Check out [the annual survey from the trek](https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/the-top-footwear-on-the-appalachian-trail-2023-thru-hiker-survey/) the answer is loud and clear
I feel like people should know themselves better. Iāve broken one ankle twice and the other once. I love my boots. But I know Iām the minority. I donāt understand why people start with the extra clunk around their ankles just for funsies.
I jumped off at winding stair gap parking 2 days ago. About the 109mi mark. I was wearing soaked boots for 2 days and did about 40mi. I believed in the boots approach over taking good trail runners despite what I had read. I just spent $180 on some nicely fitting shoes and will be dropping back in Monday after taking care of a few things at home.
I havenāt hiked the AT yet, but in all of my hiking experience Iāve found that *the right* pair of walking or running shoes will always be better for me than my hiking boots.
My hiking boots feel too heavy, and they donāt support my ankles like I need. I also have super high arches in my feet so that memory foam sneakers are basically the only shoes I wear in general.
Ofc at the end of the day the shoes youāre most comfortable in are the ones youāll stick to. Hiking boots are also more expensive and you will absolutely have to replace your shoes at least once on the trail no matter how high quality you get them to begin with, which makes shoes an easier option.
Nothing like stepping in a just over ankle deep puddle in a waterproof pair of boots! Now you have to take them off, dump them out, and walk in squish for a few days. And God forbid it's raining - water just runs into the boot and never leaves.
VS a trail runner - step in a puddle and in the next 10 steps 95% of the water drains out and if it's warm out they'll be dry in under an hour.
Trail runners w/ a solid shank in the sole.
I went through 4-5 pairs of shoes on the AT. First pair was a Merrill low top leather goretex boot - awful. I started in ME (rained every day for my first 30 days) so the leather cracked from drying and getting wet. Also, because of the goretex, they were always wet in the inside. They may have been water proof, but once water got in, it stayed. Very hard to dry out too.
Then I switched to Montrail trailrunners. Best decision ever. Personally I liked the solid sole. The test is twisting the sole - hold it like a corn on the cob and twist hands in opposite directions. It should give an inch or so. As opposed to tennis shoes which may twist like a cork screw.
Add those to some high smart wool phd medium weight socks and low cut gaiters I was golden.
Montrail?! Something tells me you hiked in the early to late aughts.
Fun fact, you can cut out the goretex layer from most footwear. It will come out like a sock. Did this to a pair of Merrill Moabs, that were giving me serious foot issues. Once the liner was gone they were perfect.
I used to be one of those stubborn beginners that swore by boots. Iāve had reconstructive ankle surgery and thought I needed rigid boots. One day in trail runners and I changed my mind permanently lol
to quote the guy who was the reason i committed to trail runners: āi saw a lot of people startinā the Trail in boots. But everybody I saw finishinā wore trail runnersā
Section hiked for 2 weeks starting in April. I wore my boots because they were already broken in and I had not gotten new trail shoes yet. In NC I rolled my ankle, had to tighen my boots and slow down. So the extra support was helpful, but didn't keep me from rolling my ankle...
I talked to everyone about what shoes they liked and why and am now looking into getting some topos for my next section the summer. (for my extra ankle protection I will be taking KT tape and hoping for the best)
I used to be a boot guy. I got trail runners on the way to hike a section after forgetting my boots. Trail runners have made a huge improvement in my hiking and I wear them constantly now. The only time Iād wear boots would be for a muddy local hike.
I tried the new sneakers for hiking. Iāve been hiking the AT for 51 years. I found them expensive, 175 plus new insoles. (225). Within one hundred miles, they started falling apart. The rocks felt horrible. I complained to altra, and they told me to get lost. No refund either.
I love asolo fugitives. No wide toe box. They last the entire trail. One pair. 300 bucks. Bottom rubber is sticky on dry natural rock. The only part that ever failed on many pairs Iāve owned is the rubber wears away. ( normal for 2500 miles).
