Footwear

[longlux]

What recommendations do you have on good hiking footwear?

My old Asics are not up to the task as I learnt on the Bibbulmun track,I ended up with a very sore right foot & a 12km walk in socks, as wearing the shoes caused more & more pain.

Cheers
Joe

[Empty]

There should be a million old threads on this. Personally I think it is a waste of time recommending shoes as everyones feet are different. So too are their requirements. Go into a good outdoors shops and get properly fitted. You will know when you find the right shoe/boot. Keep looking until you find it and be prepared to spend the right amount of money.

[north-north-west]

What recommendations do you have on good hiking footwear?

Find something that fits. Fits properly, that is, no *&^%$#! about wearing them in or anything like that. They should feel right in the shop )wearing the same socks you would whilst walking).
Some people prefer boots, some prefer shoes. In certain conditions, sandals are good. It all depends on personal preferences and budget. But the single most important factor is that they fit properly.

[RonK]

But the single most important factor is that they fit properly.

+1

[longlux]

Thanks for that, what I am interested in is brands, that way I can do some research online & then travel down to Perth to check them out.

[Empty]

Since you asked for brands Joe I wear Oboz - most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I buy direct from Amazon but you can try your size at Kathmandu ( dear as poison there though). Merrell also suit my (very large, wide) feet.

[Strider]

The major brands all seem to be those "hand made in Italy", but this is really quite irrelevant. Pick the shoes/boots that fit you.

[Hallu]

What kind of Asics ? They're not exactly known for making hiking shoes. I tried hiking a short section of the GOW in Asics Kayano it was a disaster. Insanely comfortable in town, rubbish on sand and hard dirt.

Yeah you'll hear people raving about Zamberlan for example, but both the ones I've tested didn't suit me. A pair of boots that were too long to break in, and too heavy. A pair of low shoes that were too tight and fragile. Tried Keen too, too snug for me. In the end the best brand I've found is Salomon. But that's because my feet are prone to blisters (a LOT) so I need the most comfortable pair of shoes. And that's Salomon. The lacing system on their low shoes is great, and they include good insoles, not the thin crap you find in most hiking shoes. The drawback is that their shoes (both the boots and low shoes I own) don't have a Vibram sole and are slippery on gravel and wet rocks, which the Zamberlan weren't for example. But I'd rather fall on my *&%$#! a couple of times than come back from a hike with my feet blistered all over.

In the end, I don't trust reviews anymore, because they're done by long distance walkers with feet covered in bulletproof calluses, so they'd be blister free in any pair of shoes basically. Hence they mostly review stability and toughness. So first you need to evaluate what's most important to you : is it comfort ? is it stability ? is it shock absorption (in case you have bad knees) ? is it rigidity (bad ankles) ? and of course whether they'll be used for multi day walks or day walks. No pair of shoes fits the bill for everything.

I've seen a trend nowadays : more and more experienced walkers are wearing low hiking shoes. They're lighter and more comfortable than heavy leather shoes. People used to say "you need tough heavy high boots for long walks with a heavy pack" but do you really ? I have a friend who does all of her expeditions in Vibram Fiverfingers...

[simonm]

Yes everyone is different. My mate walked the Overland track in Asic Trabuco's which are classified as a trail runner whilst I am more of a boot man. Zamberlan's fit me well, but I have just got a pair of Rossi 180 Degree boots as I wanted to try an Australian made boot.

[north-north-west]

I've seen a trend nowadays : more and more experienced walkers are wearing low hiking shoes. They're lighter and more comfortable than heavy leather shoes. People used to say "you need tough heavy high boots for long walks with a heavy pack" but do you really ? I have a friend who does all of her expeditions in Vibram Fiverfingers...

I have a couple of pair of extremely comfortable walking shoes. They don't go off track because they simply can't cope with Tassie scrub. There isn't a low shoe that can. I'd be replacing them after every major walk.
On the other hand, the $100 Mack Timberlands I got from Mitre10 on clearance have done a heap of off-track stuff, probably over 1000km by now, and are just starting to develop holes in the leather beside the little toe. Not brilliant boots, but they fit and they've been good value.

