Footwear – Endless options? Where to begin…

You are going to see most of the people on this forum wearing light weight trail runners. That's pretty much the standard.

The standard answer for footwear, I'm afraid–what fits YOU and is comfortable for YOU under the conditions in which you hike and with your pack. Everyone's feet are different! That being said, I switched from boots to trail runners three years ago and have never worn the boots since.

I've owned some traditional heavy hiking boots and just switched to trail runners based on recommendations here and really like them. They are light breath well and dry fast – all good things! Ymmv of course but well worth trying .

Thankfully I've worn new balance neutral running and cross trainers for years so I knew the right
kind of nb trail runners that would work for me.

I whole heartedly reccomend trail runners, but which trail runners depends on your foot. I would go to your local outfitter or even better running store and get the best shoe fitter they have. Make sure it is a pro and not someone just working a summer job or something like that and try on as many as you can. Get the footwear right or the rest of your trips will be miserable. Don't forget good socks. I prefer thin wool socks such as defeet.

"Get the footwear right or the rest of your trips will be miserable. "

Thats what I'm afraid of. Great points though, find a pro shoe fitter (Those still exist??), I dig it!

I've been browsing around and generally speaking I'm looking at Keen or perhaps a Saucony trailrunner like the Outlaw. But I guess I'll just have to go try some on. I would just hate to drop $150 and a week later discover that they're not for me, not sure if there's a place with good return policies on shoes lol./

Thanks for the tips though!

even in the world of Trail Runners, there are dozens and dozens of options.
when starting from scratch, it is often easier to whittle down the selection by discovering and defining what you don't like, rather than what you do like. you can eliminate possibilites pretty quickly this way, and then focus on the remaining few.

Any trail runner that feels good in the store for a few minutes should be "good enough" to start with. I would focus on comfort first, price second, all other considerations don't really matter until you have an idea of what you like/dislike and what works best in your terrain.

Some points to keep in mind though:

No waterproof shoes. Don't let the salerep talk you into them. Sneakers are low topped and water will flood in from above anyway (I have a waterproof pair and NEVER wear them because they take way too long to dry out).

Your feet swell on the trail. If a shoe feels comfortably snug in a store, it'll probably be too tight out of the city. Despite the common wisdom, I've never really had a trail runner "break in" and feel much more comfortable after wearing a while. Find something snug, then size up a 1/2 size or more (some folks go up even more than that. Depends on your tolerance for floppy toes, how much your feet change, and probably width of foot). So take that into account.

Buy from REI or some other store that has a great return policy. Especially if they fit you…that way if you get some "expert" sales person that sells you a bum shoe, you'll be able to exchange for a better size or brand.

The lighter the shoe, usually the less durable. I prefer really light and flimsy shoes but also am fairly nimble footed so rarely tear up the tops. If you're new to hiking and your region has lots of rocks or plants to snag your feet, getting something a bit heavier but durable will make you more happy as you learn and grow in experience.

Minimalists shoes are amazing, but they aren't for beginners. Get something with a rock plate and decent padding under foot (still avoid any pronation control shoes though) so that your feet aren't totally beat up at the end of a day. I started with some light but decently padded Inov-8s and love them. Only now that I've been walking in vibrams five fingers in the city consistently am I really feeling padded shoes "limitations" on the trail. So don't get too overzealous on that front (if you're even interested in it).

I am a minimalist shoes guy too. I have been using vivobarefoot aquas with the insoles removed, very thin. I can feel every tiny pebble. I feel very uncomfortable and unstable hiking in thicker soled shoes. I love pushing off my forefoot. In find that they work best for going off trail. All of that gravel and pebbles on trail can really start irritating you.

Mt1010''s just got in today, I like them so far in the hour or 2 playing racquetball in them.

I am not a trail runner nor any kind of shoe expert. I picked up a pair of Inov8 Roclite 315 which I like. The light weight and breath-ability of trail runners is a real pleasure compared to boots. These shoes have enough tread for grip in most conditions and enough sole protection so your feet don't get sore from rocks. Any of the roclite series would probably work fine- the 309s and 295s as long as they fit. Like others have said, a roomy fit to allow for swelling is a must. Oh and make sure you can comfortably lace them up enough so your toenails aren't jamming the front on downhills.

lots of good advice. definitely find a store w/ a liberal return policy- REI probably being the best. Also look at runningwarehouse- they have a 90 day ("we expect you to use them") policy and have a very wide array of trail runners

fit is foremost, everything else comes after