My footwear woes

[Nick M]

I’ve never been a big complainer. I buy decent gear and never return it. Except with shoes. My right foot just always gives me problems one way or the other. I have never have bought a pair of shoes that I felt were perfect.

Various lightweight hikers have left me angry when the goretex eventually fails and wet grass saturates my socks, or when rocky terrain causes a painful hike.

Trail runners just never feel right on me.

So then I tried on La Sportiva Nucleo. Wow. That is the most comfortable shoe I have felt. It was like wearing a slipper made personally for my foot. It was like walking on memory foam. They were so light I forgot they were there. But the ankle support wasn’t really there, I don’t trust the waterproofing, and I’m iffy on how it would perform over rocks. It also does not seem well suited for cold. Still, my gut told me to get it.

But I didn’t follow my gut, I followed my brain, which said that the Zamberlain Vioz leather boots were best on paper. The leather should help with waterproofing, which has always irritated me as I don’t stop hiking for weather or mud. I also wanted something capable for winter. They are comfortable, but man are they stiff and heavy. I have a very slight heel rub, and despite sizing up more than I’m used to (I’m slight under 9, and got a 9.5, probably a full inch of room) I think it’s from the stiffness and not the size. It’s more so a slight rub than a lift, and only when uphill instead of regular walking.

Even though I still have a while to break these boots in, I’m not sure if I made the right choice, but I can always exchange. I even thought about having both, using the Zamberlans for winter.

Would the La Sportiva this light and soft be okay for backpacking on very rocky terrain, muddy areas, and weather like Iceland and Montana?

What about waterproofing? Sure it’s waterproof, but in a few months they always fail in my experience. I could probably carry a goretex sock for this event though. I feel like the leather would be efficient with water, but then again it will make my feet wet with sweat, so it probably will happen anyway.

I don’t get this OCD about anything else. It’s really irritating and I’d like to hear advice from you guys.

 

[Bob Moulder]

Have you tried trail runners that fit properly? Maybe they didn’t feel right because they weren’t a good match for your feet?

Since La Sportiva fits you so well, perhaps try some Wildcats.

Most people just accept the fact that feet are going to get wet anyway so it’s best to wear highly breathable trail runners that dry quickly. This works for me.

I have found that for me trail runners are actually much better in rough terrain than boots. Photo below is some fairly rough trail in Pennsylvania which I hiked in Brooks Cascadias. This hike also involved numerous stream crossings, some in knee-deep cold water that would have flooded any footwear, and the trail runners dried out much more quickly than any boots would have.

[Link .]

.Why “waterproof” shoes will not keep your feet dry .

. Minimizing the effects and aftermath of wet feet .

do you need ankle support for some reason, why boots? What trail runners have you tried? What kind of shoes do you wear in everyday life?

[Bob Moulder]

This recent thread offers a pretty good summary and consensus view about wet feet from people with a lot of experience.

Conventional wisdom isn’t always right, whether ‘old school’ or new ‘school’, but the experience base on this topic is quite broad.

[Nick M]

I have tried every single pair of trail runners inside REI. I think it stems more from it being a shoe. My heel never fits right in a shoe no matter what I do. It works okay for running but I hate the heel slip over varied incline hiking. Even when I go out my usual footwear is dress boots.

I’m young and don’t have any ankle concerns, but I have sprained my ankles several times in my life simply from accidentally bending them with my weight. In some cases I haven’t even been hiking. I don’t know if I’m just clumsy or what. I did it pretty bad on my last hike.

My last hike went fine in pouring rain and walking through flooded trails, sinking in mud multiple times. In a boot that wasn’t as new though, I suspect that the goretex itself would have been at its failing point. Am I wrong in my assumptions that leather would probably still remain waterproof in this situation? As for river crossings, I usually have resorted to changing out to a lightweight water shoe. I totally agree in not believing the waterpoof gimmick, but to a degree. I just can not imagine hiking through bogs/marsh in ankle trail runners. What about hiking in cold weather or snow?

[Nick M]

Waterproofing aside, the one from La Sportiva stood out to me based on comfort alone. I could care less about the Goretex in it.

