Footwear

[rockclimbing_n_rappelling]

Do you insist on wearing hiking boots when you hike, or do you find that a good pair of tennis shoes will suffice? We have tried both and actually prefer tennis shoes to boots.

[charley]

I wear low hikers that are a bit better built than running shoes but much lighter than boots. I have a pair of leather mid hikers for backpacking and nasty weather. I don't wear the big old boots anymore unless it is very very cold.

[Grandpa]

I gave up on boots years ago as well. New Balance trail shoes for me.

[pastywhite]

Depends on terrain. If it a well maintained trail shoes are fine but if it is a muddy mess the waterproof boots are nice. I have found I really like a boot on rocky terrain too.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


My footwear is multi-purpose; low cut New Balance for dress/casual/and the rare short trek on dry and level surfaces.

Boots for casual and field use. I prefer ones that come above the ankle.

[Lamebeaver]

New Balance are great shoes...guess what? Some of them are still made in the USA!

For hiking it really doesn't matter. For backpacking, I prefer boots, but Ray Jardine, one of the greatest through-hikers ever likes running shoes.

[pastywhite]

I was out on an ice covered trail this weekend and saw a girl in rain boots. The knee high rubber boots. I would think flip-flops would be better than rain boots. They would be waterproof though

[hippieP]

Originally Posted by Lamebeaver

New Balance are great shoes...guess what? Some of them are still made in the USA!

Really?!

I have done both but it depends on what I am going out to play in. Sometimes I get a little adventurous and I want a nice pair of boots when I decide to play Jane of the Jungle and climb around a tad. Otherwise I have a good pair of sneakers that work awesome on the dry land.

[dinosaur]

I always wear boots but that's because I move through a lot of terrain types that include wet areas where you need waterproofing.

[IndianaHiker]

I have started using trail runners. However I did use boots on my last trip. They were nice as there were many creek crossing and the boots allowed my a few inches of water protection that my trail runners wouldn't have offered. Was also nice due to the snow that feel.