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Below is a machine transciption of this episode (and there is bound to be loads of errors). I am currently traveling off grid and didn’t have a chance to work up the complete webpage before I left, so this is the best I could do in the meantime. Either check back later, or if you email me, I’ll write you back to let you know when I’ve got the post up. Thanks for your understanding! Kit
00:01 [inaudible]
00:04 going into an outfitter to divide new hiking boots or shoes can give you a migraine. You’ll see foot were labeled not just hiking boots or shoes, but also trail runners, ultra light boots, cross trainers, hiking sandals and walking boots to name a few in the hiking boot versus shoe battle. How do you determine which is the best hiking shoe for you and your feet? That’s what we’ll be discussing today.
00:27 Welcome to the venture trial show podcast. I’m your host kip parks and that’s why we’re going to be working on today. We’re going to try to figure out what is the best footwear for us to wear for our different hiking adventures and we not only have to worry about the type of shoe, we’ve got to consider the prices too cause the prices run the gamut as well and they can get really up there so it’s not something you want to make a booboo on the answer to what to wear and you knew this was coming is it depends. We’re going to look at the different features and then you can compare what the different features do for you against the general environment you’ll be hiking in, but regardless of the charts and the information that we’re going to discuss today, and I’ll have all this on the website at adventure travel show, podcast.com/shoes the key feature of any hiking shoe is comfort.
01:13 Every manufacturer’s mold is different. Some have wider widths than others, and so my own size eight in one brand might feel great but aren’t going to give me nearly enough tow room or with in another brand. If your budget permits, you might want to buy a couple of different boots or shoes so that you have the right gear for whatever your individual hike is going to be. For example, I use my boss or Wask, I’m not sure how he’s supposed to say it, my boss boots whenever I’m doing any serious hiking or on some challenging terrain, but the trails are well maintained. I’m usually gonna opt for my mural hiking shoes later on this month. I’m heading on a rafting and hiking trip in Idaho. And so for that trip I’m just going to be packing my hiking sandals that have a toe guard so I can use them both as my water shoe and my hiking shoe.
01:58 So in deciding what we’re going to wear, we need to actually consider a couple of different things. Let’s look at the different types. First. Number one, the heavy hiking boot back country trailblazers should consider a heavy boot. If your hike is gonna include some large bouldering and bushwhacking. The heavy hiking boots are going to have some serious tractions on the soul and they’ll sometimes even have a cramp on like tip. These boots are heavy, not just hiking, but they’re also heavy on the wallet. Often they’re made a leather and they will require a sizable breaking in period, but once they’ve molded to your feet, they’re going to protect your feet and all sorts of difficult terrain. But you can expect some blisters, especially in the beginning. Heavy hiking boot is going to offer you some excellent ankle support and their good grip is an asset on steep slopes and boulders.
02:49 Plus a heavy hiking boot is going to last the longest of all. The hiking, footwear, mud, snow, and water will slough off these boots the best, and they’re warmer. If you’re going to be hiking and cold climates than a hiking shoe would be hiking boots also provide the best ankle and underfoot support, but they’re going to feel weighty and clunky compared to the other options. The more rocks and debris you hike on, the more you’re going to appreciate wearing a hiking boot. However, depending on the material, they can take a long, long time to dry out leather, it seems to take forever. They’re also the hardest to pack. I’ve got some mid weight boots that I’m bringing on an upcoming trip and I’m going to have to wear them on the plane, otherwise they take up half of my suitcase. So you know, I’m gonna Look Trey Chic on that plane. Right? And if you hike in rainy or snowy conditions, a boot’s going to be preferable because they’re high tops combined with waterproof hiking pants can keep the water out of your boots and the higher ankle coverage can also be helpful when hiking among briers and other off trail treats. They can cut you up and bruise you.