[Link .]

Have you done any ANKLE STRENGTHENING to help with your problem or using trekking poles? THIS would be a good video for you to watch, the footwear part is 28 min and 10 sec into the video the whole video is worth watching though. How much does your pack generally weigh for a trip? You can also do a lot with a heel slippage problem by how you lace your shoes Running Shoe Lacing Tips and Lock Lacing . Andrew goes over the cold weather and snow in his video, and yes I have used trail runners in all kinds of conditions, but what works for some doesn’t always work for others, believe me everyone on this site has gone through numerous shoes to find what works best for them, everyone’s feet are different, and that means going out hiking in a lot of different shoes to find what works.

[JCH]

I just can not imagine hiking through bogs/marsh in ankle trail runners

It’s likely that most trail runner converts recognize themselves (pre-conversion) in that statement.  It seems like it just won’t work…wet, cold feet…YUK!  And to be honest, that first multi-day trip where my shoes and socks were completely soaked within hours of the start was a bit worrisome.  But just a bit, and only until that evening.  Turns out, you get used to it…and once used to it you discover that nothing bad has happened from by wet feet.  And by the end of day 2 you wonder why you were so concerned.  Like so many other things is life, once you get used to one small annoyance you discover that overall trail runners are a major win!

Of course, you may discover otherwise, but then, that’s the fun of experimenting with gear now isn’t it?  Get the La Sportivas that are “like wearing a slipper made personally for my foot” and hike on.

[Bob Moulder]

If you have determined that only waterproof boots are going to work, then re-treat as necessary with SnoSeal for leather boots or a spray treatment such as Techtron for hybrid/fabric boots.

I wear trail runners until the snow is deeper than about 4″ or so and beyond that I wear Vasque Snowblimes which for me work better with microspikes, crampons and, eventually, snowshoes.

But IMO footwear for 3-season—including early/late shoulder season—is an entirely separate discussion because I personally would never be using in summer the same footwear I’d wear in real winter conditions.

[Bob Moulder]

Get the La Sportivas that are “like wearing a slipper made personally for my foot” and hike on.

+100

Comfort IS King!    ;^)

[JCH]

I personally would never be using in summer the same footwear I’d wear in real winter conditions.

This shows how myopic my view of hiking is living in NC FL.  Snow???  Do you mean a Snow Cone?  Cononut please.

[Thomas Willard]

Not all trail runners are made for the same feet. If you’re near a real running shoe store, I recommend getting a professional fitting. I finally did that (after years of REI shoe sales) and what I thought was best for my feet were completely opposite. I ended up getting Hoka’s, a shoe I never thought I’d ever wear, and my feet and legs have never felt better.

[Bob Moulder]

Good point.

I’ve dealt with some REI and EMS shoe sales staff who were not exactly the best when it comes to analyzing difficult shoe fitting issues.

Even with the best fitting on Earth you still won’t know for sure until you’ve done a semi-gnarly rocky-rooty-muddy 30 miles with plenty of ups and downs.

[Nick M]

So what do you guys think about using the rather cushiony La Sportiva boots I liked on hard rocks and such? Should it be fine?

Again, I’m not interested in these because they happen to have goretex. They are just my first shoe to feel comfortable and snug on me. My main concern is how they will feel on really rocky trails compared to a stiffer boot.

https://www.rei.com/product/113110/la-sportiva-nucleo-high-gtx-hiking-boots-mens

[Paul S.]

Those look much beefier than most of the trail runners people wear. If they are very cushioned they likely will protect your feet even without the stiffness. It also depends on your personal comfort level but I would be surprised they wouldn’t work for you on rocky trails.

[Ryan T]

I think goretex is a negative actually. I’ve been using Keen uneek shoes precisely because they dry out fast. Goretex would do the opposite and keep water in! I’ve climbed snowy mountains, crossed knee to waist high creeks, and done multi day trips with them. I’m the same way as you and don’t want to fuss with trying to jump rocks or go off to the side of flooded trails. I just go through and let my feet dry out in no time. Not even thinking about it anymore.