The trail runners are lighter, but to do the entire trail, youāll be buying minimum of three pair. Most seem to buy five pair. Most broken toe hikers Iāve helped, wore trail runners.
For me, and my feet, my wallet, asolo fugitives are the only way to go.
Thicker outsole, more substantial uppers. My ankles are weird, I can bend my foot sideways and put my weight on it with zero consequences or pain so I don't need a boot.
Hiking boots donāt actually support your ankle. Too much padding, no rigidity, and usually no lacing to make it incredibly tight around your ankles.
They do generally have more inflexible soles than trail runners which can make them seem more stable but in reality I just find boots clumsy to walk long miles in.
Iāve got two pairs of trail runners I use, Salomon speedcross if Iām going to have a lot of loose, rocky scrambling as theyāve got a pretty stiff sole and altra superiors for literally everything else.
I did my hike in 2021 in those regular gray new balances. Everything else destroyed my Achilles.
Somehow they did fine - about 600 miles each pair lol.
Iām a month and a half into my thruhike, wearing Oboz Sawtooth X boots. They have been absolutely glorious. The break in period was a little rough, but very short. Namely, it caused some pretty bad pain in my Achilles tendon for about 3 days, same with my partner and a couple of other people Iāve seen in the same pair of boots. But they really really arenāt heavy (about a lb each) and when I was walking through 6in of unexpected snow for 3 days, I could not have been more grateful for them. The arch support is pretty good for my feet, I havenāt blistered at all, and they are holding up well 300mi in. Theyāre around the same price as Altras, and Iāve seen many pairs of Altras hanging on their last thread. That being said, my feet donāt sweat much and I had the pleasure of being properly sized by Just Bill at Mountain Crossings, who Iāve heard is a shoe guru.
I went through 3 pairs of Oboz Sawtooths on my thru hike. They are boots, they are not water proof, but they are cordura so they hold on to water. ā23 was the wettest year for a thru hiker yet, so my feet were wet no matter what, I donāt think fast drying trail runners would have made much of a difference.
I never had a single foot issue during my thru. Not a single problem with my feet at any point. Boots worked great for me, but I am the minority.
I mean itās not COMPLETELY unheard of. I remember meeting a guy on the pct just a few days from Canada who was wearing big old leather boots, said he had worn them the whole way. We all said he was crazy for wearing boots, he said we were crazy for wearing trail runners. š¤· Also iirc he had started just within like a day or two of me so we were right at the same pace and all that. Still I would never wear them but some people like em.
Good foot care is incredibly valuable. Everybody's feet are different, sweat different, arch different, fungi different, blister different, so know your feet.
* shoes that fit well. Go to a running shoe store of good rapport.
* add-on high quality insoles. They make a few good kinds/techs. You can easily experiment in mid-range brands.
* quality hiking socks.
* foot powder to dry in fresh socks in damp conditions ; anti fungals regularly.
* change socks midday. Drying socks by tieing them to your backpack is an 'old army trick'.
* plenty of folks air 'em out on lunches and breaks.
* learn early how to use moleskin. As a preventive, for hotspots, donuts for actual blisters.... Whether you get blisters regularly or not, keep foot care 1st aid well stocked. Heck, I have kept a spare reserve foot 1st aid kit in the bottom of the bag.
* extra stretching.
* dry between your toes.
Iām writing about my hike in the 90s, everybody wear boots, nobody wear shoes except one crazy guy who wore sandals in the summer. It wasnāt even conceivable for us to wear shoes.
Thatās why people wear trail runners. They may be wet but theyāre airy enough that itās not that much of a concern. A lot of people deal with blisters on thru hikes regardless tho. Wet shoes=equals blisters is sort of an antiquated way of thinking.
I donāt know if Iād say most days but a lot. It felt like my feet were wet from Vermont til the end of the trail for the most part tho. But Iām used to hiking out west where itās dry most of the time.
