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Should you wear hiking shoes, running
shoes, walking shoes, or hiking boots? I can't tell you what is
right for you, but I can tell you that anything with "boot" in
the name sounds too heavy for my tastes. I can also give you
probabilities: you will probably be better off with running or
hiking shoes than with heavy hiking boots.
Hiking shoes or running shoes are better for most people, at
least during late spring, summer and early fall. Hiking boots
are hot, and once they are wet, they tend to stay wet forever.
However, weight may be the biggest reason more and more
backpackers are using shoes.
According to research done by the U.S. Army many years ago, a
pound on your feet is equivalent to five on your back. Some say
it is equivalent to six. This equivalency is in regard to energy
expenditure, and though I don't know exactly how the research
was done, I suspect the conclusion is close to the truth. It is
easy to hike ten miles with twenty pounds on your back, but try
it with nothing on your back, but a ten-pound weight on each
foot - you'll get the point.
Five pounds per pound or six - whatever the truth, you can
understand why three-pound boots leave you tired at the end of
the day. Why then, do so many people wear heavy hiking boots
instead of lighter hiking shoes?
Ankle Support
You have probably heard that you need the ankle support provided
by hiking boots. Is this true? If so, how did people all over
the world, throughout history, manage without stiff
ankle-supporting boots? They had stronger ankles!
Perhaps the problem is weak ankles, not a lack of support. Want
stronger ankles? Try walking a little each week on uneven ground
(not in the mall). That should solve this problem. Unless
carrying thirty-five or more pounds when backpacking, most
people just don't need extra ankle support after a few weeks of
simple exercise.
Of course some hikers need boots, especially if they have
specific problems with their ankles. Still, I have yet to meet a
person who has tried backpacking in hiking shoes or running
shoes and then returned to boots. Lightweight hiking shoes are
so much nicer! Don't settle for hiking boots until you are sure
your ankle problems are not due to a lack of exercise.
The Advantages Of Running Or Hiking Shoes
It isn't all about the weight. In a good pair of running shoes
your feet will stay cooler than in hiking boots. This isn't a
small matter. Cooler means fewer blisters. Blistered feet can be
a serious problem - your feet are all you have to carry you out
of that wilderness.
Once I started using running shoes and lightweight socks, I
stopped getting blisters. I don't mean I've had fewer blisters.
I mean haven't had any blisters on my feet at all in over ten
years. I didn't have one blister after a 110-mile 7-day trek in
the Rockies, for example.
One supposed advantage of hiking boots is that they keep your
feet drier. Do they? You sweat inside those boots, and even the
best waterproof breathable hiking boots will leave your feet
damp from this alone. Add to that that they are rarely entirely
waterproof, and I just don't see any advantage here. Hiking
shoes, on the other hand, breath well, and when they get well,
they dry quickly.
Choosing Your Hiking Shoes
Since weights are not always shown in catalogs, so sometimes have to just
guess at which hiking shoes are lighter based on the description
and photo. This gets easier with experience. If the weights are
shown, find a pair that weighs two pounds or less per pair -
unless you have size 13 feet.
If the attention doesn't bother you, you can also take a small
kitchen scale into the shoe store with you. Again, try to keep
it to 16 ounces or less per shoe. After looking at different
shoes for a while, you'll be able to guess the weight within a
couple ounces.
Good quality running or hiking shoes will always have their
soles stitched to the uppers. Check this by removing the insoles
to look - a removable insole is another sign of quality shoes.
The "footprint," or bottom of the sole shouldn't be too large.
Large soles can cause twisted ankles by coming down on rocks or
roots too far out to the side of your foot.
Walk in the shoes to see if their are any areas that rub your
foot or feel uncomfortable. Some shoes will bend near the bottom
of the tongue, and push into the top of your foot. Good
shoes should hold your heel firmly.
Buy the latest high-tech hiking shoes, and you'll pay a
high-tech price. However, there are discount catalogs that have
closeouts on great running shoes. I regularly find $90 running
shoes on sale for $40 or less. I have no problem wearing last
years style for a savings of $50.
You can also find closeout sales at shoe stores in any shopping
mall. Even if it isn't a closeout, I can usually find a good
pair of running shoes that weighs less than 28 ounces for under
$60.
I once bought a pair of shoes for $7 ( weight 28 ounces - size
11), and used them for a seven-day backpacking trip in the
mountains. They worked okay, but they barely survived the trip.
Durability seems to be the primary problem with cheap shoes. You
are better off waiting for a sale on good quality hiking shoes.
Other Options
More people hiking in sandals lately. Some are even designed for
hiking now. I like the idea of my feet being cooler, but it
seems like there would be too many problems on steeper terrain -
like your feet sliding around and stones getting under the sole
of your feet.
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