Don't Buy Hiking Shoe Advice

If a website or video tells you that you have to buy a certain hiking shoe, they are full of crap. Every backpacker and every hike is different. That means a one size fits all approach is a lie and what's good for one person may be a disaster for the next.

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Gear I frequently Use:
Backpack - Waymark Ultra 38L EVLV and Waymark Framed Thru 40L

Hammock - Warbonnet Ridgerunner -

Rain Fly - 13' Warbonnet Thunder Fly and Mountain Fly-

Tent - Zpacks Duplex -

Top Quilts-
UGQ Outdoors 20 Degree Bandit -

Hammock Gear O, 20, and 40 Degree Burrows-

Under Quilts-
Warbonnet Outdoors 40 Degree Lynx Underquilt

Garmin In-Reach Mini Communicator

MSR Mini Groundhog Stakes -

Brooks Cascadia 16 Trail Runners -

Anker Power Banks -

Nitecore NU25 Headlamp -

Hilltop Packs Custom Printed Food Bag and Custom Printed Dual Pocket Gadget Bag -

REI Magma 850 Hooded Down Jacket (seasonal) -

Sea to Summit Compression Dry Sack

Cascade Mountain Tech Hiking Poles-

Toaks 550ML Cook Pot-

Fancy Feast Stove-

Toaks Long Handle Spoon

REI Rainpants -

Enlightened Equiptment Visp Rain Jacket -

Sealskinz Waterproof Socks -

CNOC 2 Liter Water Bag -
currently unavailable

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter -

Sit Pad -

Camera- iphone 12 Pro Max

External Microphone - Shure AMV88-

Ultrapod Lightweight Camera Tripod-

Noxgear39g Bluetooth Speaker -

Pump-

Peak Refuel Freeze Dried Meals (Used BCE15 Discount Code for 15% off)

Down Socks-

Water Proof Gloves-

Lite AF Fanny Pack-

Permethrin-

#hikingshoes #backpackingshoes #backpackinggear

[roli]

This video is the prfect advice for shoes. Not just hiking shoes, for any shoes. If it doesn't fit my feet right away from the first second of trying, i put it back. Usually you find a favourite brand that matches your feet, but models can still differ.

[theslowwalker]

Great video. There's no "one" shoe for everybody. I broke my right ankle twice (the second time 2 miles in on a 50 mile backpacking trip. I did the whole 50 miles) and my left ankle once. So I prefer ankle high boots to hiking shoes. I wear wool outer socks, polyester inner socks, and NOT WATER PROOF boots. I hike through streams, muddy trails, and in the rain. I haven't had a blister for more than 20 years.

[safromnc]

Spot on Jeremy...Earlier in life I had much narrower feet and during that time I wore Salomons almost exclusively outside of a pair of boots that were Keens + a Keen sandal *the UNEEK).
Fast forward to today, I wear a larger size and need a wider shoe as well. So, I wear mostly Merrells or Salmings.
I can't do zero drop and typically I select a shoe w/a rock plate as I seem to find every rock & root while hiking. It took me at least a year to dial in new shoes, that worked for me.

[eximusic]

Unfortunately for those of us who take good care of their equipment, modern boots with glued on soles do not last. The glue or whatever is attaching the soles deteriorates after just a few years and they can completely come apart on the trail, miles in. Unless you want to buy new boots every two years or so I would recommend cheaper trail running shoes or boots from the several manufacturers that still make stitched soles. Vibram soles were a great thing at first and then became a curse.

[flt]

I find that a lot of hiking shoe advice comes from thru-hikers (people doing the AT for example, hiking tons of miles for weeks at a time), and those hikers favor lightweight sneakers. Their ankles are super strong and it's important to cut weight to a minimum. Most people though are doing day hikes or perhaps 2-3 day hikes, and only hiking occasionally. I've found that a lot of ankle support is key because it prevents injuries, and I don't care if my boots are heavy because I'm rarely hiking more than 10 or 15 miles in a day or more than 2-3 days at a time. My preference is full leather, "non-waterproof" boots (no gore tex, but very waterproof if you rub oil into the leather).

[barbarapaine]

I have just started hiking again after a long hiatus. I realized my sneakers aren’t going to cut it on our very rocky trails. The friendly bearded guy at the local outdoor store took one look at my feet, listened to me talk about the type of hiking I want to do, and pulled out some shoes I never would have picked for myself. While they are pricey and look like clown shoes, (I have very wide toes), they are super comfortable. Nothing wrecks a hike like that one little nagging pain in your foot somewhere.

[Condor]

This is why I have lots of different kinds of shoes. I wear what works best for the conditions at hand.