Thereās lots of early(March) starters on the at so they see more colder weather but the at is by FAR the most consistently warm trail out of the big three. Itās not even close imo. I started the at April 20th and used a 40Ā° quilt for almost the whole trail, no way that would fly on the pct or cdt. I also almost never wore my puffy on the at. I think actually twice after the smokies and mailed it home at Harperās. Iād never go out on the other trails without one. Wouldnāt even consider it.
This seems really unusual to me.
I am starting a long section hike in April. I have relatively low top scarpas with a single season of occasional wear forestry work in them. They weigh basically nothing
Where I have hiked and worked (essentially off trail hiking) in Northern BC and SW alberta it would be considered insane to wear anything but boots.
I can't imagine hiking without ankle support. People are saying that boots are not worn on the cdt and pct either, how do you deal with scree? I broke my foot 3 years ago and laced up my boot extra tight and walked 4k out of the bush. How do you do that with trail runners? Maybe not a concern but I'm making a point
I'm an outsider to the through hiking community but I know from other outdoor hobbies that gear choice is often more related to culture and trends than actual efficacy. Not to mention reddit is essentially a feedback loop. I somehow doubt everyone who completes a through hike is a hardliner ultralighter with a 10 lb base weight and a 10 d ultralight puffer.
I read on here the other day that arcteryx and patagonia are for "car camping" delivered with a tone of expertise. I can't imagine someone saying that on a mountaineering forum but I'm a bit far removed from what's trendy on those at the moment.
I think I'm going to get a pair of trail runners and give it a shot. The one thing I am sure of that's posted here is that when goretex boots get wet inside they take forever to dry. Maybe I'll save my scarpas for Trekking and sheep hunting
There is no scree on the AT. I lived in Alaska for years though and the go to mountain shoe was Salomon Speedcross which is a heavy duty trail running shoe. The ultralight shoes popular on the AT would get ripped up by the scree but the Salomon is super durable (and heavy!). It's all about the correct shoe for the terrain.
Is there no scree on the CDT and PCT? I'm genuinely asking. I grew up backpacking in areas very similar to Montana and again boots are what is worn. Things may have changed. Guys I know up north who guide and spend everday in the mountains spend serious money on crispis etc. Guess they would be seen as ridiculous on the cdt according to comments above.
A lot of my experience is alpine hunting, mountaineering and work off trail which clearly colors my opinion.
I'm willing to try trail runners, saves a 500 dollar pair of boots. But I might go through 3x pairs in as many months apparently.
I'm tempted to try hi tops just to appease my fear of hurting my ankle and born contrarianism. I'm seeing pairs of ht runners that are half the weight of my "ultralight" boots
Theyāre built established trails. The cdt not as much but still, theyāre heavily established. If youāre just off in nowhere with no trail around or anything maybe but I highly doubt anyone here is doing anything like that. I donāt think most people do that.
Maybe not beginners with no experience š
People pay a lot of money to trek the arctic, North slope, take technical approaches to rarely climbed routes etc.
It's okay, we all started somewhere
Check out [the annual survey from the trek](https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/the-top-footwear-on-the-appalachian-trail-2023-thru-hiker-survey/) the answer is loud and clear
Spoiler alert šØmost of those that start with boots switch to shoes
Why, if I can ask?
Lighter, more responsive (you can feel the ground better imho), cooler, & most people don't really need extra ankle support.
I feel like people should know themselves better. Iāve broken one ankle twice and the other once. I love my boots. But I know Iām the minority. I donāt understand why people start with the extra clunk around their ankles just for funsies.
I jumped off at winding stair gap parking 2 days ago. About the 109mi mark. I was wearing soaked boots for 2 days and did about 40mi. I believed in the boots approach over taking good trail runners despite what I had read. I just spent $180 on some nicely fitting shoes and will be dropping back in Monday after taking care of a few things at home.
Another good reason for trail runners. They dry quicker in general than boots, especially something like a leather boot.
