Hiking shoes advice

There's a lot of threads on this, you might search and read those, also.

I use New Balance, personally. They do have soft soles- I get a season out of each pair, basically. But they're comfortable, I don't blister in them, and they grip variable terrain well.

thanks, I did find a few other threads. I guess at this point I need some feedback on the different models I listed :)

General advice is what I can offer on this, as I don't have your feet.

Since fit is the single most important thing with footwear (as it is with packs), the only person who can tell you whether any of those models is correct for you is you. Try 'em on; otherwise, a shoe that might be "perfect" on paper (or electron, as the case may be) winds up killing your feet.

That being said, yes, the sole on grippy trail runners is going to wear out faster (generally speaking) than boots. Boot soles are intended to last longer and be more durable; the converse to that is that they're more restrictive of movement and heavier than trail runners.

I've never put too much stock in "ankle support" in shoes. Most of my trouble has been in my knees, and that's from not doing enough balance work off-trail to strengthen my hips, not a lack of ankle support. On the other hand, mid-cut boots definitely offer protection from scrub intruding into your clothing thereabouts. Saw palmetto (common here in FL) is particularly bad about getting me right between my ankles and knees. Good gaiters, on the other hand, can ameliorate this problem when using trail runners (up to you, and it really depends on how much off-trail movement you do).

Personally, I use the New Balance Minimus 10 Trail (and its successors). I've found that they're comfortable, have a big enough toebox for me, grip my heel, and offer good traction. The only thing I would worry about is trying to trail run in very rocky terrain with them; walking through that sort of terrain doesn't bother me in the least. For running, though, I'd probably want something with a rock plate. YMMV. That being said, just 'cause they fit me doesn't mean that they'll fit you.

Try several models on!

Thanks fro your detailed reply. I plan to go to REI in Seattle where they seem to have a good variety of shoes and also many la sportiva.

Then if these trail runners wear quickly I should also consider a low cut hiking shoe with a more durable sole but a bit lighter more flexible than my current Salomon.

Any suggestion as some model along those lines?

"I like to hike on technical section of trails with rocks and where you might have to also use hands at times. "

For me, this dictates a sole with some stiffness or my feet feel really beat up at the end of the day. I'll take the sample shoe from the display and twist the sole. Most running shoes are VERY flexible wrap my feet around rocks and roots that has an unpleasant cumulative affect. I don't need or want the very stiff sole of a mountaineering boot, but a number of low-cut hikers have medium-stiff soles.

Then I'd try on a number of them, and (IMPORTANT!) try them on a ramp. All REIs and any serious backpacking store will have a ramp you can face downhill on and see if your toes hit the front of the shoe. If so, go up a 1/2 size.

Then walk around. And around and around the store. Hopefully there are stairs. Feel for excessive heel lift – more than 1/4". Consider if the heel lift, 20,000 times a day, might irritate the top of your heel or give you blisters there. If so, go on to the brand/model of shoe.

For me, Merrill gives me enough room in the toe box while being secure enough on my heel for a good fit. Salomon does, too. But different lines of shoes are made from different lasts (forms), and your feet may be shaped differently.

If you found multiple models with enough room in front and too much slip in back, than I look for ventilation (in a summer boot), and lightness. Pounds off your feet make more difference than pounds off your back. I've heard 7-to-1 and that seems about right. You're accelerating/rising and lowering/stopping your feet/shoes twice every second, while your backpack rides along at a constant height and speed.

Personally, I can use a very lightweight shoe on a 10-mile day hike with a cellphone and Powerbar in my pockets. Between 10 and 20 miles, running shoes can be okay unless the trail is really rough. With a pack on, over rough trails or any hike over 20 miles, I want a low-cut with moderately stiff soles.

Mid-cut and even high-cut boots don't protect your ankles from twisting (if they did, they'd be downhill ski boots and you couldn't bend your ankles). They can protect your ankle from hitting or being hit by rocks as you scramble on a talus slope.

Mt110 and mt110w in winter or wet trips. It's a water proof soft shell that you can leave partially unzipped if you want airflow. These have crazy good grip. Sort of minimal.

I used Ultra raptors last season on the UTMB and never had a problem with grip. I got about 350 miles on my first pair but to be fair much of what I hiked last year was rocky, semi-technical. By no means are they minimal or low drop so probably won't work if that is what you are looking for.

thanks again for the many advices, I just find it hard to justify spending $100+ when there are deals like this http://www.6pm.com/new-balance-mt610v2-grey-orange?zlfid=72&PID=4485850&AID=10538037&utm_source=1122587&Pub_Name=Slickdeals+LLC

is another shoe really 4x better than this nice NB?

