Hiking boots, anyone?

[pooks]

I need to buy a lightweight pair of hiking boots. I'd like to stay under $100, or over but not over $150, for sure!

Any recommendations of what to look for, avoid, etc?

There were a pair on the REI site that I thought I ordered but they never came. I double-checked and the charge never showed up on my card so either I'm losing my mind or the order didn't go through. I went to place the order (again) today, and my size is gone.

So I need help because we're camping in June and I need time to break them in!

[singletrackmind]

The ones that fit. Try not to cheat yourself. I wouldn't buy online without at the very least trying on a bunch of different pairs to find the best fitting brand/style. Then again, I'm very picky and will sometimes put boots from two different same size pairs together for the best fit. Shoe people shudder when they see me come in.

For me it's the Asolo's but for my friend, too uncomfortable. Vasques fit her perfectly. I prefer leather with few seams as possible and a tongue stitched all the way up. Waterproof is a must for me.

For my step-daughters, who use the boots rarely (though on occasion daily for up to 5 days at a stretch) and generally don't do over 5 miles (or much less, either) and are growing out of shoes like crazy, we got Redhead boots from Bass Pro. Cheap and they've had no complaints. Says they're waterproof, I'd say water resistant. Nylon/suede. They have about 200-300 miles on them and the boots/feet are holding up fine.

Again, if it doesn't fit it's not worth it.

[madscot13]

how intense is this hiking going to be? What are the weather conditions going to be like?

[HappyAnika]

Yes, ones that fit you! I would never buy hiking boots online, must go try them on, walk in them lots. The REI flagship store in Denver has a great "faux mountain" area with inclines, rocky parts and steps to try them out on.

The most important thing fitwise: stand on an incline like you're going downhill. Your toes should NOT touch the front of the boot. At all. If they do, you'll be in serious pain after a short amount of time. You want to make sure the laces and fit of the boot are such that they keep your heel in its place without your foot sliding forward and squishing your toes on the downhill.

Waterproof (for me) is a must. All of the trails here have streams running across them well into July. Come to think of it Pooks, are you the one who comes to Estes Park every summer? If so, I really recommend getting the water proof. Then you don't have to worry about balancing on rocks to get over small streams that don't have bridges. You just trudge on through, no worries.

My husband and I both love Lowa, here are mine:
http://www.rei.com/product/733458

They are expensive, I used my 20% coupon to get my last pair. My first pair lasted 4 years and about 500 miles (450 hiking, + 50 snowshoeing). My second pair has not seen as much use since I discovered cycling last year . . .

One last thing, I swear by layering socks. A nice thin silk liner sock topped with a smartwool hiking sock. This way any rubbing is between the socks, not between your foot and the sock. I've never had a blister with this method. DH always got blisters until I finally convinced him to layer, and not a blister since.

Happy Trails! :)

[RoseC]

I second (or third or fourth) the "try 'em on" recommendation. Feet vary! For me, I have absolutely flat feet - I was born without arches. Anything with a very definite arch hurts like anything.

I love my Vasque Sundowners and my Danners. Especially the Danners, though they haven't been as durable. On the other hand, I have friends who found both brands way too narrow and not supportive enough. Not to mention boots vary even within a brand - some Vasques are much too bumpy inside to work for me.

[singletrackmind]

x2 on the liner, I don't get blisters either way, 5-10+ miles 40-50# pack, but the feets are much more comfortable with wicking liners.

Wear the sock/sock combo you'll be using when trying on boots.

[nic840]

I will swear by Vasques. I bought my first pair (canvas) when I was in High School 18 years ago with money from a summer job. They lasted through many a backpack trip in college. Got my second pair in college and upgraded to full leather and goretex (Sundowner) and LOVED them. After years of service they finally went belly up. Third pair, leather goretex (new sundowner version) were just retired last year and replaced with a new goretex canvas/leather pair. My ankles can't handle heavy hiking anymore so went with something a little more flexible. The break in time is not bad at all. Very blister friendly but it all depends on the feet. So all in all I can't say enough abou them. I think they used to retail for around $120.

