Footwear for Happy Hiking Feet!

Old School

In days of yore, the popular trend was to throw on a pair of hiking boots before hitting the trail.  Many people subscribe to that trend today.  REI’s shoe department is inundated with hiking boots.  Boots are touted as waterproof, water wicking, quick drying, durable, and of course, ankle supporting.  And when you’re sloshing around in mud and navigating around rocks/roots, it sounds nice to have your feet protected and cozy in an insulated cocoon.  However, on longer hikes, I have run into several hikers that have had serious problems with their out-of-the box hiking boots.

For example, on the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota, I met and befriended a fellow hiker outside of Lutsen.  We were camped near a river and around sunrise I heard the distinctive unraveling and ripping of duct tape coming from his tent.  We didn’t know each other very well, so I felt weird asking him what all the noise was about.  I finally asked him later that day and he said he was taping his blisters.  I had my suspicions, as he had been complaining about his boots the prior day.  He finished his section hike and after he was back home, he texted me a picture of his foot: missing toe nails, giant blisters, and many colors that should never paint a foot.  He inquired about my footwear strategy and told me he was heading straight to the outfitter to return his boots!

New School

There is a new trend, especially in the long distance hiking community towards a different type of footwear.  On our Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 2016, hikers wearing the typical hiking boot were extremely rare.  I think I saw a total of three thru-hikers wearing boots in a five-month period.  What was everyone else wearing (including me and Domonick)?  Trail running shoes.  Yes, these are essentially sneakers.  Here are some advantages to wearing trail running shoes on hikes, weather they be short jaunts or of the longer variety:

Lightweight – Why lug something unnecessary on a hike?  Especially on an overnight trip when you already have a load on your back.  Trail runners simply make it easier to pick your feet up off the ground.  The movement of walking is essential on a hike!

Quick-drying – While hiking boots often tout themselves as waterproof (Gor-tex, anyone?), in my experience, no gear is completely waterproof.  Waterproof items you may or may not bring on your hike include plastic bags (some are more robust than others), metal, or a live kale leaf (I am always amazed at how well kale leaves wick water when rinsing them off in the kitchen sink).  [See Domonick’s tips for hiking in the rain for a cheap and effective way to keep the contents of your backpack dry].  Unless your shoes are made of the above three things, they are not 100% waterproof in my experience and water will soak through eventually, whether you have days of rain or a river ford.  If you find yourself in a heavy rain event, it is best to have gear (and clothes) that will dry quickly when the rain inevitably ends.  Lightweight, mesh sneakers dry much faster than insulated, leather, heavy hiking boots.

Comfortable – I can honestly say that the shoes I wore on the Pacific Crest Trail (Altra Lone Peaks) felt like slippers.  Yes, I did get blisters that very first day of hiking, but once they hardened, I didn’t have a problem from then on.  To this day I wear Altras as running shoes, hiking shoes, and Saturday-errand-running shoes.  My feet can breathe and the shoes aren’t stiff.  In my experience, very little “wearing-in” is necessary in these shoes.

But what about ankle support?

The jury seems to still be out on this point, although some individuals have very strong opinions one way or the other.  Peer-reviewed, scientific articles have explored the effect of low-top versus high-top shoes on ankle sprains (see select citations below), but there appears to be no definitive answer from the scientific community on this.  Unless you have strong personal experience one way or the other, I suggest seeing what works for you.  If you’ve never tried trail running shoes, give them a go!  If you have tried trail runners and are happier in hiking boots, go that route.  Of course, if a doctor has prescribed a certain type of footwear due to an injury, always follow their orders.

Gear in General

Comfort on your vacation or any adventure can make a world of difference.  There are so many sights to see in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore being one of our favorites.  If your chosen gear makes you comfortable, you’ll be better able to enjoy yourself, whether it be on a Hiawatha Hiking Company guided sunset hike, guided backpacking trip, boat cruise, kayak tour, waterfall jaunt, or fall color road trip.  As with most things in life, we learn as we go.  Find what works best for you and stick with it!

 

Happy trails and happy feet,

Carolyn (Co-owner/Operator)

 

**********************************

Ricard MD, Schulties SS, Saret JJ. Effects of high-top and low-top shoes on ankle inversion. Journal of Athletic Training. 2000;35(1):38–43.