03:53 You can also get a waterproof boot. Some hiking foot wear has gore-tex in it, which makes the boot waterproof. It’s great if you’re crossing puddles and streams, but they don’t breathe as well so that can make your feet sweat. I personally prefer to have my feet breathe. I swear they have lungs so I don’t do these, but other people swear by them. So again, this is going to be down to the comfort. What do your feet like? So next on the list after the heavy hiking boot is the mid weight boot, like the kind of mentioned and bringing on my upcoming hike. This is my go to when I’m going to be in a serious mountain. I don’t do the heavy rock climbing mountain, he kind of things. So for what I consider a difficult hike and the kinds that we cover on this show at the four and five level where they’re hard and challenging but not ever see hard.
04:35 This is usually a suitable shoe, but I consider these my backpacking boots so my boots have stiff souls that cover the ankle for a little bit more support. You can get them either in synthetic materials, which is lighter and breathe better, which is what I choose, or leather, but they’re still heavy and you’re going to feel the weight of them at the end of a long hiking day. And I would suggest you break these in at least a few days before taking them on a long hike just to be in the safe side. If you’re hiking in shallow slush, some snow, some small puddles or streams, choosing a waterproof boot is going to keep your feet dryer than with the shoes and the boots. Also going to provide you with a tad more protection if you’re hiking in snake territory,
05:19 plus you’re less likely to get pebbles in your boot than if you’re wearing a shoe. Although you can put some gators on which are these little cloth cover things that can cover over your shoes to help keep debris out of your shoes. So we’ll talk about that a little bit later. At the top of your boot there’s got to be a metal lacing hook that allows you to tighten your shoelaces even further for more strength and stability. The head on some really challenging terrain, so we’ve covered the boots. Another thing people are starting to see more and more on the trail are trail running shoes. These offers are usually a little bit more ankle support than a hiking shoe because people are actually running on the trails over rocks and roots strewn trails with them. You’re going to find a little bit more padding and a sturdier soul than a regular trail shoe.
06:04 [inaudible]
06:04 my recommendation is after my research is only by these, if you plan to actually run on the trails because they were great for running, but they’re really not designed for actual hiking and so actually they won’t work quite as well for you. A trail running shoe should feel great as soon as you put them on.
06:22 So unless you’re actually running and you don’t want something so heavy, then you want to look at getting a trail shoe or a hiking shoe. These have thicker soles than traditional running shoes, but they’re lighter and more comfortable than boots and make sure that you’re actually buying a trail shoe and not just some fashion shoe that looks like one. Otherwise you might find that on the quote unquote fashion one that the stitches in the souls are not going to hold up to the terrain and the job that you are going to be given them and like the trail running shoes. These should feel great as soon as you put them on, you’re going to find trail shoes cooler and warm weather as well. You also with the trail runners and hiking sandals and trail shoes and hiking shoes have more flexible souls so they bend more, make an easier to, if you’re trying to rock hop across the stream and the last choice is hiking sandals.
07:13 This is what I’m taking on my rafting trip. They’re lightweight, they’re great for water crossings, they let your feet breathe, however, you’re going to get some rocks and some small sticks in them, so you’re gonna have to pause to remove them more often. Make sure you get one with a toe guard and don’t even think about wearing hiking sandals. If you’re climbing a screen strewn hill, you’re going to go nuts trying to get those pebbles out. So questions to ask yourself before buying a hiking boot or shoe number one, are you a hiking Newbie? If you’re just learning to hike and your eyes and your feet haven’t yet developed, great natural foot placement, consider getting a hiking shoe with a sturdier soul than you might normally need. This might help your ankles until you get your your eye foot coordination going worse. You don’t even have to think about it. Your foot just knows right where to go when it sees the train. Number two, consider the trail terrain that you think you’re gonna be hiking on. The smoother, more well-maintained the trails, the less important the sturdiness of the soul is. If you’re gonna be crossing shallow creeks, you might want to consider a waterproof one or if you do like I do get a breathable hiking shoe and they dry up pretty quickly.
