Shoe weights

Ben, you may not get a straight answer.

I went down this road two years ago when I was seeking some ultralightweight "camp shoes." Some web sites will just list a weight and then won't tell you whether it is for one shoe or one pair. They sell shoes by the pair, so you would think that the specifications like weight are by the pair, but that is not necessarily the truth. Further, if you telephone to a retailer to ask the question, you may not get a straight answer there either. If the product literature says "5 ounces," then that is all that they know. One retailer told me "6 ounces per pair," so I purchased them online and received them. They were slightly more than 6 ounces each. So, I called back to the same retailer and asked the question again, and I got the same wrong answer.

I guess you almost have to walk into a store in person with your digital scale in your pocket.

–B.G.–

On that site it says 1lb 14oz (per pair)

I think usually they are per shoe though. Or maybe it just depends on what the manufacturer feels like listing.

Yeah, I saw that Phillip, but I asked precisely because of what Bob just outlined.

reviews comment on how light they are. so that weight must be per PAIR

I have held a pair of those in my hands before (at Bass Pro maybe? cant remember) and remember thinking "wow these sure are light". So my guess is that weight is per pair. They are just mid top trail shoes, no reason they should be too much heavier than the same thing in low top.

According to Backpacker.com a pair of 10.5 (US Mens) is 2 lbs 2 oz.

http://www.backpacker.com/gear-review-montrail-sabino-trail-mid-gtx-boots/gear/15439

On Moontrail a reviewer says that his size 10 (US Mens) are just over 17 oz each.

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/product_Montrail-Men-s-Sabino-Trail-Mid-GTX-Shoes_10096039_10208_10000001_-1_

That sounds about right. I have a pair of Merrell Moab mid GTX boots that look similar…a little mesh on the outside and a GTX liner inside. For my size 12 (US Mens) the pair weighs in at 41 oz (or about 20.5 oz each).

Hope this helps.

Thanks Ty, that's helpful. Any impressions on the quality?

assuming you meant 497g and not 4497g, that weight would be for one shoe based on the shoe you listed.

it is probably more common to list shoe weights by single shoe, but they can be lsited both ways.

these days a heavy trail runner would weight around 400g per shoe.
a mid weight trail runner would weigh 300-350g per shoe.
in my book, anything under 300g per shoe is getting down to the minimalist level, although a true minimal shoe would be under 250g per shoe.

the listed weights are typically for a size 9 shoe but not always.