[Alittleruff]

This is something else I've pondered.
I wonder if my running trail shoes would do the job. But these I've yet to get 100km or so on, and are not as comfy as my normal runners. I've had to take them off and walk barefooted in the street before.
I wonder if my Sacovny running shoes in which I do 30+ km's a week running in on al different surfaces would be up for the job.
I wonder if my Bloodstone work boots would be more water proof and offer more ankle support. But then I think that if I didn't need boots to do 5km running on rocks/ sand/ gravel why would I need boots.

Then I guess, that it would be much like when I started running. I went through 3 pairs of shoes, countless blisters and sections of the underside of my feet that I just didn't realize could feel so painful. Socks, no socks, different types of socks, different combinations. Then I found my running shoes, and no more pain!

I'm not sure I really want to go another 3 rounds of shoes to find the 'right' hiking shoe. If I do buy a pair, it will be from our local podiatrist who sold me the Sacovny runners. Because, I'm not going to mess and guess that something that works well for other people would also work well for me.

Feet are just too important.

[Suz]

I hiked the haute route in Asics Nimbus and they were great, so a different experience to you. I agree with everyone here that shoe fit is individual, yet here are my pointers. I have crap knees so have to be careful with shoe selection and I just recently did a trail shoe buy. Below follows my buying process and result.

RESULT: bought a pair of Salomon XA 3D Pros to upgrade from my Asics Nimbus. The XAs are heavier than pure sneakers but with a better tread and a solid toe box. I wanted this more solid tread because I'm going to remote, wet areas and want to avoid a slip on wet rocks / tree roots and thus risk serious injury.

PROCESS:
How I came about the decision was:
a) I already own 2 sweet pairs of Salomon's and thus I trust the brand,
b) I know basically what kind of footwear works for me on trail (light, low cut)
c) I read trail shoe reviews on Outdoorgearlab.com to get an idea of what was good in the Salomon brand (Salomon Ellipse GTX)
d) I googled online what shops locally to me carried the model / brand I was interested in
e) I went and tried them on and a few other Salomon models too (came away with the XAs not the Ellipse)…what I discovered what that there were MAJOR differences in shoe fit between different Salomon models and this may happen in othe brands too so watch out for it - in fact the greatest difference was between the two (apparently similar) XA models (the Goretex and non-Goretex models). The Goretex mode was significantly heavier, much longer in the front of the foot and the lacing system was different which made the fit different. I therefore recommend trying on heaps of different shoes when you eventually get to Perth, as a seemingly similar shoe can be very different indeed.

There are lots of things to think about generally with buying a shoe and you should think about these aspects before/while researching. Because people's feet are differently constructed, there is no one particular brand you should be looking at until you've figured out the following. E.g. you think to think about:

i) how wide your foot is at both the heel and toe ends (e.g. generally speaking Salomon is more a brand for narrow feet).
ii) how flat or arched your foot is (different shoes cater to different arches)
iii) whether you need orthotic inserts (that will affect the heel cup required and possibly the shoe's last)
iv) how strong your ankles / knees are (that affects whether to go low cut, mid ankle or high ankle fit)
v) the climate and terrain you're taking the shoe into (e.g. note that within the Salomon brand there are very different tread patterns depending on the intended use - super light trail runners typically have a very aggressive tread to prevent the wearer slipping while running - a much more likely issue than for a hiker. Just google Salomon tread images and you'll get an idea of the variation.
vi) the type of rubber used in the sole of the shoe will also affect use and durability - e.g. soft rubbers are more 'sticky' and give better grip but have less durability.
vii) the fit of the shoe may be updated with each version, and that may mean in future years, the model of the shoe is either a better or worse fit for you, so when you go to buy a newer version of same shoe down the track, be sure to try on the new model first.

[longlux]

Thanks for all of the replies, they have been helpful.

