Wet & Slippery

[richard]

I've been having a problem with wet granite and tree roots. Today I cut my hike short because of the wet trails. I've slipped and occasionally fallen too many times. Can some of you guys give me an educated opinion on hiking shoes, boots or trail runners with soles that would perform well under these conditions?

 

[Raven]

I've been having a problem with wet granite and tree roots. Today I cut my hike short because of the wet trails. I've slipped and occasionally fallen too many times. Can some of you guys give me an educated opinion on hiking shoes, boots or trail runners with soles that would perform well under these conditions?

I've been happy with my Salomon Sense Mantra3 trail runners. They are pretty light, not much support, feel like slippers, and grip very well. I'd suggest trying approach shoes as well as they are designed to grip. I cannot speak to specific brands on these though.

 

[JoshandBaron]

I'm not sure there's anything that helps with tree roots but my Altra LP 3.0s have performed very well on wet rock.

 

[TJsName]

Poles can also be helpful to reduce dependency on the soles.

 

[TCD]

Richard, what footwear are you using now, that is not working as well as you would like?

In general, softer, more conforming soles with stickier rubber, as are found on some trail runners, work much better in these conditions than the old fashioned stiff boots with hard soles.

Rubber grip varies a lot between companies, and between models within companies. First you have to narrow down what kind shoe you want, and then narrow down which companies models fit your feet. Then you can narrow down further on the exact rubber.

 

[jfb]

I've never found the right shoes that will provide the traction I need to negotiate slippery rocks and roots. As a result, I've learned how to carefully place my feet to minimize any slipping.

 

[richard]

Richard, what footwear are you using now, that is not working as well as you would like?

In general, softer, more conforming soles with stickier rubber, as are found on some trail runners, work much better in these conditions than the old fashioned stiff boots with hard soles.

Rubber grip varies a lot between companies, and between models within companies. First you have to narrow down what kind shoe you want, and then narrow down which companies models fit your feet. Then you can narrow down further on the exact rubber.

I've been using
Merrells ,two different pairs . One with Vibram soles. The other with Merrell soles. They fit well and are very comfortable, but they're terrible when it's wet. I get apprehensive when I see wet granite. I'd like to find something that would give me more confidence under these conditions.

 

[egilbe]

I use Salomon XD pro 3's. not much slipping the last four days hiking the Mahoosuc trail. Not saying it was all non-slip, but I was very careful not to slip and fall like the hiker who was helicoptered out Monday night. I keep my foot as flat against the rock as I can to maximize surface area. Its mostly technique, I think.

 

[Quietman]

I find that Merrill Moabs have given me the best traction. I have yet to try the Moab2, but the sole appears to be very similar.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Pretty happy with my Altra LP 3.0 as well

Tim

 

[TCD]

If Merrell fits well, then the next step is to really understand the different rubbers. Vibram is a company and a brand name. They make MANY different rubber compounds, ranging from the hard lug soles on mountaineering boots to the soft sticky rubber on climbing shoes. You really need to know which Vibram rubber you are dealing with. Also, I doubt very much that Merrell formulates their own rubber compounds. The "Merrell rubber" is no doubt formulated by some mainline rubber sole company (perhaps it's just another Vibram product, with Merrell having bought the right to give it their own name). The shoe companies make this information quite obscure, deliberately, for marketing purposes. For example, I hike in La Sportiva Primer Low shoes. La Sportiva calls the rubber on those "Vibram Nano." But Vibram does not have any product called "Vibram Nano"; it's a name they allowed La Sportiva to make up. It took a lot of research for me to find out that it's basically Vibram's XS Edge climbing shoe rubber, reformulated to be more durable for use in a hiking shoe.

 

[Jazzbo]

Couple years back I met up with some bushwhackers and we were hiking in wet steep slippery terrain around Cone Mountain. I was having hard time keeping up due to poor traction and they were praising the FiveTen boots they were wearing as being super grippy in all conditions. FiveTen appears to have started in climbing community, but has since built extensive product line around Stealth rubber soles. I bought a pair and am still in initial trials. Reviewers on Amazon most mention don't wear these inside as they tend to leave black tracks so there is trade-offs. Another solution to problem is to stay off rocky trails in wet humid weather and steer towards less popular trails not so beat up with heavy traffic.

 

[SherpaWill]

Poles had saved me more than once. I really like the Lasportiva Ultra Raptors on slippery terrain.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Another vote here for Salomons. Their Contagrip soles do the job. But the best thing for wet roots is to stay the hell off them.

Don't care to use poles in the summer. Like having my hands free. Once you actually start to slip, poles seem like they'd be a liability, not an asset. But I do carry one on my pack for gnarly stream-crossings.

 

[Stan]

Don't care to use poles in the summer. Like having my hands free. Once you actually start to slip, poles seem like they'd be a liability, not an asset. But I do carry one on my pack for gnarly stream-crossings.

I agree but as a compromise for the sake of maintaining balance and taking some load off my joints as I get older, I carry one and have gotten accustomed to it.

My hiking boots seem to lose traction after so many miles ... I never added them up ... so when I feel that they're slipping I replace to soles. With care of the boot itself, I find it lasts at least 2-3 replacements.

 

[DayTrip]

Poles had saved me more than once. I really like the Lasportiva Ultra Raptors on slippery terrain.

I switched to these last Summer and ave worn two seasons now and they are awesome on pretty much everything except wet bog bridges. If you slip on wet rock in these it is because of your foot placement, not the shoes. The downside to this grip though is the soles wear pretty fast. I can't speak to other brands of shoes but for mine they are noticeably worn after about 100 miles. Depending on the volume of your hiking you'll go through these pretty fast.

As a side note, a few Fall's ago I bought a pair of StreamTrekkers for hiking on days when there is a thin layer of ice on rocks. They work like Kahtoola spikes only instead of spikes they have knurled beads. I guess they were made for fishermen walking on wet, slimy rocks and I've found them to work really well on ledgy trails, ledge with moss and slime as well as thin ice covered surfaces like the many bog bridges heading to Shelburne-Moriah. Of course it is added weight to carry, especially if the trail only has a few areas of concern, and may not make sense to everyone. They're great in the Fall though and I recommend on wet, rocky trails where you may run into thin icy patches and glazing. (They are TERRIBLE on real ice. They're not a spike substitute but more of a specific purpose piece of gear).