Ha, I just wrote about this in my injury thread. There is definitely a difference between light hikers and trail runners, and regular hiking shoes. I think you might find more stability and a thicker sole in a pair of light hikers. I have a pair of Merrels; bought them in 2002, so they have certainly held up. THey are not as expensive as regular hiking shoes, either. I wear them for most of my hiking, except when I've been up in NH. The real hiking shoes are mostly used for snow shoeing.