I think trying them on is a good thing. Fit is important.
Good luck and I am jealous! -Nic

[nic840]

SMARTWOOL all the way! I think between my husband and I we have over 25 pairs. THey come in all shapes and sizes... I even have the cycling ones and love them!!! They come in thick and light weight.

[lisa_b]

I've had really good luck with my Garmont shoes. Really durable and comfortable. I had a pair of Vasque Sundowners (leather/gortex) for many many years and miles and they were fantastic. It took a long time before they finally were all hiked out. Smartwool socks and a polypro liner to me seem to be the best combo for avoiding blisters.

[Cella66]

I have had a pair of LL Bean boots for 5 years now. I have used them to death and they still haven't fallen apart or had any problems. One of the absolute best things, is that Bean will take any product back at any time no questions asked. Even if you no longer like them ! My friend did that, but I thought it was shady...

Anyway, I love mine and they have seen some hard rocky trails and parts of the AT.

[Jolt]

Definitely try a bunch on to see what fits you, and make sure you wear the socks you'll wear hiking (and here's another recommendation for the double socks--a thin synthetic liner with a thicker wool sock over it; I use this system and have never had a blister from hiking). You don't want them too tight or too short, but you don't want your feet sliding around in them either--that can cause blisters. The size of boot that fits you may be a bigger size than you wear for regular shoes, because of the thick socks; my boots are an 8 1/2 when normally I wear a 6 1/2!! Waterproof is a very good thing! I can't tell you how many puddles I've stepped in or unexpected stream crossings I've had when there's recently been a lot of rain, and soaked socks are really the pits! As for places where good deals can be found once you know what fits you, check www.campmor.com and www.sierratradingpost.com. I got my boots (Vasque Picacho) from Sierra Trading Post for about 40% of the regular price. Happy trails!

[Darby361]

I hike a LOT - almost every weekend with the Appalachian Mountain Club. I tried many many boots, and ended up with a pair from REI - Lowa ($180) and they are worth every penny. I hike in both hot and cold conditions with them. When trying them on, be sure to use their wedge that simulates hiking down hill. It is very important to make sure your toes do not hit the front when hiking down hill or you will end up with blisters! If you have an REI near you - go there, they spent 2+ hours with me making sure I got the right fit. To try out boots, I would take them to a mall (indoors) and walk around for a few hours.
Trish

[yellow]

I'm a big fan of trail shoes (not full on boots) for day hiking. I have some Vasque shoes right now that I love, but have also had good luck with the North Face shoes. Lighter than boots, and for me typically more comfy all around. Seems like I gravitate to my trail runners a lot too. I was worried about my floppy ankles at first but now believe that wearing shoes when I hike is better for them (but then I also think that trail running has made them dramatically stonger...I haven't turned an ankle in a very long time where I used to do it all the time in the past. Coincidence? Maybe. But I think my feet and ankles are just stronger. But I digress...)

[surgtech1956]

LL Bean

[Kimmyt]

Hmm yeah like the other ladies said, it depends on your foot and what you're going to be doing. Personally, mostly I hike in sandals especially if it's toasty out. For some reason, my feet hate the idea of socks in the summer, and high boots no way! But if you will be carrying heavier packs or backpacking, the ankle support on a regular boot is helpful.

If you're doing lighter things, you can look at some trail running shoes or the lightweight hikers places carry now, or you can check out (my fav) chacos or (The Boy's fav) keens.

i LOVE hiking in sandals and haven't had problems even in rougher terrain like hiking through the desert with packs up to 30 lbs on (granted these are only hikes lasting 1-2 hours, no longer).

[Jolt]

Oh, boy--now I've really got the itch to go hiking (well, actually I was getting it anyway but this discussion made it way worse)! The hard part is finding anyone to go with when there's not an AMC trip happening.