08:25 Number three, ankle strength. You’ve got to consider your ankle streak, the weaker your ankles, the stronger ankle support you’re going to need. If you have ever, I mean, ever sprained your ankle even as a kid. Unfortunately it’s always going to be a little bit weaker than you’d like it to be, so you’re better off stepping up your ankle. Support on the adventure travel show podcast number one we talk about what to do if you do sprain your ankle in the wild and I’ve got a video that I’ll be posting on the site as well of how to test your ankle strength on your own. The fourth thing you want to think about is the pack. Wait, are you going to be carrying a light day pack? Are you going to be doing some heavy duty backpacking? If you’re going to be carrying significant weight, you need the added strength and support of a heavier boot.
09:13 Number five, how long are you going to be out in the trail? If you’re going to be hiking all day long, you’ve got two things to consider. The first one is weight. The sturdier, the hiking boot or shoe. The more it’s going away. So at the end of the day, your feet are gonna feel like lead weights. I’ve read that the weight on your feet takes four to six times the energy to lift in the same weight on your back. So for example, let’s say your boot weighs two and a half pounds, but your shoes weigh a pound, then your boots, you’re going to feel like you’re carrying an extra six to nine pounds on your back compared to just the shoes. Ouch.
09:49 However, at the end of the day, you’re going to be tired and you’re going to tend to make more mistakes, such as not lifting your feet high enough. That extra ankle strength is gonna come in handy. So you’re going to be trading off the heavy weight of the shoes that are gonna make your feet feel like lead with the strength that you get. If you do make the mistake at the end of the day, it’s going to give you that little bit of extra support that could make the difference between twisting your ankle or not. So again, it’s going to depend and it’s a trade off. The sixth thing we want to consider is our hiking pace. If you are truly trail running, you simply can not do this in a boat. Plus you’re gonna need the lighter weight for speed. Some trail runners have a grippy rubber compound that helps your feet stick better on wet rocks and roots.
10:36 And the final thing you want to think about is how long do you want your shoes to last? Most trail shoes and runners are going to give you about 500 miles of service. However, a good pair of sturdy boots might give you a thousand miles. So let’s go through this one more time. Heikki newbies want to beef up their ankle support. Number two, you want to consider the terrain the heavier the train, the Sturdier, the boot. Number three, consider your ankle strength. What is your particular ankle strength into the test on the website? Number four, consider your pack weight. The more weight, the Sturdier the boot, how long you’re going to be out in the trail. There’s a trade off between the weight of the boot versus the strength of them. Ankle support, depending on how tired you’re gonna be at the end of the day. And you want a number six, look at your hiking pace. If you need to go fast, you need to go light. And finally, number seven, how long do you want them to last? Your hiking boots or shoes or an investment?
11:33 Okay, now let’s look at what kind of fit you should get out of your hiking boot or your hiking shoe. Number one, whatever hiking footwear you choose, it should feel snug but not tight. Remember that your feet are going to swell as the day goes on. So some even recommend, if in doubt, go up a half a size. You know, some people say, oh, would get a size bigger. Don’t do that because your foot is going to slosh around too much in the shoe. And if your shoe is too loose, you’re more prone to twisting your ankle and you’re not going to have enough ankle support. So it should be snug but not tight and not to this number two, your toes should not be all the way to the top of the shoe unless you planning on losing all of your toenails whenever you descend down a mountain.
12:13 And that happened to my mother. Not Fun. It’s been 30 years and she still has ms form toenails. From that and while we’re talking about the, to keep your toenails clipped when you’re going to go hiking. Number three, every manufacturer uses a different mold. Does the shoe of a particular manufacturer give your particular arches to proper support? Are they wide enough? Do they cradle your heel comfortably? Can you wiggle your toes around? Do you have plenty of room for your toes to move around? A good outfitter will have some place in the store that you can practice the ascent and descent so you can see whether or not your toes are being jammed in the front when you’re going downhill. You don’t want to be like my mom and lose your tail nails going down because there’s just not enough room for your toes, so you want to wear them in the store or at home.
