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Post by Coolkat on Aug 17, 2022 8:23:43 GMT -8
I know this has been hashed over many times but thought this was interesting. I don't get involved much in the shoes vs boots arguments anymore. I've come to the conclusion that you should hike in whatever makes your feet happy. But this article seems to support my suspicion that trail runners are the footwear of choice these days. Of course this data is specifically for the AT and on trail hiking. thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/top-footwear-appalachian-trail-2021-thru-hiker-survey/They have a couple of very interesting graphics to show how the data looks.
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on Aug 17, 2022 15:11:53 GMT -8
More than fifty years ago, I started hiking with leather hiking boots when my outdoor writer father showed up with a pair of prototype Vasque boots he brought back after a visit with the Redwing folks in Minnesota. Fast forward to the 2010's and the YouTube scene on the AT was all lit up over ultralight trail runners. Some like the Altra Lone Peaks with their fat wide toe boxes were coolest. They also only lasted 300-400 miles. I tried them. I have a pair of 4.0s that are now my crossing shoes. I have a pair of 5.0s that are okay for lightly laden day hikes. And that is the crux of my experience for my feet and body. I am 30 pounds, more or less, heavier hiker than those trail runners were designed for. My footpads are lean with age and with less spring. For backpacking, even with a admirable UL base weight, trail runners do not cut it for me. The good news is full boots using athletic shoe tech are nearly half the weight, with as much support, as previous generations. I think downward base weight of the average hiker makes the trail runner a winner for many. The surge in obesity though necessitate caution for long term foot heath.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Aug 17, 2022 15:17:55 GMT -8
I use a low quarter with good stiff sole. Been using the same model for about 10 years now. Not as light as the Altras, and more durable. Easier on my feet than the Asolo boots I used before.
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cweston
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Post by cweston on Aug 17, 2022 15:20:54 GMT -8
I would definitely go with trail runners or something like that for the AT.
I find that they just will not withstand the kind of BPing I mostly do--rough trails, off-trail, talus, snow, etc. Or, in some cases the sole thickness/protection was not enough for the terrain.
In everyday life, I walk a lot on my rocky lakeshore (as well as woods, gravel roads, and blacktop), and that rocky terrain did in the pair of Altra Lone Peaks that I tried pretty quickly.
I've always worn through shoes pretty severely--maybe there is something wrong/peculiar about my gait, I don't know.
HYOH, of course.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Aug 17, 2022 20:12:01 GMT -8
I would definitely go with trail runners or something like that for the AT. I find that they just will not withstand the kind of BPing I mostly do--rough trails, off-trail, talus, snow, etc. Or, in some cases the sole thickness/protection was not enough for the terrain It depends for the AT. Parts of PA and NJ are as rocky as trails ever get. I usually wear hiking shoes/low top, but I'm sometimes tempted to switch to trail runners in some settings.
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Post by oldbill on Aug 18, 2022 6:00:51 GMT -8
I would definitely go with trail runners or something like that for the AT. I find that they just will not withstand the kind of BPing I mostly do--rough trails, off-trail, talus, snow, etc. Or, in some cases the sole thickness/protection was not enough for the terrain It depends for the AT. Parts of PA and NJ are as rocky as trails ever get. Agreed! NH Whites is another section. I use protective mid's on tougher hikes but some enjoy much lighter footwear on the same terrain. Same reason I actually like GTX for extra warmth on sub-freezing mornings in alpine shoulder seasons. Otherwise my Raynaud's gets triggered. Just don't enjoy having to carry extra camp/water-crossing shoes.
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cweston
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Post by cweston on Aug 18, 2022 6:13:03 GMT -8
Just don't enjoy having to carry extra camp/water-crossing shoes. Yeah, that doesn't bother me. I spend almost all of my time in camp in camp shoes, unless snow or weather prohibits it: so I get good use out of the few ounces they cost me. My camp shoes are rubber fisherman type sandals that don't weigh much. My main beef about having to change shoes for crossings (which one definitely needs to do for immersion more than about ankle deep if one wear GTX boots) is just that I can be impatient, and I don't always like having take the time to change shoes before and after crossing. Especially since the vicinity of water often means a lot of mosquitos.
