Time to Try Hiking Shoes but Which Ones?

Jackson said:
Here's an example of those holes. There are two layers of material on the upper, the mesh that you can see clearly, and a more fabric-like material underneath. The mesh got holes within a few months of purchasing them. They got bigger as I used them, and finally, the layer underneath the mesh tore as well. Right where the sole meets the upper.
Those shoes were so great while they lasted though.
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I got through 4 pairs of shoes whilst hiking the PCT this year, 2 of those pairs were Wildcats and I had exactly the same experience as you describe here. Really comfortable shoes but yeah, I got these holes appearing where the toebox flexes, usually after putting about 400 miles on them. In each case I continued to wear them for a couple hundred miles more but once the inner fabric began to fall apart, all kinds of dirt and dust was getting in and it was pretty annoying.

The other two pairs I wore through were Merrell's "All Out Charge" trail runners - I put 700 miles on one pair and 530 on another. Like the Wildcats they were very comfortable but the structure of the shoe on both pairs held up much better than the Wildcats - no holes at all. I found that the tread on the bottom, beneath the balls of my feet was the first thing to go. After about 500 miles it became, not really painful, but definitely noticeably less comfortable and this discomfort was the first indicator to me that I should think about swapping them out for a new pair. Overall I was very happy with the Merrell's.
 
I’m a pretty big fan of La Sportiva’s rubber as far as stickiness and longevity. I’m on my second pair of the Helios SR currently after years of pretty much all Inov8 shoes. I wish the Helios didn’t have the lame foam voids in the sole but they check a lot of other boxes for me. I know a lot of people are really big fans of the Bushidos. They have a bit too much structure for me, but they’d probably be great for most people that aren’t used to more minimal shoes.
 
I used to be a diehard Merrell guy (Moab Ventilators) but this summer a random guy at an Olympic National Park campground gave me some Hokas (crazy story). I tried them and love the padding in the heel. The arch support takes a bit to get used to, though. I wore them on some crazy hikes in Capitol Reef and elsewhere and while they are actually regular running shoes (next time I will get the trail runners) I think I might have found my new favorite shoe.
 
Reef&Ruins said:
I used to be a diehard Merrell guy (Moab Ventilators) but this summer a random guy at an Olympic National Park campground gave me some Hokas (crazy story). I tried them and love the padding in the heel. The arch support takes a bit to get used to, though. I wore them on some crazy hikes in Capitol Reef and elsewhere and while they are actually regular running shoes (next time I will get the trail runners) I think I might have found my new favorite shoe.
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I am on my 4th and 5th pair of Hoka's. Freaking love these shoes. Walk all over the hospital everyday in them. Hiked in them, ran too. Love! Not sure you can convince me to every buy another brand again.

My other favorite shoe is a Salewa hiking shoe. Bought them 5 maybe 6 years ago in St. George from Bo at Desert Rat. Great to hike in with the vibram sole. But my favorite use has been mountain biking with these shoes for the last three years, they grip my flat paddles with pegs that have left permanent scares on my shins better than the 5'10 riding shoes. I average 700 miles each season. They have held up to a lot of abuse! I get a new pair next season. I think these probably should be retired. I included a picture of the pedals to give you an idea of how impressive the soles on these shoes are. If I had my old 5'10s to show how badly they were chewed up you would be even more impressed.
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George_Washington_Hayduke said:
I have been happy with the La Sportiva Mutants. I use them for everything!
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How well do the soles wear? I do a lot of walking around town to keep in shape which involves walking on concrete and asphalt. Would I just be wearing them out in a hurry?
 
I love me my Keens when walking around town but they do not have enough support and stiffness in the soles to use on our extremely rocky terrain, both trails and off trail. All kinds of rocks, smooth, abrasive, round, uneven, big, small, every size possible. Deep cut canyons and good sized mountain ranges.

Lowa Renegade lows worked well for years and they tend to last with leather uppers and PU midsoles. They cost 2 to 2.5 times what others do but they also last that much longer. In all my shoes New Balance orthotic insoles are always in place. I never get any blisters or hot spots in any of my footwear. We do at least 100 hikes per year in that amazingly rocky terrain.