12:58 If you’re shopping online for at least 30 to 60 minutes and wear them with the socks you plan to use with them. Like I said, a good outfitter is going to have a practice hill somewhere in the store that you can practice going up and down. Take advantage of it. Try Rolling your foot to the side. See how does it feel? Is there any stitching that’s rubbing you the wrong way? If it’s bugging you in the store, it’s going to really bug you on the trail. At the end of the day, if your feet aren’t happy, you’re not happy. Number five, speaking of happy feet, many people swear by the happy feet inserts. Consider buying a quality insert and then try them on together with the inserts. When your shoes get wet, you can remove the inserts and the other two out separately and they should dry quicker. Number six, consider the brand.
13:44 I have favorite brands that work well with my feet. It’s sometimes when a manufacturer comes out with a new edition, the new shoe doesn’t work quite as well for me as the old. So whenever I find a pair that I really like, if I love them, I’ll go back and buy a second pair for that very reason. So when the first one wears out, I know I’ve got a winner. So even though I have certain brands that my feet like there’s still some variances within that brand. And since hiking footwear is one of the most important outdoor gear purchases that we make, it pays a try on the different brands to find the shoe that works best for your feet. Currently I’m wearing the Vasquez hiking boots and the Merrell hiking shoes and chuck us hiking sandals and I’m choosing what to wear. Depending on the training I’ll be hiking in and I tried to go at the lightest weight shoe that will best protect my feet and my ankles for my adventure.
14:34 The seventh consideration of course is quality. Good hiking boots and good hiking shoes are important and I wouldn’t necessarily buy cheap hiking boots. You want to look for quality stitching of materials. We foresee all, there’s almost everything goes on sale at least once during the year and get the best quality hiking shoes you can rather than buying cheap hiking shoes. So hiking shoes versus hiking boots. To me the best trail boat depends on what I’m going to be doing and where I got to think about how portable do I need my footwear to be if I’m traveling. Lots of people love waterproof walking boots, but I personally prefer this synthetic materials that breathe. I find they dry out quickly and I’d rather have cool feet most of the time in exchange for occasional wet feet. My trail hiking shoes seem to dry drought quickly once the rain stops and I’m always wearing wool socks year-round and just different thicknesses depending on the season.
15:26 So even if my feet are wet, there’s always still warm in the winter and they’re always breathing. Sometimes I worry that manufacturers just shrink their men’s hiking boots and call them hiking boots for women instead of making women’s hiking shoes specifically for women like me. That’s why it really is important for you to try before you buy or else buy from an online company that gives a great return policy. The bottom line is my favorite trekking shoes are whichever one I’m wearing on the trail because I follow the guidelines above and choose the right hiking gear for each particular adventure and when you’re in doubt, err on the side of extra support on the website. I’ve got a video that’ll help you test the strength of your own ankles. Plus links to my doc on the run interview where we talk about ankle strength and what to do if you sprain your ankle in the wild.
16:12 I consider that a must listen episode. You don’t think spray Nichols would be interesting. It’s a really interesting interview. He does a great job. I’ve also got links on the website to recommend and shoes, boots and gators, and if you use my links at no additional cost to you, you’re going to be helping to support this show. The costs do add up over time, so I appreciate that. And if you are going to get gators, gators like I said, or the little like fabric coverings that snap onto your shoes to make sure that debris or to try to keep the debris out of your shoes. One of the more popular brands is the dirty girl. But please use my link because if you just Google that, you’re liable to go to some websites you’d rather not see. So please use Manning’s instead on that. I’d appreciate that.
16:52 I’d like to know what you think. Where do you stand in the boot versus shooed debate, right? And tell me what shoes you prefer. I’d love to hear from you. You can always reach me at kit, at active traveled ventures.com and also just let me know what you think of the new show next week on the companion show, the act of travel adventures podcast, where we go to destinations. We’re going to be going to the little known mummy range. It’s in the rocky mountains. I just love learning about magnificent areas to explore that haven’t really been discovered. And then the following week on this show, the adventure travel show podcast, we’re going to look at what you need to learn in order to begin backpacking. I appreciate you listening. Until next time, this is kit parks at venture on.