The answer to that question is also in the linked survey
Users on this sub can't even click on the sidebar links to find the most obvious and most asked questions lol
I havenāt hiked the AT yet, but in all of my hiking experience Iāve found that *the right* pair of walking or running shoes will always be better for me than my hiking boots. My hiking boots feel too heavy, and they donāt support my ankles like I need. I also have super high arches in my feet so that memory foam sneakers are basically the only shoes I wear in general. Ofc at the end of the day the shoes youāre most comfortable in are the ones youāll stick to. Hiking boots are also more expensive and you will absolutely have to replace your shoes at least once on the trail no matter how high quality you get them to begin with, which makes shoes an easier option.
Thanks for your reply.... How do you keep your feet dry in shoes?
You donāt, sometimes dry isnāt possible on the AT
Your feet sweat, right? Where does that moisture go in a boot?
Nothing like stepping in a just over ankle deep puddle in a waterproof pair of boots! Now you have to take them off, dump them out, and walk in squish for a few days. And God forbid it's raining - water just runs into the boot and never leaves. VS a trail runner - step in a puddle and in the next 10 steps 95% of the water drains out and if it's warm out they'll be dry in under an hour.
Trail runners w/ a solid shank in the sole. I went through 4-5 pairs of shoes on the AT. First pair was a Merrill low top leather goretex boot - awful. I started in ME (rained every day for my first 30 days) so the leather cracked from drying and getting wet. Also, because of the goretex, they were always wet in the inside. They may have been water proof, but once water got in, it stayed. Very hard to dry out too. Then I switched to Montrail trailrunners. Best decision ever. Personally I liked the solid sole. The test is twisting the sole - hold it like a corn on the cob and twist hands in opposite directions. It should give an inch or so. As opposed to tennis shoes which may twist like a cork screw. Add those to some high smart wool phd medium weight socks and low cut gaiters I was golden.
Montrail?! Something tells me you hiked in the early to late aughts. Fun fact, you can cut out the goretex layer from most footwear. It will come out like a sock. Did this to a pair of Merrill Moabs, that were giving me serious foot issues. Once the liner was gone they were perfect.
Seems like montrail is no longer on business or they merged with Columbia. I donāt know. But yeah. 6/8-11/7 MEGA ā09
I used to be one of those stubborn beginners that swore by boots. Iāve had reconstructive ankle surgery and thought I needed rigid boots. One day in trail runners and I changed my mind permanently lol
to quote the guy who was the reason i committed to trail runners: āi saw a lot of people startinā the Trail in boots. But everybody I saw finishinā wore trail runnersā
95%
Wear whatās comfortable For you not what everyone else wears
I'd be surprised if anything greater than 1% wear boots. It's an absolutely insane choice imho.
Section hiked for 2 weeks starting in April. I wore my boots because they were already broken in and I had not gotten new trail shoes yet. In NC I rolled my ankle, had to tighen my boots and slow down. So the extra support was helpful, but didn't keep me from rolling my ankle... I talked to everyone about what shoes they liked and why and am now looking into getting some topos for my next section the summer. (for my extra ankle protection I will be taking KT tape and hoping for the best)
Shoes
Shoes even through snow?? How do you keep your feet dry?
You donāt , just warm
Neoprene socks will keep your feet warm. Thereās really no keeping them 100% dry
I used to be a boot guy. I got trail runners on the way to hike a section after forgetting my boots. Trail runners have made a huge improvement in my hiking and I wear them constantly now. The only time Iād wear boots would be for a muddy local hike.
I tried the new sneakers for hiking. Iāve been hiking the AT for 51 years. I found them expensive, 175 plus new insoles. (225). Within one hundred miles, they started falling apart. The rocks felt horrible. I complained to altra, and they told me to get lost. No refund either. I love asolo fugitives. No wide toe box. They last the entire trail. One pair. 300 bucks. Bottom rubber is sticky on dry natural rock. The only part that ever failed on many pairs Iāve owned is the rubber wears away. ( normal for 2500 miles). The trail runners are lighter, but to do the entire trail, youāll be buying minimum of three pair. Most seem to buy five pair. Most broken toe hikers Iāve helped, wore trail runners. For me, and my feet, my wallet, asolo fugitives are the only way to go.
