Foot gear survey - What are your favorite's?

[CannondaleKid]

Ok, here goes... in attempts to keep this civil as long as possible, can we leave out WHY we like one type or brand over another and let's just see how big a variety we get. After we get a good sampling than feel free to come back and post why you like a specific brand or style foot gear.

What is your favorite foot gear under the following conditions?
1. Short, or easy terrain hikes
2. Long hikes
3. Tougher terrain
4. Backpacking (20-30+ lb packs?)
5. Cold weather use
6. Snowy hikes

Of course, my favorite foot gear pretty much reads like a broken record:
1. Older pair of Teva Terra-Fi's
2. Teva Terra-Fi's or Terra-Fi 3's
3. Teva Terra-Fi 3's
4. Teva Terra-Fi 3's
5. Teva Terra-Fi's or Terra-Fi 3's with either wool or neoprene socks
6. Teva Terra-Fi's or Terra-Fi 3's with neoprene socks

[te_wa]

Vasque Satoru Trail

[sneakySASQUATCH]

@big_load My toes are uglier if that’s possible? Um...I’d post pics, but last time Joe removed my avatar Haha!

[joebartels]

lol... they were nobody's favorite color

I'm about twelve years all-in on various Salomon. Currently, the Speed Cross 5. 500 miles is typical. I tried a pair of cheap insoles a few years ago and got 751 miles. While the insole extended the last hundred or so miles they were far from comfy. Perhaps because the insole was cheap, but it was like having a pillow base which in turn made the fit uncomfortably tight.

My current pair developed the rare dreaded squeak after a hundred miles. Finally remembered to throw them in the wash today, which helps sometimes.

Curious if anyone uses those fiberglass strength inserts REI had years ago? Couldn't find 'em but maybe these with some duct tape will suffice as a sandal to challenge Joel's incredible 1k(kangaroo) mileage.

[outdoor_lover]

La Sportiva Bushidos for Trails, La Sportiva Guide TX for non-trail or gnarly trails. The Guides have almost too sticky a rubber, probably because they're an approach shoe. A low Scarpa for backpacking.

[sneakySASQUATCH]

@joebartels
It’s surprising, but I’m running in the pair I hiked in in Az. 8 years ago. I retired them 1.5 years ago and run every other day in that pair. I opened another box that I’m still hiking in and have 8 pair left. Of course I’ve diversified and I have gone through 4 pairs of Xero ztrails. I have one pair of Xero ztrek sandals with 400 miles and I swear these have the toughest sole of any shoe I’ve owned. They are hard, and the sole shows literally no wear! I have resoled two pairs of Softstar plain runamocs twice. So I’m definitely not just hiking running in VFF’s since I’ve lived here.

[big_load]

@big_load My toes are uglier if that’s possible? Um...I’d post pics, but last time Joe removed my avatar Haha!

But no performance or utility deficits?

[SpiderLegs]

I'm about twelve years all-in on various Salomon. Currently, the Speed Cross 5. 500 miles is typical. I tried a pair of cheap insoles a few years ago and got 751 miles. While the insole extended the last hundred or so miles they were far from comfy. Perhaps because the insole was cheap, but it was like having a pillow base which in turn made the fit uncomfortably tight.

Currently on about my tenth pair of Speedcrosses and have gone from the 3's to the current 5's. Like you, I'm getting about 6 months/500 miles out of mine doing a combo of trail running and hiking.

[sneakySASQUATCH]

@big_load Nope not really.

[Sredfield]

I'm on the 5th or 6th pair of Lowa Trekkers. Some pairs have not lasted very well but they fit and that's the main criterion. If I treat them with nixwax religiously they last better.

[azbackpackr]

I use the Sofsole AIRR Orthotic in my Altra Hiker Mids. (Just ordered an upgrade on the Altras, since mine are wearing out. This time I am getting the semi-water-resistant model, from the current REI sale today. Since I have not tried this model before, will have to wait and see.)

The Sofsole AIRR Orthotic was recommended to me by that guy who used to run a shop for PCT thru-hikers (Laguna Mountain Sports and Supply) at Mount Laguna, CA, which is now closed. He promoted them as being better than Superfeet. I wasn't thru-hiking, but got to chatting with him about my foot problems, and ended up ordering the Sofsole much later on. They do work well for me. https://sofsole.implus.com/product/airr ... ic-insoles

[Nighthiker]

Belleville Boots, Model C390 and 590. Vibram lug pattern, padded collar. Available in wide for my wide feet. Dunham Cloud for low desert trail boot. Spenco insoles.

