Sneakers on the trail - crazy or am I old-fashioned?

[NewHampshire]

Ive got pretty stout ankles, so I doubt I really need the support. But I am glad I have my High cut boots simply because there has been a few times Ive smacked the boney area of my ankle while on trail. While I doubt if that were to happen with low cuts I would do any serious damage I can at least say the padding of the high cuts saved me from any pain. But who knows what the future may hold when it comes time for new boots.
Brian

EDIT: Ok, Im not looking to get nasty, I promise I hold no Ill will to the giver of the Red Square, and I also promise no retaliation whatsoever. All I ask is could you please tell me what was so wrong with this post? Im sure Ive deserved red squares somewhere along the lines on some other post somewhere before this, but what is it that made you give me this square? I dont get it?

 

[Kurchian]

Vetrap Tape

A previous poster mentioned the use of Vetrap as a wrap. I looked it up online and it looks like a good product. Does anyone know where it is sold?

 

[Dugan]

For store front, I've been able to find it at Agway. Otherwise, googling "Vetrap" should return a plethora of vendors.

 

[HighHorse]

or if feeling retro in an 80's mood - I will throw on the moon boots and dance to you spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round.

wow. no one else noticed this? this guy is the man.

i have mixed feelings about my vasque sundowners. i've had them forever (they're due for a resoling soon) and have thousands of miles on them, but i'm feeling the gravity of the trail runner. especially for dayhikes.

 

[Brownie]

Boots are way sexier

Heather wrote:

I'm a leather boot kind of girl. 
I like the sturdy feeling and my ankles do appreciate it,
plus they are way sexier than sneakers 
and they give a cool hiker tan line.

Well I am glad somebody else said it before me and I would have to agree completely!
Its very important to match just the right cool sock to get that tan line.


Jeff

 

[Rivet]

or if feeling retro in an 80's mood - I will throw on the moon boots and dance to you spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round.

You can dance if you want to. You can leave your friends behind. Cause if your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine.

 

[Neil]

Lets hear from the bushwhackers.

I've tried wearing my very supportive scrambling boots on bushshwacks figuring with all the holes and hidden roots I'd be better off. Those things weighed a ton on my legs going over obstacles and blowdown. Then I tried a fairly light leather hiking boot which was much better. Next, maybe I'll try a trail runner with ankle gaitors. Any seasoned bushwhackers out there care to comment?

 

[carole]

It depends on the terrain for a bushwack. I've been covered head to toe and worn boots with gaiters for some of the nasty stuff but than again I was on one recently (and others in the past) that trail runners (w/o gaiters), shorts, tank top were quite fine as the woods were so open and lovely.

 

[TCD]

I bushwhack all the time, sometimes in the easy open stuff, and sometimes in the "crawling under and over" stuff. I wear trail runners with fabric scree gaiters for all of it, and they work fine. I generally try to avoid swamps and extended wading, which is about the only place a higher, more waterproof boot would make a difference. As far as support, I need that less bushwahacking than on trail, because surfaces are generally softer, and I'm not usually running. And I'm usually looking really carefully at where I put my feet.

 

[SherpaKroto]

wow. no one else noticed this? this guy is the man.

And unbeknownst to you, this man is the "Guy"

Back to the topic: I've run the gamut in footwear. Started hiking in Gum rubber boots when I was 8. Seriously. Got a pair of cheapo boots at "The Globe" a bit later, and these served me well for a few years. Then got a pair of Dunham Tyroleans, which I loved (considering where I came from bootwise, it's no wonder). I took care of these and got quite a few years out of them. During college, we had the bright idea to make a 2:00 AM ride up to LLBean, just to see if it was open 24 hours like they said it was. Ran up the old green stairs and scared the heck out of the security guard sleeping in his chair. I remember walking into the upstairs discount room and seeing a pair of Molitors (by Raichle) on the shelf. Haggling a bit, I picked them up for $30. I still have them, and they eventually became my winter boot until I went over to Koflach's in 2001. I also have used Asolo's, first the Cerro-Torre (a fantastic boot) and then the 535's (not as good to me). For the past 3 years, I've gone nearly exclusively to low cuts: New Balance MA 900. I have loved them for ANY terrain, but sadly they are no longer made (New Balance is getting out of the adventure shoe market - go figure). My last pair, with nearly 800 miles on them, met their fate on Saturday just shy of Eagle Crag on the Meader Ridge. I've jokingly mentioned that they deserve a burial at sea . Sunday, I went out and bought a pair of Dunham's TerraStryder Waffle Stompers: a mid cut.

