hi everybody

i leave dec 3 for a year long backpacking trip through latin america. gear shopping has been a blast as i'm just down the street from REI's seattle flagship store. shoe selection has me stumped though because i don't like hiking boots.

as much as i hate for my first post here to sound prissy, i'm really not sure what to do about the shoes and i could use some advice. i know i'll want to go dancing sometimes and i'm prepared to be very bad at it but i hate to imagine i might be doing it in these bad boys.

i really want something black and cleaner looking than a hiking boot that will hold up reasonably well through a year on the road. does anyone have advice for me? anyone even share this sentiment?

thanks!
phil

How about getting a pair of solid black or solid brown hiking boots? They'll serve double purpose (hiking and dancing). Think of the space you'll save.

And there is nothing wrong with dancing in hiking boots. I think guys are able to get away with it much more than girls. I did plenty of tangoing in my brown hiking boots.

But if anything, if you absolutely *need* a pair of black dressy shoes, you should be able to get a pair in Latin America (unless you have abnormally large feet..then they may be more difficult to find).

I'd rather look less stylish and be comfortable than the other way around. If you MUST have dress shoes, bring them in your backpack but don't rely on them as your only pair. As Marisa mentioned, get all black or all brown hiking shoes and you should be able to blend in.

Or check out some of these, most of which are available in black.

I second Static's recommendation for Keens.

They're durable, comfortable, and svelte.

ah this thread reminds me of when I joined BnA LoL.... still havent found the perfect pair of do-all shoes tho....

I've also danced in hiking boots, but only when they were new (I was breaking em in). I think you could justify taking along durable flats that can work as walking and dress shoes, and also dont take much room. Or maybe a tough sandal with a lil heel (2" or less). Something you can walk many miles in tho, that's the key for me.

The Keens I got give me blisters every time I wear them any distance I would consider the closed-toe options again in the future, am keeping an eye on the styles... tried a pair in the Bronx style but sent em back, feminine they arent.

I prefer Born, they're less potato-foot-like.

thanks everyone, lots of great advice here.

what about buying cowboy boots in mexico? very stylish, durable, waterproof, and if cowboys wear them they must be practical right? cowboys spend all day roping cattle and eating beans, so i'm sure what they wear is good enough for me right?

i've got my mic fannings with the bottle opener in case the boots get too hot.

If you want comfort stick with the Keens rather than a cowboy boot. Walking around in new cowboy boots all day is not what I would call comfortable. If you have a hankerin' for the boots, I don't want to hold you back but your feet might not be very happy with you.

"Happy Feet" are over-rated. The most important thing is to look your best. Giddyup Vaquero...

quote:

The most important thing is to look your best.

Now that's stylin'!!! See? The perfect compromise between fashion and function. Those feet look pretty damn happy to me.

quote:

Originally posted by phillipao:
thanks everyone, lots of great advice here.

what about buying cowboy boots in mexico? very stylish, durable, waterproof, and if cowboys wear them they must be practical right? cowboys spend all day roping cattle and eating beans, so i'm sure what they wear is good enough for me right?

IF you go that direction, you're gonna wanna break em in before you go IMO. And are they really gonna work with all your clothes?

Also consider if that is what you'd want in case of a REAL hike. Depends on the heel of the boot, I'd say. The lower ones wouldnt be too bad; also rounded toe better than pointy I think. Tho is that a cowboy boot anymore? hellifiknow. They can be slippery on the bottom too, no?

quote:

i've got my mic fannings with the bottle opener in case the boots get too hot.

hahaha excellent, I never saw those before, genius

On my next trip I'm bringing too many shoes (of course!) but probably these: NYLA Birdie shoes They have thin bottoms but are very lightweight and thin and I know I can tuck them easily into my pack and have them take up very little space but it's still cute and nice enough looking to wear when I need something dressy.

My biggest problem is that I'm a runner and I need to bring running sneakers b/c I run every day and then I have these ugly white running sneakers (okay, my Sauconies aren't ugly but here in NYC I *only* wear them for running) and I always end up looking "very American." Booo. I wish Saucony would make some more attractive running sneaks.

i think i've settled this after a friend made me think of what it would be like to go a year without running. to not be able to do that "very american" thing we do exploring every new town at 6am in my reflective yellow nylon clown suit. to atrophy and get taco-fat because i didn't want to carry around an extra pair of shoes.

i'm taking my hooves, a pair of adidas supernovas. and when i have to look good and can't be bothered with arch support any more, my green-on-tan
gola chases.

gotta put my car in storage and run a couple more errands and i should be in san francisco by the weekend. thanks for the advice everybody!