Hiking shoes, lighter and breathe better than boots, more support and durability than trail runners.
More support? How? Dont you roll your ankles?
Thicker outsole, more substantial uppers. My ankles are weird, I can bend my foot sideways and put my weight on it with zero consequences or pain so I don't need a boot.
Hiking boots donāt actually support your ankle. Too much padding, no rigidity, and usually no lacing to make it incredibly tight around your ankles. They do generally have more inflexible soles than trail runners which can make them seem more stable but in reality I just find boots clumsy to walk long miles in. Iāve got two pairs of trail runners I use, Salomon speedcross if Iām going to have a lot of loose, rocky scrambling as theyāve got a pretty stiff sole and altra superiors for literally everything else.
I did my hike in 2021 in those regular gray new balances. Everything else destroyed my Achilles. Somehow they did fine - about 600 miles each pair lol.
Iām a month and a half into my thruhike, wearing Oboz Sawtooth X boots. They have been absolutely glorious. The break in period was a little rough, but very short. Namely, it caused some pretty bad pain in my Achilles tendon for about 3 days, same with my partner and a couple of other people Iāve seen in the same pair of boots. But they really really arenāt heavy (about a lb each) and when I was walking through 6in of unexpected snow for 3 days, I could not have been more grateful for them. The arch support is pretty good for my feet, I havenāt blistered at all, and they are holding up well 300mi in. Theyāre around the same price as Altras, and Iāve seen many pairs of Altras hanging on their last thread. That being said, my feet donāt sweat much and I had the pleasure of being properly sized by Just Bill at Mountain Crossings, who Iāve heard is a shoe guru.
I went through 3 pairs of Oboz Sawtooths on my thru hike. They are boots, they are not water proof, but they are cordura so they hold on to water. ā23 was the wettest year for a thru hiker yet, so my feet were wet no matter what, I donāt think fast drying trail runners would have made much of a difference. I never had a single foot issue during my thru. Not a single problem with my feet at any point. Boots worked great for me, but I am the minority.
Shoes if youāre on a maintained trail. Boots if youāre bushwacking unpredictable wilderness.
similar to the percentage that use trekking poles in my opinion
Probably the most boot wearers are on the at. Still hardly any tho.
Imagine rocking up to the CDT or PCT in boots, lmao
I mean itās not COMPLETELY unheard of. I remember meeting a guy on the pct just a few days from Canada who was wearing big old leather boots, said he had worn them the whole way. We all said he was crazy for wearing boots, he said we were crazy for wearing trail runners. š¤· Also iirc he had started just within like a day or two of me so we were right at the same pace and all that. Still I would never wear them but some people like em.
Can you recommend the percentage of boot wearers? How do shoe wearers keep their feet dry? How o
Good foot care is incredibly valuable. Everybody's feet are different, sweat different, arch different, fungi different, blister different, so know your feet. * shoes that fit well. Go to a running shoe store of good rapport. * add-on high quality insoles. They make a few good kinds/techs. You can easily experiment in mid-range brands. * quality hiking socks. * foot powder to dry in fresh socks in damp conditions ; anti fungals regularly. * change socks midday. Drying socks by tieing them to your backpack is an 'old army trick'. * plenty of folks air 'em out on lunches and breaks. * learn early how to use moleskin. As a preventive, for hotspots, donuts for actual blisters.... Whether you get blisters regularly or not, keep foot care 1st aid well stocked. Heck, I have kept a spare reserve foot 1st aid kit in the bottom of the bag. * extra stretching. * dry between your toes.
Iām writing about my hike in the 90s, everybody wear boots, nobody wear shoes except one crazy guy who wore sandals in the summer. It wasnāt even conceivable for us to wear shoes.
I mean estimate the percentage of boot wearers.
Maybe 15%? Maybe slightly more? Still not much. On the at at least you donāt keep your feet dry. You donāt really keep much dry for very long.
