HikeArizona.COM

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

1 trail runners
2 trail runners
3 trail runners
4 trail runners
5 n/a
6 n/a

1. Short, or easy terrain hikes - Trailrunners
2. Long hikes - Trailrunners
3. Tougher terrain - Trailrunners
4. Backpacking (20-30+ lb packs?) - Trailrunners
5. Cold weather use - N/A
6. Snowy hikes - N/A
7. Camp Shoes - Tevas

CannondaleKid wrote: 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

1. Irish Setter Tamarack 8" 800g-insulated Gore-Tex boots
2. Irish Setter Tamarack 8" 800g-insulated Gore-Tex boots
3. Irish Setter Tamarack 8" 800g-insulated Gore-Tex boots
4. Irish Setter Tamarack 8" 800g-insulated Gore-Tex boots
5. Irish Setter Tamarack 8" 800g-insulated Gore-Tex boots
6. Irish Setter Tamarack 8" 800g-insulated Gore-Tex boots

And if those aren't available, I go with my black steel-toe work boots, which are also great for outdoor work, office work, court appearances, senior prom, weddings, etc....

I know it's early in the thread, but it's looking like it's fair to say that most of the folks on HAZ fall in love with one pair of shoes and use 'em for everything.

1. Short, or easy terrain hikes vibram Sprint (five fingers)
2. Long hikes current trail runners
3. Tougher terrain "
4. Backpacking (20-30+ lb packs?) n/a
5. Cold weather use trail runners
6. Snowy hikes trail runners

never wore goretex. its a gimmick. shoes that get wet inside will never dry, and when you need them to- thats because its cold/snowy and is the reason why they got wet to begin with - i have used my vasque or saloman trail runners in many snowy hikes and they dry out in a short time with a small fire, which leads me to my #7 shoe preference:

7. camp shoes goosefeet down socks w/ shells

1. Short, or easy terrain hikes - comfy bald Merrells or tennies
2. Long hikes - the Merrells if terrain's not too tough. otherwise, Oboz (Merrells fit me better)
3. Tougher terrain - Oboz or 5.10 approach shoes
4. Backpacking (20-30+ lb packs?) - Merrells or Oboz
5. Cold weather - depends on terrain
6. Snowy hikes - depends on terrain but I'll bring poles
7. camp shoes - REI down booties!!!

I think another category of water shoes/canyon shoes should be added as well.. I've got some Keens for wading thru water but wouldn't trust them if I was doing a difficult canyon. Curious on others' preferences for that.

te-wa wrote:7. camp shoes goosefeet down socks w/ shells

Thanks... I knew I left something out... it's just that 6 seemed like a nice round number. But now that you added it, let's go with it.

i do everything in trail runners.

fricknaley wrote:i do everything in trail runners.

Really You should take them off once in awhile plz:

VFF treks 1-6
Crocs in camp.
Merrells/Teva Sunkosi for snowshoeing depending on which shoes come home from work. VFF don't work with snowshoes.
Supportive shoes=bad

CannondaleKid wrote: 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

1. Chaco flips
2. Chaco Redrock Mesh
3. Chaco Redrock Mesh
4. Chaco Redrock Mesh
5. Gortex/Thinsulate Merrils
6. Gortex/Thinsulate Merrils with my snowshoes

te-wa wrote:never wore goretex. its a gimmick.

I wouldn't say Gore-Tex is a gimmick. I've spent hours standing in 6" of running water (helping a river ecologist with field work) without getting wet socks/feet. I'm personally a believer, although I have had Gore-Tex boots fail if a stitch gives way. Like many high-tech inventions, they work well until they stop working.

I may be very wrong yet it seems your feet wouldn't sweat much in that scenario verse continuous hiking. The water may even cool your feet. A basic rubber boot would seem suitable if constantly standing in water.

@coanbru
yes really, and that includes kicking butt :bdh:

RE: Gore-Tex
Before I got neoprene socks to wear with my Teva's I tried Salomon Gore-Tex Trailrunners for cold weather/occasional shallow creek hiking. I didn't purposely walk into water deep enough to see if they soaked through but they seemed to be waterproof.

However, when hiking for longer distances or in warmer weather my feet sweat like crazy in them. While they did their job not to allow water to pass through, it appeared to me neither did they allow air to pass through, at least enough to allow heat to escape. But that could just be me, because my feet sweat a lot, which just makes Teva's the perfect thing for me.

The only time I had an issue with Gortex boots is when I hiked through a creek (Chinle Wash) that overtopped the boots and downflooded them. They wouldn't drain so my feet were sloshy for the remaining mile or so.
That is my only problem in three years of hiking through mud, rain, snow (including snowshoeing), small creeks, etc. I don't buy the "your feet sweat too much so your feet will be wet" deal. I wore them on our GG backpacking trip where we got snowed on - no cold, wet feet despite putting on 7-8 miles a day.

If I go one mile an hour my feet don't sweat. If I go three miles an hour(swift hiking, not running) my feet sweat profusely.

Moab Ventilator Mids for everything (have tried a couple different boots recently and was unhappy with them. Went back to the Merrels). For creek hikes I'll use either my old pair of hiking boots or a pair of old tennis shoes.

I used to wear Montrail Torre Gore-Tex boots for everything, until they started giving me problems where the high-top would rub on the front of my ankle on trips longer than a couple of nights. I got a pair of junky gym shoes for Aravaipa in April last year and was so happy with the lighter weight and range of motion that I haven't wanted to wear the boots since. Previously, I had problems with painfully tight calf muscles and I think that the fact that my achilles range of motion wasn't stopped by the front of the gym shoe helped fix both the tight muscle issues and the problems with the front of the ankle. I wore the gym shoes for the summer and then bought a pair of Merrel Moab Ventilators. The main advantage of the hiking shoe vs. the gym shoes for me is the vibram sole for slick surfaces. I still use the gym shoes sometimes for variety and wear Superfeet insoles in both. Camp shoes are a more sandal-like version of croc shoes with an open toe.