Hiking boots, anyone?

[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.

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).

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.)