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Aug 21, 2022 6:57:39 GMT -8
More than fifty years ago, I started hiking with leather hiking boots when my outdoor writer father showed up with a pair of prototype Vasque boots he brought back after a visit with the Redwing folks in Minnesota. Fast forward to the 2010's and the YouTube scene on the AT was all lit up over ultralight trail runners. Some like the Altra Lone Peaks with their fat wide toe boxes were coolest. They also only lasted 300-400 miles. I tried them. I have a pair of 4.0s that are now my crossing shoes. I have a pair of 5.0s that are okay for lightly laden day hikes. And that is the crux of my experience for my feet and body. I am 30 pounds, more or less, heavier hiker than those trail runners were designed for. My footpads are lean with age and with less spring. For backpacking, even with a admirable UL base weight, trail runners do not cut it for me. though necessitate caution for long term foot heath. Was reading a blurb on Outside magazine about a thru hiker whose favorite “gear” is a 3.6 oz (new) tube of shoe goo; applying it to holes as they pop up, he extend the life of trail runners to 1000 miles. In terms of the last part, there are more cushioned trail runners out there.
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Aug 21, 2022 7:08:43 GMT -8
.. ultralight trail runners. Some like the Altra Lone Peaks with their fat wide toe boxes were coolest. They also only lasted 300-400 miles... Was reading a blurb on Outside magazine about a thru hiker whose favorite “gear” is a 3.6 oz (new) tube of shoe goo; applying it to holes as they pop up, he extend the life of trail runners to 1000 miles. Just thinking his shoes must smell more putrid with more miles. Maybe a bowling shoe deodorizer station on thru hikes. Kind of like the bowling shoe sequence in t he Big Lebowski?
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Aug 21, 2022 9:20:15 GMT -8
Was reading a blurb on Outside magazine about a thru hiker whose favorite “gear” is a 3.6 oz (new) tube of shoe goo; applying it to holes as they pop up, he extend the life of trail runners to 1000 miles. Some people can get away with that, but many cannot. By the time goo is necessary, the cushioning is shot and there's generally some deformation of the midsole. That can lead to knee and hip problems in a lot of people.
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Post by stevet on Aug 21, 2022 18:10:33 GMT -8
My last hike in boots was summer 2006. Since then I've hiked exclusively in trail runners - with a rockplate. I've certainly spent more money. 500 or 600 trail miles is doable, but east coast trails, or talus and scree in the Sierra I'm lucky to get 2 weeks in before lugs start ripping off the sole or the upper wears out. Can be 4 or 5 pair a season. But, my last blister was 2009. Once I paired trail runners with toe socks I've not looked back.
Goo might allow me, as they wear, to plug holes in the uppers and get a few more miles, but I'd rather just get new shoes. And I'm fortunate enough to be able to do so.
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Post by dayhiker on Aug 22, 2022 8:41:52 GMT -8
Lighter pack allows for lighter shoe? I do some day hiking in walking shoe, even quite rocky narrow. Poles for balance if needed (weak ankle)
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Post by stevet on Aug 23, 2022 7:25:15 GMT -8
A lighter pack certainly helps, but lighter is relative. At the beginning of an 8 or 9 day hike I'll be 40-45lbs, so certainly not "light". I do use poles. They help with tumbles, but not so much with the occasional ankle roll. YMMV though.
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Post by peakbagger on Aug 27, 2022 17:10:37 GMT -8
For anything but the most smooth of trails I just don't trust my ankles to hold up without the support I believe high top boots give me.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 27, 2022 18:59:36 GMT -8
For anything but the most smooth of trails I just don't trust my ankles to hold up without the support I believe high top boots give me. I think the support poles give have saved me a lot more ankle rolls than boots would/do. (I wear mid height boots because they fit best).
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