I switched to Oboz Sawtooths for a bit less weight and good support in the soles. They have EVA midsoles and I only get about 400 miles with any shoe with EVA before they become unstable. The Oboz seem to be lasting pretty well though. They are sticky on slick granite surfaces. The soles have worn but still do okay, have not fallen yet due to stickiness or stability. Some of the abrasive rocks have done some lacerating to the sides of the midsole but the uppers are pristine enough. Got them for under a hundred. They fit my feet. I'll get another pair when these give out in the midsoles.
 
Thanks for all the great info everyone! Looks like I need to pay a visit to REI so I can try out a few.


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Another question for everyone if I might???

My current boots have Gortex and I think I like that for the most part. Being mid-height and having Gortex let’s me get through most typical wet conditions largely dry but when they do get wet they take a *long* time to dry.

It seems like most of what everyone is recommending in a shoe are not waterproof. Any thoughts/ suggestions on GTX vs not in a shoe?


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Cuberant said:
Another question for everyone if I might???

My current boots have Gortex and I think I like that for the most part. Being mid-height and having Gortex let’s me get through most typical wet conditions largely dry but when they do get wet they take a *long* time to dry.

It seems like most of what everyone is recommending in a shoe are not waterproof. Any thoughts/ suggestions on GTX vs not in a shoe?


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Not worth a lot of money IMHO. I feel like the GoreText sock membrane rips/shreds early on in the shoes life and then they aren't waterproof. That said, sometimes I get goretex shoes on sale and do appreciate it, for a while. Since I have to have a new pair every year I am usually looking for cheap and light and sticky in a name brand shoe that fits.
 
Cuberant said:
Another question for everyone if I might???

My current boots have Gortex and I think I like that for the most part. Being mid-height and having Gortex let’s me get through most typical wet conditions largely dry but when they do get wet they take a *long* time to dry.

It seems like most of what everyone is recommending in a shoe are not waterproof. Any thoughts/ suggestions on GTX vs not in a shoe?


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I prefer non waterproof boots but they are hard to find. The liner is sometimes to thick and they don't fit right. Also hot. Good luck with it. Hard to find.
 
I was a huge fan of Teva's Riva eVent hiking shoes. Went through two pair over 3-4 years, wearing them as everyday shoes as well as hiking. They've shut down their hiking shoe section, so no longer available.

I've since bought a pair of Oboz Sawtooth hiking shoes. NICE. i bought the non-waterproof version from REI, but they also make a goretex lined version. They actually have many models to choose from, in gore or non-gore versions. I've always gone non-lined/goretex shoes in the past thinking my hikes are usually in the summer in california's sierra and i prefer the breathability of a non-lined shoe, but a recent trip with summer rain/hail/snow showed me how nice it would have been to have a water-proof membrane. Stream crossings were not an issue, it was just simply walking through wet grass or glancing alongside wet brush.

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eric
fresno, ca.
 
This falls under my backpacking philosophy...Your way is stupid, my way is the best!
Shoes are so personal and different for everyone. You need to try them on and see what fits your foot the best.
I heard the La Sportiva Synthesis were the best shoe on the market. I tried them on and didn't like the fit.
So, go test shoes and buy what you like the most.
 
Cuberant said:
Another question for everyone if I might???

My current boots have Gortex and I think I like that for the most part. Being mid-height and having Gortex let’s me get through most typical wet conditions largely dry but when they do get wet they take a *long* time to dry.

It seems like most of what everyone is recommending in a shoe are not waterproof. Any thoughts/ suggestions on GTX vs not in a shoe?


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I've used gortex lined shoes and they make my feet sweat sometime causing blisters. They are uncomfortable for me. The liners would crack where the toes flex and leak in there in shallow puddles. But lets face it, low cut shoes and something like creek crossing or heavy rain, they will just get wet by coming in from the collar of the shoe. When gortex lined shoes get wet they take much longer to dry than a fully breathable shoe. Breathable shoes are much better imo.

Good that you are going to go down and get fitted. Shoes are one of the things I won't buy online unless I've already been fitted and used the exact make and model previously.
 
Stumbled on some kind of sale on the REI site this afternoon, Salomon X Ultra 2 mids were 93 bucks and change(didn't show until I added them to the cart). My old pair is ailing pretty badly so that's was a nice discovery. Might be useful info for somebody here so thought I'd mention it.
 
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