might be coming down the mountain with over 100lbs packs). The guy doing class 4 ascents definatly has different needs from the guy strolling through grassy meadows… and NONE of those guys may have the same needs you do!

Many people do great with trail runners when hiking. I found them to be the cause of MOST of my hiking woes. Under some conditions, trail runners work well for me… under most others my feet ache, my ankles roll seemingly constantly, I trip often, and I just have a bad bad time.

The point is that you might need to experiment for a while to figure out what is the right shoe for your feet, your terrain, your style of hiking. Unless of course the guy recommending you shoes has the same foot problems you do, has the same foot type, has the same conditioning, and hikes in the same area… getting a shoe recommendation that REALLY works for you is a craps shoot.

All that being said……..

If your feet are hurting after going over rocky terrain, have you tried looking into approach shoes.

Perhaps I should have included in my post that I have used Inov 8 Terroc 330's and Flyroc 310's. And both are great in my view.

Right now REI has the Roclite 315 on sale for $60. They have a number of sizes available too.

Adam

thanks for the info, I am very interested in the inov-* flyroc, they seem perfect for me. I can't wait to try on a pair the next time I go to Alabama.