Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2020 9:17:52 GMT -8
My feet are extremely picky about shoes/boots. I wear 6" safety toe boots all day every day at work, so leather boots are normal for me. Even for casual shoes I prefer the fit of a hiker, but they must be Italian made. For some reason, they just fit me better than any boot I've owned in nearly 50 years. Current BP boots are Zamerlan, actually lighter in weight than my work boots, and comfortable right out of the box. I tried trail runners for while. Really hated them. Nice and light! But no protection for me.
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Post by oldbill on Jun 22, 2020 11:36:08 GMT -8
Great to hear others that feel boots are the best option for rough terrain with modest or heavy backpacks. I am in the middle of deciding on new boots and it's rather tiring to hear about everyone who does off-trail "high routes" and cross streams in trail runners (though I'm perhaps a bit envious that they are comfortable doing that) I have hard-to-fit feet: Left is 1/4 size smaller and slightly wider than right (10.5 AA), with high arches. A comfortable fit on one foot results in heel lift on the other. Softer tops/sides used in most lighter shoes are able to wrap tighter, but I've gone through all combinations of lacing schemes, inserts and sock combinations trying to get more durable (stiffer) hiking boots to fit. Even considered the Technica Forge. Then there's the debate about intended use (even with the "perfect fit" and focusing on just backpacking): ankle protection, durability, stability, traction, comfort (breathability vs water-resistance, sole protection) All reviews usually have some significant percentage of folks that have a problem with one or more of these factors. What do folks like to use on 4-5 day treks of 30-40 miles with 25-30 lb total initial pack weight 30-50% of that off-trail sometimes in rough terrain (scree, boulders, slabs, side-hills with downfall, marshy, thick underbrush/willows) in late season (September) at 10000-11000' in the northern Rockies? It's great to have fast and light for the on-trail approaches, but I always like adding a safety factor in, particularly traveling solo. My more serious trips are usually the Wind Rivers. I'm returning Salomon Quest 4D's bought last year at REI since a midfoot pressure point on the left foot never "broke in". Right foot was fantastic fit. My 3 yr old Lowa Vantage worked well, though tread is shot and toe seams started breaking (Goretex is weak too). Looking at Renegades, but doubt they'd last long. Loved my Scarpa Kailash but outgrew them and right foot had to have 2 thick socks plus lambs wool to stop heel slip. Still haven't seen something less than 3lb that I'd try, though La Sportiva Nucleo/Pyramids seemed to have good reviews (except for cold weather and fast breakdown of Goretex).
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Post by cweston on Jun 22, 2020 11:43:29 GMT -8
What do folks like to use on 4-5 day treks of 30-40 miles with 25-30 lb total initial pack weight 30-50% of that off-trail sometimes in rough terrain (scree, boulders, slabs, side-hills with downfall, marshy, thick underbrush/willows) in late season (September) at 10000-11000' in the northern Rockies? That pretty-much describes most of my BPing--throw in snow as well. I'm currently liking my Salomon Quest 4D's, but I see you've already tried them. I wonder if you might be able to get some sort of custom insole for your smaller foot, to improve the fit? For years I've worn semi-custom Superfeet: there's a guy in my town who takes Superfeet and does custom alterations to them. I mostly get the arches built up a little.
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Post by oldbill on Jun 22, 2020 12:02:40 GMT -8
Yes, those Quest's were comfortable for 99% of my feet. Just couldn't stretch out that problem area. I've gone back to using my custom orthotics after my plantar fasciitis episode this January. I've used Superfeet a lot as well (mostly Green). Both helps pronation issues and cushions the feet better (albeit at a weight price for my custom orthotics: 5.5 oz/pair). Might try TreadLabs too.
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biffnix
Trail Wise!
I'm just some guy, you know?
Posts: 49
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Post by biffnix on Jul 5, 2020 10:59:57 GMT -8
I resisted trail runners for the past few years, but I switched early this year, and was pleasantly surprised. I have a pair of Aku Italian leather full boots that I've owned for 25 years now, and they've been fine, if pretty heavy.
I switched to Altra Lone Peaks thinking I'd probably not like them, and go back to boots, but what I found was that I actually roll my ankles LESS in trail runners than I ever did with my traditional hiking boots.
Turns out that a solid Vibram lug sole, while durable, actually causes ankles rolls because if you step on a rock even a *little* off-center, the whole footbed will tilt, and cause me to roll my ankle. But, when wearing my trail runners, I found that due to a bit softer sole, I could feel if my foot was going off center well before I weighted it, and so tended to not put my full weight on an unstable platform. I don't seem to roll my ankles in trail runners, even on Sierra granite full of unstable rocks.
Just my experience, of course, but I thought I'd chime in. My feet feel *so* much better at the end of a long trudge, too. My feet would ache like hell after a long day in my leather boots, but in my trail runners, I just slip 'em off, and I'm ready to walk around camp without any recovery period required. Magical...
Cheers,
Joe
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