The innov8 315 sounds like a cool shoe from all the reviews. REI has the 295, I am curious about this brand.

So the more a shoes is flexible the less protection for the ankle?

Don't worry about your ankles unless they've given you trouble in the past.

Worry more about your heals, toes, and blisters. Get shoes that fit, just like a pack that fits. We neglect fit of these two things around here too often trying to shave a few ounces and end up having to completely retrain our bodies to accept them.

Buy two pairs of the same shoe, wear it every day, wear the new ones on your thru hike/extended hikes (break them in first but don't break them either).

Here is an example of a real problem I have with shoes. I wear work boots, full leather w/safety toe. Once I get on the trail the ULTRA brethable shoes will crack my feet because I'm constantly wearing the opposite in my daily life. Take it for what it is worth, try to wear something more similar to your daily foot ware and or buy two pairs of every shoe that you intend on putting miles on.

My solution is wearing my barefoot trail runners a half size up, with heavy socks. These heavy wool socks keep my feet from drying out completely which will lead to my skin separating from cracking and causing blisters or separation of my skin down the road.

It seems like a better solution would be wearing goretex socks but this has never worked out for me!

If I wear something that lets my feet completely dry out, the dead skin and nasty funky patches WILL crack. Maybe my solution should just be better foot maintenance but then my soft purdy feet would never tolerate up to 12 hours a day in my work boots. I would be back to basically the whole problem of completely retraining my feet. To each his own.

Reconditioning the skin on your feet to accept new shoes can take weeks or even months in some cases. I'd stay away from radical approaches to hiking shoes as they won't really help on the trail, just on paper.

A lot of the backpacking shoes are designed to last a lot of miles, nothing other than that special about them. Some aren't though, in fact they're lamer than $30 walmart specials when it comes to durability. Find the most durable shoe that fits your foot and is similar to what you wear daily.

If all else fails your feet will figure it out but it might take some pain and patience on your part. This is what most of the misguided souls do round these parts when it comes to getting the latest and greatest whatever marketing gimmick.

As a general rule of thumb, don't order packs and shoes online… which I know cuts a lot of your options out. There's so many shoes available locally I'll never understand why people do this to themselves other than they must have very few problems with poor fitting shoes in general. Some people are luckier than others to be able to wear whatever they want. You may be too.

Good luck.

I hate buying shoes! None fit right, and when they do they get discontinued just when I need another pair! I wear steel toes at work too, so after 12 hours of stomping around a concrete floor, and then an 11 mile bike ride home in SPD's (in the summer), the 15 oz/pair wally world specials are like floating on air! Shoes are really a personal thing I think. For me it's all about heel blisters and arch support. I'm upgrading to some "real" trailrunners this year too.. I think. I hope. Maybe I'll just stock up on sub one pound wally-foams.

"So the more a shoe is flexible the less protection for the ankle?"

Not quite. The more a sole is flexible the more is it going to mold over rocks and branches and stuff. If you have the feet for that, it's great in terms of ground feel, etc, but for most of us (myself included, I need a SLIGHTLY stiffer sole to keep my feet from bending that much over rocky terrain. It tends to make my feet really, really tired at the end of a long day. Nice short day hikes? I love my Merrell trail gloves. On a 15 mile day with 17 pounds on my back? I want a bit more…I am currently a fan of the NB 1210 Leadvilles. I can't comment on how durable they are, as they've only been on 3 trips so far. But…so far so good!!

My Salomons used to be my favorites…for shorter weekend trips I was madly in love with them!! (Sorry Doug…..). But about halfway through the JMT I decided I would never wear these shoes again….nothing specific, just as they broke down – quickly – they became rather uncomfortable on my feet. This year we'll see if the new balance can hold my affection……

But everyone here is correct…you have to just find the shoe that works for you. I've tried a few that people here really like and they just didn't fit my feet. Just go to a store and try EVERYTHING on. Go to REI, go to a running store that will fit you with shoes (at least to learn what kind of foot you have, and if you should go arch support, cushion, whatever…they are awesome at that). Just be prepared to make mistakes…

I hiked about 70 miles of the JMT last summer and needed some new shoes. Someone here recommended Treksta which I tried out and I have never turned back. They were like a revelation for me. I use them for all my hiking. The really cool thing about them is the anatomical fit which corresponds to an actual foot shape. They fit me like a glove across the arch and instep and heel for no slippage but with lots of room in the toe box for comfort. I've never found that in a shoe because I have wide fred flintstone feet. The tread is excellent as well. That said, of course every shoe is basically about personal fit. These are the best fitting shoe I've ever had and have held up very well on both everyday hikes and heavier treks. It's another option any way.