BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi All,
I went and tried on shoes last night for our trip. What I am looking for needs to be:
Waterproof, Comfortable, Durable, Hikeable.

So, in your journey's have you had better success with light-hikers or trail runners? Did you find hikers to be too stiff for normal wear around town? Would a trail runner have been more appropriate? I would use them for running sometimes, but the primary purpose of these shoes is for hiking (in W & E Europe, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia & S. America), for their water-proofness, because it sounds rainy in Southern Europe in the winter (which is when we will be there), & just for wearing around because they are comfy. I'm looking at these guys: http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=...rn=0&vcat=REI_SEARCH . Pretty comfy, but kind of bulky and stiff. What do you guys think?

I'm a runner, and run even when I travel, so I purchased a good not-so-ugly pair of running sneakers to wear when I was hiking, running, or walking far. Worked fine.

The shoes you picked out seem fairly good. I don't know about the bottom, but it says superior grip, so I'm guessing I just am not familiar with them because I'm not running in them.

I'm deciding between a pair of gore-tex trail runners and a pair of Vibram-soled hiking shoes. I plan on doing a ton of walking (with my pack) and some day hikes, but nothing technical.

On one hand, I'm leaning towards the trail runners as they're lighter, much cooler looking and more my style. I hate walking around in hiking shoes looking like I'm preparing to ascend Mt. Everst.

On the other hand, the hiking shoes seem very sturdy and I worry that the trail runners might give out before my year long trek is over. The Vibram sole seems nice for being on my feet all day. Plus, they're a little bit dressier than tennies (of course, I don't plan on going anywhere that I need to dress up).

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say.

(First off Bri, I love your signature quote! I got a few guys in my training class hooked on it, too. Briliant.)

I think you're on the right track with trail runners. It really depends on how demanding your planned hikes will be, how long, and how heavy a pack you'll have on your back while hiking. Typically when I travel, I just do light to moderate day hikes with a small day pack. In that case, trail runners are plenty sturdy enough.

Trail runners are also great for around town, traveling from place to place, and good for that occasional run on varied terrain. So in my opinion, they'll cover you for most anything except hard-core hiking on one end of the spectrum, and a night at the opera at the other end.

I had a bit of bad luck with a pair of Vibram soled Merrells coming apart on me inside a month from brand new. They are bulky, but great for hiking. They were actually advertised as trail runners, but not good for anything beyond fairly short runs. I'd of classified them as hiking shoes.

There are a range of trail running shoes out there, as Creelove said. But a lighter shoe means less protection, so you have to weigh that again how demanding and technical your planned hikes will be. There's been lots of discussion about shoes in the Travel Gear thread.

Good luck on your quest. I know what a pain it can be to find those 'magic shoes' that fit the bill 90%+ of the time.

Personally, I take trail runners and a pair of adjustable neoprene ankle braces. I can wear them inside my shoes for a little support if needed (bad terrain or sore ankles), but I don't have to deal with stiff bulky boots.

Larri

Hmm... all very good suggestions. Thank you. I think I am leaning toward sturdy trail runners that are (supposedly) water proof. Now to find them...

Oh, and the Mitch Hedburg quote - thank you - I thought it was funny myself. However, my husband CJ is the one who started reading Mitch Hedburg and he sent me an email full of hilarious quotes. If I still have the email I will post it in the Chit Chat forum.