You can just get whatever is comfortable to you and wear them to work, around town, and day to day. That way your feet get used to them.

The only time I wear boots is when climbing Mt. Hood in the spring, X-country skiing, or possibly postholing (early spring conditions).

 

[Bob Moulder]

 My main concern is how they will feel on really rocky trails compared to a stiffer boot.

It’s impossible for someone else to answer that for you. You really won’t know until you get out and wear them on an actual backpacking trip.  You’ll know a lot more after 20-30 miles, and if they still feel good after 200-300mi you’ll know you’ve got a winner!     :^)

And then the next year the manufacturer goes and changes them and ruins your favorite footwear.

[Katherine .]

Yeah, get the footwear that your feet love.

Then if you want to do strengthening exercises and experiment with lacing techniques (squirrel’s eye helped me) gradually ramp down your footwear.

fwiw, i started out in Brooks Cascadias, felt like I needed more pronation support, hiked in La Sportive Bushidos for awhile. Then went back to the Cascadias and discovered my feet had gotten stronger.

[Nick M]

I was just wondering if a stiff sole is really needed for the rough stuff,but it sounds like it isn’t.

I have a question for you more lightweight anti-waterproofing guys.

What do you do in cold weather? I understand that wet trail runners work, but what if it’s wet and cold?

What about in actual winter, wet or not?

[Roger Caffin]

I was just wondering if a stiff sole is really needed for the rough stuff,but it sounds like it isn’t.
I don’t think stiff soles are even safe on rough terrain. You can’t ‘feel’ what you are standing on, and that leads to sprained ankles imho.

What do you do in cold weather? I understand that wet trail runners work, but what if it’s wet and cold?
There are two very different cases here.

Just cold and wet: we wear long trousers and thick wool socks. The long trousers keep the blood warm as it reaches our feet, and warm blood => warm feet. The thick wool socks are an excellent buffer – and this is the one place where we always wear wool.

Snowshoeing: a very different case. We often switch to GTX shoes for the snow. That keeps the icy water from the continuously melting snow on top of our shoes from seeping into our feet all the time.

Cheers

[Nick M]

More and more I’m thinking my heavy leather boots were a bad choice.

[Bob Moulder]

Perhaps save those boots for winter and in the meantime “work the problem” with a really good, professional shoe fitter (as recommended above) to achieve comfort with trail runners. Then test-drive them on some rough stuff on day hikes or short overnight trips.

On the road to “UL Enlightenment” we have all made some fairly expensive mistakes! My own kit is pretty well dialed in but I still make some mistakes, although the boo-boos are significantly less expensive these days, thankfully.

[Nick M]

Yeah, these are some clunky heavy boots that probably will slow me down.

I think I’ll go back and try the La Sportivas and maybe try some some trail runners just for to see.

I don’t care about their waterproof much, I just liked how they felt and there is no model without goretex. At least these are much lighter and a good start towards UK compared to what I’ve been doing.

A few questions more.

How do you guys usually size?

I was told to just size for fit and not worry about the number. I measure about 8.75 shoe size, and I tried the 9.5. About an inch of toe room. My foot is held in by the boot without even tying. I have to slip it in since it’s narrow. No heel lift but I did notice a weird squeeking feeling on the heels with La Sportiva. I think it’s from the unusual material on this shoe and it doesn’t seem to lift out of the boot or rub at all. It just has a slight squeezing feeling. Is this a concern?

I know. I’m a bit too obsessive with footwear.

[Nick M]

Oh and do you guys typically wear heavier wool socks?

I used to wear the light crew socks, but I don’t think I care for them anymore.

[Link .]

I generally use HYPER THIN RUNNING No Show when I can get them on sale but I also will get thin no-show wool socks it depends or just some cheap no show running socks depends on what I can find on sale, I only wear thicker socks if it is really cold. If you feel that you need a boot for some reason these are light(about 11oz per boot and no goretex or waterproofing) INNOV8 ROCLITE 325 . What does your pack generally weigh for an average trip?

[Author]

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