In over 40 years of hiking, I've had 2 bad ankle injuries: one with my Molitors, one with my low-cuts. In both cases it would have been tough to avoid an injury due to the way I fell, regardless of what I was wearing. The most important thing I look for in a shoe or boot is a stiff midsole. It doesn't matter if it is a boot or a shoe, it has to have a stiff midsole. I have had no issues on bushwhacks or in the Presis (I wore them on the Presi Traverse attempt in pouring rain, and they were fine)

So, my experience has been that low cuts offer all the support that I need. I use my Koflach's in winter, and my low-cuts all other times. I have worn gaiters over my low-cuts on many occasions with much success. It all comes back to the same thing: whatever you wear must fit YOU. If it feels good to you and causes you no foot issues (blisters, etc), it's right. After all, it's just walking...

 

[Mike P.]

The EMS Cristallo's (likely discontinued, they are the old Traverse's with a full nylon shank instead of the steel one the Traverse had) are by far the heaviest leather I've worn, not much lighter than plastic.

After numerous breaks in other sports & ample padding above the knees, I've stopped really trying to stand when I roll an ankle more than just a little bit, I just fall usually landing on a hip or my behind. Lot's of milk and exercise have kept me from injurying those parts (okay, lot's of candy, ice cream, soda, pizza, cheeseburgers.... have helped protect those places too)

The first people I saw in sandals was on Camel's Hunmp, their english was not all that great either, figured if you hop around the Alps a lot, Camel's Hump would equal a day in the park so their footwear was appropriate for them.

 

[Warren]

I've had good luck with merill ventilators while doing a 4 day pemi loop last october. They do dry faster, though in doing so you tend to foam at the feet.

I have a pair of big all leather Sorel's, that I tend to use before plastics are needed. If I have any rule it's the type of walking and scrambling I plan on doing. If there's scrambling I may wear the sorels, even in the summer as they edge really well, also if I think I may be doing long days I may wear them as well, I don't pick my feet up enough at the end of the day and tend to bump my feet, even with a light trail runner. THe all leather protects my toes nicely.

I buy into the if your feet are higher off the ground you're more likely to roll an ankle argument. But I do wear the leather to protect my ankles- more from cuts and gouges when bushwacking- branch gives way you slam down 6 inches, branch stub gouges ankle.

That said, bushwacking below the Nippletop/dial col I slammed through a good foot of hollow ground, I pretty certain I would have more than an "ow" to say had not been wearing high cut boots. Of course with lighter foot wear my placement may have been different.

 

[JeffAndrews]

I have always hiked in old running shoes. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone else, but it works for me. After I get about 300 miles on them, they become my hiking shoes. (I'm kind of cheap when it comes to athletic gear).

I'm loathe to actually type this (as I'm also superstitious) but I've never had a problem with my ankles hiking. I do currently have a black toenail from accidently kicking a rock (something else I don't recommend), but that only hurt for a little while.

I'm not sure why, but worn down sneakers have great traction. And what I like about them most is that I don't have to worry about getting them wet. Stream crossings, no problem. Just walk right across.

I postholed through mud half way up to my knee on the herd path to Boundary this weekend, and hardly noticed it.

I think the most important thing is to wear shoes that work for YOU and make sure you are comfortable in them before you hit the trails.