[Watauga]

I'll preface this by saying that I lived in Western NC for 10 years before making the jump to AZ. My Chacos get a lot of comments out here, something that never happened on the east coast.

What is your favorite foot gear under the following conditions?
1. Short, or easy terrain hikes
- The aforementioned Chacos
2. Long hikes
- Probably the Chacos
3. Tougher terrain
- Altra Timps
4. Backpacking (20-30+ lb packs?) - 10lb BW over here
- Chacos if there is water involved, Timps if not
5. Cold weather use
- Timps
6. Snowy hikes
- Timps for moderate snow. Danner Mountain 600s if it's real wet and deep.

[JimmyLyding]

I'm using Zamberlan Latemar NWs, and I really like them. This is my third pair from Zamberlan (previously used Evo Lite GTX and Duke GTX), and I'm very happy with what I've experienced so far. The Latemar is a bit unusual by not having Gore-Tex, but that's a big reason why I got them. I'm still breaking them in, and they have about another 50 miles to go.

I live in the East Bay of the SF Bay Area so I don't have much of a need for hiking boots with a waterproof liner, especially if the hiking boots have all-leather monowrap upper. I do like hiking in big pumpkin boots, however.

[weinerschizel]

I'm normally off trail. I've tried everything from trail runners w/ no supports (essentially glorified socks) for 40+ mile hike to combat boots. I don't really have a boot for every activity anymore. I used to do more trail running so I had lots of minimalist stuff. I once did an entire trip, 80+ miles with 70 LB pack in Lems.

I bought Keens for next trip to Alaska and HATED them. I found my boot would just fill up with water and I'd have to pour it out.

After I bought a desert combat boot from 5.11. DARN are they comfortable and LIGHT. I destroyed them tough. Kind of like a disposable boot, especially if you go off trail.

I now wear Danner Reckonings. I've had them for about a year. They are holding up. They are VERY comfortable but a bit heavy. One thing I LOVE about them is they are like tanks. Rocks, cactus, etc doesn't bother my feet in them. Also I do a little bit of climbing and they hold rock really well.

I think I'll try a pair of Saloman makes a desert boot, I think I'll try that next.

After writing all that, I honestly, find socks and shoe fitment to be more important than the boot itself. One pair of boots maybe perfect for one person and terrible for another person.

To a certain extent after that, you want a boot that keeps your foot dry. That's a double edged sward with the water proof stuff. If you try Gore-tex at least make sure it goes all the way up the boot and not just to base of ankle.

[CannondaleKid]

Only a dozen years since I began this thread? Wow!

When this thread woke up again I just realized it's been close to a decade since I last hiked wearing Teva's, which had more to do with the change in the type of hiking I did rather than tiring of wearing the sandals.

Transitioning from trail-hiking to off-trail, cross-country and peak bagging in 2012 it wasn't long before I realized wearing sandals just wouldn't do. There were more and different hazards off-trail, the unseen ones being the most dangerous... the rare, like stepping over an agave only to land on a rattlesnake. Of course more common were the thorns, spikes, spears, fox-tails of a variety of vegetation encountered, and somewhat less so the sharp rocks on the steeper climbs.

Initially I went from light sandals to hunting-style boots like Danner Quarry boots, which were very comfortable but quite heavy.
For the less-serious terrain hikes I wore Trekker III's from Bass Pro as they were lighter and a bit lower on the calf.
The Trekkers were cheap and wore out like one would expect, which brought me to 6" TrailBlazers from Bass Pro.

Somewhere in there I got a deal on Merrell Moab mid-calf boots, which wore like iron, but with such hard soles they had little grip on smooth surfaces, and on wet rocks they had absolutely no grip... like stepping on ice. So they were relegated to my few trail-hikes.

From there I went through a bunch of different boots, mostly RedHead's or at least purchased at Bass Pro... Overlands, Ascend (cheap), Cougar II (3 pair, short-lasting but VERY comfortable), Keen Targhee II & III (II lost a sole within a week, replaced under warranty with III's), Rimrock (too narrow) and now my second pair of Timberlands. All since the Danner's have been mid-calf to reduce debris incursion.