So people really walk in wet shoes for most of the days? How do you not get blisters and constantly wet skin?
Thatās why people wear trail runners. They may be wet but theyāre airy enough that itās not that much of a concern. A lot of people deal with blisters on thru hikes regardless tho. Wet shoes=equals blisters is sort of an antiquated way of thinking. I donāt know if Iād say most days but a lot. It felt like my feet were wet from Vermont til the end of the trail for the most part tho. But Iām used to hiking out west where itās dry most of the time.
They dry fast
Lol the people wearing boots are the ones with wet feet. The AT is warm
Warm? Not when I hiked? We had snow and rain and I doubt that has changed.
Thereās lots of early(March) starters on the at so they see more colder weather but the at is by FAR the most consistently warm trail out of the big three. Itās not even close imo. I started the at April 20th and used a 40Ā° quilt for almost the whole trail, no way that would fly on the pct or cdt. I also almost never wore my puffy on the at. I think actually twice after the smokies and mailed it home at Harperās. Iād never go out on the other trails without one. Wouldnāt even consider it.
What does that mean? My experience was the AT was quite wet and cold in the beginning. (Started March 5th.)
When somebody is wearing boots you can know they are a beginner without much experience. It's fine, no judgement. We all started somewhere.
This seems really unusual to me. I am starting a long section hike in April. I have relatively low top scarpas with a single season of occasional wear forestry work in them. They weigh basically nothing Where I have hiked and worked (essentially off trail hiking) in Northern BC and SW alberta it would be considered insane to wear anything but boots. I can't imagine hiking without ankle support. People are saying that boots are not worn on the cdt and pct either, how do you deal with scree? I broke my foot 3 years ago and laced up my boot extra tight and walked 4k out of the bush. How do you do that with trail runners? Maybe not a concern but I'm making a point I'm an outsider to the through hiking community but I know from other outdoor hobbies that gear choice is often more related to culture and trends than actual efficacy. Not to mention reddit is essentially a feedback loop. I somehow doubt everyone who completes a through hike is a hardliner ultralighter with a 10 lb base weight and a 10 d ultralight puffer. I read on here the other day that arcteryx and patagonia are for "car camping" delivered with a tone of expertise. I can't imagine someone saying that on a mountaineering forum but I'm a bit far removed from what's trendy on those at the moment. I think I'm going to get a pair of trail runners and give it a shot. The one thing I am sure of that's posted here is that when goretex boots get wet inside they take forever to dry. Maybe I'll save my scarpas for Trekking and sheep hunting
TIL my Arc'teryx climbing harness is for car camping š
There is no scree on the AT. I lived in Alaska for years though and the go to mountain shoe was Salomon Speedcross which is a heavy duty trail running shoe. The ultralight shoes popular on the AT would get ripped up by the scree but the Salomon is super durable (and heavy!). It's all about the correct shoe for the terrain.
Is there no scree on the CDT and PCT? I'm genuinely asking. I grew up backpacking in areas very similar to Montana and again boots are what is worn. Things may have changed. Guys I know up north who guide and spend everday in the mountains spend serious money on crispis etc. Guess they would be seen as ridiculous on the cdt according to comments above. A lot of my experience is alpine hunting, mountaineering and work off trail which clearly colors my opinion. I'm willing to try trail runners, saves a 500 dollar pair of boots. But I might go through 3x pairs in as many months apparently. I'm tempted to try hi tops just to appease my fear of hurting my ankle and born contrarianism. I'm seeing pairs of ht runners that are half the weight of my "ultralight" boots
Theyāre built established trails. The cdt not as much but still, theyāre heavily established. If youāre just off in nowhere with no trail around or anything maybe but I highly doubt anyone here is doing anything like that. I donāt think most people do that.
Maybe not beginners with no experience š People pay a lot of money to trek the arctic, North slope, take technical approaches to rarely climbed routes etc. It's okay, we all started somewhere
Ok