 

[Neil]

Lately I've been leaving my boots at home and have alternated between trail runners and low top 3/4 shank Merrels (sturdier). I've used the trail runners on bushwhacks in thick and difficult ADK cliffy blowdown fests and am convinced that for dry weather this is my best choice. They are so much lighter. On bushwhacks one lifts one's legs up in the air fairly often and those big boots get heavy.

That said, I have a long and varied dayhike coming up this w/end but I'm a little leary of using the trail runners for fear of having sore feet due to the lack of a shank underfoot. Comments anyone?

 

[Barbarossa]

Lately I've been leaving my boots at home and have alternated between trail runners and low top 3/4 shank Merrels (sturdier). I've used the trail runners on bushwhacks in thick and difficult ADK cliffy blowdown fests and am convinced that for dry weather this is my best choice. They are so much lighter. On bushwhacks one lifts one's legs up in the air fairly often and those big boots get heavy.

That said, I have a long and varied dayhike coming up this w/end but I'm a little leary of using the trail runners for fear of having sore feet due to the lack of a shank underfoot. Comments anyone?

I bushwhack in cheap sandals, so neener neener neener!

A couple of trips when we were expect rocky terrain, like the Arrow Slide on Hancock, I wore boots for better traction.

Three years ago I slipped and fell on a trail. I injured my ankle, which was wrapped in a very stiff, heavy boot. This injury still nags me. If I put it in a long day, I really feel it the next morning.

 

[el-bagr]

I bushwhack in cheap sandals, so neener neener neener!

A couple of trips when we were expect rocky terrain, like the Arrow Slide on Hancock, I wore boots for better traction.

I also bushwhack in sandals, though usually not the cheapest. I wore them when I joined Barbarossa on the Arrow Slide

Need a shank? You've already got five per foot -- the metatarsal bones.

Never had a problem with the lack of any additional shank. It actually makes friction climbing easier without one -- ever try smearing your toes on a little hold in rigid winter climbing boots?

edit to count metatarsals right

 

[Neil]

Need a shank? You've already got five per foot -- the metatarsal bones.

Good one!
Except that in my case its the muscles that stabilize those shanks that get fatigued and sore. Especially on a 10-12 hour hike.

I've never heard of bushwhacking in sandals, well I guess now I have. Amazing!

 

[king tut]

I like my heavy duty above ankle hikers from north face. I tore up my right ankle many times in high school and college playing soccer and basketball. I tend to sprain that ankle easier since most of the ligaments are in bad shape. I find it virtually impossible to sprain my ankle w/ these boots, they seem to deflect the pressure to the shin and surgically reconstructed knee on a mis-step. Same effect as wearing ski boots, never heard of someone spraining an ankle downhill skiing. I sometimes wear x-trainers on little hikes, but last time i did, i had an awkward step on a root and sprained some tendon on the top of my foot, hurt like heck. The pain kind of came and went over the next 5 weeks or so, not sure what i sprained. As far as the weight issue, i don't even notice the difference. What difference is a few ounces in the boots when i weigh over 200 pounds?

 

[sweeper]

I been thinking of going lighter also. Been in heavy boots for years without any injuries. They are getting worn and the new one won't be leather, the height has yet to be determined.

I sure you don't want to hear but I've been know to day hike in Tevas also wo/injuries.

 

[Double Bow]

I've never heard of bushwhacking in sandals, well I guess now I have. Amazing!

It has to be seen to be believed! Sometimes I'm wanting full body armour and yet I've seen Barb trudge through everything in his Tevas! Power to ya!!

I have pretty much always gone with full grain leather Gore-Tex boots. I have trail runners that I usually only use for light, short hikes but recently I used them for an 18mi hike with over 4K' elev with no issue. I had been hesitant to use them for any lengthy trip since I had a sprained ankle but, this thread made me reconsider.

I think I may use them in the future for a lengthy trip, provided conditions are dry. However, my Tevas will remain for camp use only at this point!