As happens there are always trade-offs.
While the Keens fit well and felt great, they were terrible when it came to thorny hazards through the sole into the foot. I had NEVER had ANYTHING penetrate the sole of any other shoes/boots before, it was a very regular occurrence with both Keens (I glued the II's together and now have 600+ miles and counting while the III's came apart fully at 570 miles).
It turns out the Keens have soles with two different types of material, the black part is reasonably hard but the grey part is as soft as marshmallows, which is where almost any type of thorn can, and does, penetrate. Only once I found the solution to use a thin but hard plastic-type insert under the insole did I feel safe, allowing me to rack up the miles.

The Timberlands are comfortable, have good tread-wear along with decent grip and aren't overly heavy so I'll continue to alternate them with the Keen II's until both are in ruins. I've re-glued the Keens three more times and will continue to do so for maybe another few hundred miles before there is no sole left to glue.

But now that Tracey is demanding more ON-trail hikes, I just may be dusting off my Teva's again... after all I still have two un-worn pair from BOGO deal and one pair barely worn. Oh yeah, I still have a pair of the Merrell's with something over 700 miles due to the hard-as-rock soles but they are only in the car in case I forget to bring appropriate footgear to a hike.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

My 2 cents as a neophyte (with the understanding that what works for my narrow feet might not work for anybody else): I've been happy with Salomon. In 2019 I bought their X Ultra. (The ones with the unique/funky "Quick Lace" system.)

I bought them for a visit to Chile. After that, I started wearing them on training hikes of one to two miles in late 2022. I wore them on my first real backpack trip (Little Saddle Mountain in February - in snow). By then the tread went "flat" (I.e., wore down its grippers) and were sometimes slippery.

I would have bought another pair except that Salomon couldn't leave well enough alone and their next version looked uncomfortable with a high heel thingie in the back.

So I bought their Pioneer Aero, which, to me, looks identical to the Ultra X except that they have conventional shoelaces. (I liked the Quick Lace system on my old shoes and much prefer it to conventional lace up. (My conventional laces are always coming undone on the trail.) Just bring a spare lace with you. (But never had a failure.)

I don't care what they weigh. They're not the lightest. But to me, comfort and... what's the word I want? ... resistance to rock penetration are more important.

I bought a half size larger both times. Both fit me fine. Never a blister. (I wear Darn-Tough Medium thickness.) The sole is very hard - I've never felt a pointy rock press through, although started becoming soft on my worn pair. Grip is deep and good. I don't know how long the soles will last. I doubt that my old pair had much more than 100 miles on them. That's with the sharp rocks we have here in AZ. So far the new ones are looking fine, but I doubt that I have close to 100 miles on them. (Although I've been carrying more weight on them since new.)

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

This video (podiatrist talks footwear for hikers/backpackers): [ youtube video ]

In the end, buying footwear that fits well is a multi-variable (highly personal) thing.

[rcorfman]

This video (podiatrist talks footwear for hikers/backpackers): [ youtube video ]

In the end, buying footwear that fits well is a multi-variable (highly personal) thing.

Not to be pedantic, but she's a physio-therapist, not a podiatrist.

[JimmyLyding]

I'm happy to report that my Zamberlan Latemar boots are very broken in and stand a decent chance at being my forever boots. I'm planning on getting them resoled at Dave Page because they have the same sole Zamberlan uses. These boots would be great for Arizona hikers who go off-trail often because they have tough high quality leather and a sturdy welted sole. Cactus spines won't get through this leather and nasty rock scratches would just make them look better. They also fit like a glove because of the calf leather lining when they're broken in which takes a while. I have never worn boots like this and they seem to tackle anything even though they're heavy. They are also not cheap, but I figure it's worth it because the welted design hopefully means they can be resoled multiple times. No Gore-Tex which helps with the warmth, but hydro-blocked leather can only do so much so they're definitely a niche boot.

I have also been hiking in Zamberlan Trail Lite Evo GTX. These boots are also all-leather, but nubuck instead of the waxed Tuscan leather (whatever the heck that is) on the Latemar. The Evo's also feel like basketball shoes. Very light, much lighter than the Latemar. Just amazing on the trail though a bit warm. Apologies for the Zamberlan advertisement, but I'm a fan. One thing to consider about these boots is they have to be taken care of. Clean the leather, condition the leather, love the leather or else one's money is wasted.

[toddak]

Merrell Moab 2 model J06029 are by far the most comfortable, durable all-around hikers I've ever found, use them for on/off trail, peaks, backpacking, even wet canyoneering. Every few months I search ebay, I've stockpiled several pairs for the future.