[Brandi]

I do a tone of hiking/backpacking so my choice is Vasgue or Danner. My Danners are heavy but super durable. But my vasque are light wieght. I really like them both/ But long hikes and backpacking i use my vasque/ Danner I use for short and dirty hikes.

[JanB]

I hike almost every weekend and I've always used a trail running shoe-the New Balance 872 or a pair of Merrill trail runners that are waterproof. I've done 22 miles and a 10,000 elevation gain in trail running shoes and never had a problem. But every foot is different. Good luck. :)

[Pedal Wench]

I have different pairs for differents hikes. I've got boots for when I'm carrying a heavy pack (30-40 lbs.) and other boots for light packs. And, I found out on my 17 mile days that I mistakenly brought my 7-mile shoes! Seriously, my Lowa's are my 'go-to' shoes for hikes with a light pack, but I forgot that after about 8 miles, I start to feel every little rock and pebble under my foot. I have an old pair of Zamberlain's for heavy-pack or long-distance dayhikes - I love them. They used to be a pretty shade of blue, now they're just kinda brown.:o

You really need to try them on, and determine how much weight you're going to carry. Even trail conditions - easy, maintained trails and you can get away with a lower cut. Rocky, unmaintained trails and you might want something with good ankle support.

[anakiwa]

Beware of waterproofing (I mean with Gore-Tex liners). While it might sound great, there is a down-side- the boots won't breathe as well and your feet get sweatier (wetter when hiking in drier conditions). I'm not saying that there isn't any role for gore-tex liners (and I would suggest treating leather boots with waterproofing), but they are more expensive and won't always help (and if you walk through enough mud puddles in the rain, your feet will be wet no matter what you are wearing).

[limewave]

I love my Lowa boots. DH got them for me for Valentine's Day the first year we were dating. He took me to an outfitters where I tried them on and hiked around. They were the best fit and even less expensive than the one's DH had in mind. TRY THEM ON. And, if you can, walk up and down a slope to make sure your toes don't slide to the front.

[singletrackmind]

I like my gaiters for heavier rain/snow. Far as the gore tex liners I guess I've been lucky...or maybe it's the sock liners. Dry comfortable feet no matter what's outside the boot, long as I don't cross something that goes up over the top of them. Wet feet are the worst.

[Jolt]

I like my gaiters for heavier rain/snow. Far as the gore tex liners I guess I've been lucky...or maybe it's the sock liners. Dry comfortable feet no matter what's outside the boot, long as I don't cross something that goes up over the top of them. Wet feet are the worst.

Yeah...waterproof boots are great, but if you step in something deep you'll still have a problem! As for the sweaty-feet issue that someone previously mentioned with the Gore-Tex boots, that can indeed be a disadvantage of this type of boot. If you wear wool socks with a thin (and not cotton!) liner sock though, your feet won't really feel wet from the sweat--and certainly not as wet as they'd be from stepping in water while wearing boots that are not waterproof. At least that's been my experience, although it might be different in a really hot, dry climate where you don't have to worry about stepping in a puddle/stream and the extra breathability would be helpful. If you hike in an area where you have a good chance of running into wet conditions (such as the Northeast), waterproof is the way to go (and it doesn't necessarily have to be Gore-Tex).

[pooks]

Thanks for all the feedback!

I had originally assumed I'd order the pair of sale boots to start with, then if I didn't like them, take them to REI and keep trying on others. Didn't work out, though, because by the time I went to place the order they were out of my size.

So I went to REI and tried on boots and climbed the rocks and changed socks and tried them again and eventually chose the Vasque Breeze (here (http://www.rei.com/product/706827)).

Thanks for reminding me about sock liners. Does anybody have any good sites for ordering some? I used to have a couple of pair, but can only find a single one now!

And we go to Rocky Mountain National Park, and that's where we're going in a couple of weeks. Can't wait! (I don't consider it going to Estes Park because we tent camp in RoMo as opposed to staying in town.)