shoes durability

1. use more durable shoes, like approach shoes

2. seam grip all exposed stiches and joins

3. keep paying the piper and justify it all when blowing through shoes by telling yourself its worth a few onces

;)

Hig and Erin darn their "barefoot" shoes with Spectra fishing line as they go. Hig got 800 miles of totally off-trail use out of a pair this summer, but they are long past the point most people would use them. They'd only gone 200 miles when they got to our house and they were already looking pretty ragged. Pictures (after the whole trip, I believe) in the link below.

http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/photo/worn-shoes/

Were you are hiking in them as if they were heavy-duty boots? Would you have jammed your bare foot into that crack in the talus? Maybe if you hike as if (and where) you'd hike really barefoot, you'd get more miles out of them? I'm starting to play with "barefoot" shoes myself and like them for some trips. So it's good to know one might need a new pair in every resupply box. That would be a rule out for me. I've used my Merrells only on trails, the gym, and walking around town on business trips (because they're so light and compact in my luggage) and I haven't noticed unusual wear.

Edited to +1 on Eric's suggestion to use seam grip all exposed seams. I'd try a bead of "Shoe Goo" over all exposed stitching as that seems to be what fails first. Super cheap and available in any hardware store, silicone sealant (allowed to set for a few days) could also add protection to the seams.

Thanks for the link, that's some impressive repairs!

Yes, I am probably not careful enough with my trail runners. However, when your foot gets jammed or abraded on rocks it's painful enough, so if I could avoid that I would. It just happens when you hike long enough and are tired enough. I hear you about being more careful with light shoes though.

The best solution is to start using leather approach shoes again and deal with the slow dry times. They were built for those conditions.
80 miles is just sad for a pair of shoes. Durability is on a shoe by shoe basis, I'm sure someone here will tell us about a pair of lightweight quick drying shoes that last for 400+ miles.

Same experience here with the Sparks. I am on my 5th pair right now. I never managed to kill a pair in 80 miles, but I wore a new pair on the Sierra High Route and at the end of the 200 miles I had worn the lugs down to a smooth surface and the outsole was beginning to separate from the shoe. Average lifetime for me with the Sparks is approximately 400 miles.

> is there a solution
Maybe change brand? We get MUCH better life from the New Balance shoes we wear.

Cheers