Cheers
Joe

[slparker]

a) I already own 2 sweet pairs of Salomon's and thus I trust the brand,

I agree that salomon makes some great footwear. I have owned a couple of pair of the XA pro GTX but rarely wear them for bushwalking as I have found the soles too slippery on wet rock. I believe that the newer version has a deeper tread.
I have used the XT wings, which is a trail runner with very good pronation support, on the south coast track and found them great - especially in deep mud. where their light weight, drainability and tenacious laces proved to be perfect but again they do lack some grip.
The synapse is their non-goretex walking shoe and that's my current choice for most walks. It has a deep sole that is great on rock and mud and the upper dries very quickly when wet.

Salomon does fit somewhat narrow, some models more than others. The synapse is the widest, the xa pro/xt wings are medium and I've tried the fellraiser and they are very narrow. Salomon are worth trying, they are pretty robust, survive dolerite scratches quite well and provide a lot of support even when wearing a pack.

[longlux]

Thanks for all the feed back.I have purchaced a pair of Salomon XAPRO3D,they are comfortable and have good arch support.
Mountain Designs had some of last years colours on special for $99

[Suz]

haha. i got the same shoes, from the same store, for the same deal mine are pink tho.

[JohnStrider]

I have a pair of Salomon Quest 4D's. Absolutely brilliant boot.

My advice would be to go into a store and try on as many shoes as you can until you find the right one. From there, jump on the internet and find the same boot. Chances are it'll be much cheaper buying it overseas than here.

I prefer a boot to a low cut shoe. Gives you much more ankle support.

As mentioned before, there could be a thousand threads on this topic but I would suggest your first move should be to get out into the shops and see what's available.

[Hallu]

I got 4D 2 GTX boots as well, but I only use them for snowshoeing, walking in not too deep or hard snow and mud. Otherwise I prefer low cut shoes, and use the Salomon X ULTRA GTX. I fall more and am less stable in boots when hiking in good weather on dry terrain. I prefer having free ankles, I'm faster and feel more comfortable.

[longlux]

I will be coming down to Perth in about a month to get another pair of shoes for wet conditions.

[Suz]

[quote="JohnStrider"]I have a pair of Salomon Quest 4D's. Absolutely brilliant boot.

I have a pair of those too. +1 on their quality. Be sure to try a pair of these on when you're wet shoe shopping Longlux.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Agree with all the comments so far.

When you pull trail runners or boots on in the store, they should be INSTANTLY comfortable.

I tried lots of pairs initially. A lot of pairs were pretty good initially, and often people in the shop would try relacing them differently or going up and down a size to fix minor niggles. I was in no hurry, so I kept looking.

One day, tried on a Columbia mid boot and it instantly felt perfect. Did heaps of multi day trips with heavy packs and never got one blister. Have since repurchased Columbia boots and trail runners and have never had a problem. They just seem to agree with my feet.

I'm not saying buy Columbia. I'm saying keep looking and trying over and over until something feels great immediately. Then stick with that brand.

[longlux]

That's exactly what I found with the Salomons, insantly comfortable. I also had a walk around in the shop, they felt good

[Scottyk]

My advice would be to go into a store and try on as many shoes as you can until you find the right one. From there, jump on the internet and find the same boot. Chances are it'll be much cheaper buying it overseas than here.

If you go into a store and take up their time in trying on a full range of their shoes then surely you should have the decency to buy the shoes at that shop. Retail outlets aren't there just to provide a fitting service for internet shoppers.

[Strider]

My advice would be to go into a store and try on as many shoes as you can until you find the right one. From there, jump on the internet and find the same boot. Chances are it'll be much cheaper buying it overseas than here.

If you go into a store and take up their time in trying on a full range of their shoes then surely you should have the decency to buy the shoes at that shop. Retail outlets aren't there just to provide a fitting service for internet shoppers.

+1

[rahvintzu]

Agree with others that its a very personal thing.
I prefer shoes than boots, currently using Inov-8 Roclites.
But i got these when the Aussie dollar was better via wiggle.

Take your hiking socks with you, and try to do some down and up walking if they have a ramp in store.

[longlux]

They held onto the only pair in my size they had left for 10 days, it would be a lot rude to try them on and then buy online. Lol