[GrizzlyGaz]

I'm in the UK where it's usually cold & wet all year round. A good example of our summer time is today - it rained last night soaking everything, the sun was out this morning, it's now 12:10pm and it's been raining for an hour and everything is soaking again but now the sun is shining again and the temp is 61°F 🤣
I've seen lots of YouTubers 'promoting' non waterproof trail runners because they "dry out faster than waterproof boots and because they're lighter you won't fatigue as quickly"...
I'd like to know your opinion on this from our cold wet environment stand point, bearing in mind that most people in the UK are weekend warriors and not the thru hiking type.

The British army debunked the claims in a study that a lightweight boot reduced fatigue compared to a full leather heavier boot while walking (The results were so small they were negligible)
The results changed when they were running, the fatigue increased with members using the heavier full leather boot. So unless you're running, the weight of the boot doesn't make much difference to fatigue. I guess that's why they call them trail RUNNERS not trail HIKERS 🤣...

My next gripe is that they say that trail runners dry out quicker than a waterproof boot. Now this maybe true but if you're only going out for 1-2 nights and it's wet out, your feet are more likely to stay dry the whole time if you wear fully waterproof boots but as soon as you step out in non waterproof trail runners your feet will be wet through within minutes! Plus they're NOT going to dry out within the day/night so unless it's really warm and dry the whole time you're out you're feet are going to be constantly wet/damp in trail runners?...

So my question is:
Which do you think is a better option for UK conditions?
No waterproof trail runner or fully waterproof boot?

[larryc]

If you like the way a boot or shoe looks but it isn't comfortable, try swapping out the factory insole for a pair you've been wearing. The factory insole may be too stiff, have too much arch. Like all gear reviews, this is merely a suggestion. It may or may not help but it's worth exploring.

[rodoutdoors]

Great video. I transitioned to barefoot style shoes a year ago and kind of learned how my feet are to find shoes that'll fit. High instep, medium-high arch, mountain-slope shaped toes, etc. It took around 4-6 months to transition, but learned a lot in the process. I like Altra's for backpacking but I may switch out after my current pair. The outersoles don't last very long. So hopefully can find a nice alternative with zero-drop and wide toe box.
These days with the California storms, I'm still wearing Altras. I made the mistake of wearing Xero insulated waterproof boots when there was high stream crossings and paid for it. Still trying to find some balance during wet/rainy weather with freezing temps at night. I might try gaiters to at least keep my pants dry/clean and legs a bit warmer.

[kenwbrenner]

Thanks Jeremy - good job on this video.
I've found that in my 70 years, shoe needs changed as I aged.
I'm hiking with the Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator mid height. I have issues with supination due to my high arches, and need something that is firm.
One thing I'm curious about, why all the emphasis in the hiking world on Altra Lone Peak trail runners.
When I look at comments on the shoe, a high percentage indicate the shoe only lasts arounnd 200 miles (on the AT). And, at $140, that doesn't seem right. I welcome others' comments

[stevesmith]

I found my Merrill’s Moab’s have been the best hiking boot ever. Comfy and wears great. Keep coming back to them and I’ve tried a lot

[shaftermike]

Definitely a lot of variables in what shoe will work best. For shorter miles on flatter non-rocky trails a low-top trail runner is pretty nice. For off-trail, rock scrambling and scree slopes a tougher high top real boot is more comfy, protects the foot and grabs the slope/rocks as long as the sole is right. I've seen some newer boots with rounded lugs around the ball of the foot that look like they just won't bite into the dirt or rocks. I fondly remember some Italian pivettas with laces almost down to the toe and Vibram soles, worked well with my narrow feet! Worst were some older Lowa boots that I kept turning my ankles in. Turned out they had EXTREMELY narrow and high heels, weird design!

[starvideoproduction]

Great information! Esp. if I am packing in a tent/camping, not a lot of weight, I don't need a lot of ankle support, trail running sturdy shoes are fine for little day hikes, but if I am carrying lots of gear, I like the ankle support. I also use camp dry on trail running shoes to waterproof them. Like you said, depends on what you are doing in the outdoors.

[jurgenschurr]

You are so right! Everybody should listen to the reaction of the own feet on a particular shoe. If your feet are weak, you need stable hiking boots, but the main reason for weak feet is wearing too stable and too tight shoes for a too long time. In my case, I make dayhikes with a heavy photo-backpack every weekend since 30 years and have strong feet. I always found stiff hiking boots as strongly recommended by outdoor shops by far too stiff and uncomfortable. At the beginning, I once badly twisted my ankle while wearing stiff hiking boots, and it lasted a few years to fully recover. Then I made a lot of training to get strong and flexible feet, walk barefoot at home, and changed to trail-running shoes. What a great improvement! Now my feet are stronger and more flexible than ever before, and all foot issues which I had when I was young went away. I wear hiking boots only in winter time with a lot of snow and at very challenging high-mountain hikes.

[RoughChopTom]

I did a rather technical 8 hour hike on the weekend up and down an old volcano. Loose rocks and dirt/dust everywhere. I did this in a pair of Altra Lone Peak 5 trail runners. I rolled my ankle twice (no injury but very close)and also had rocks bruise me around my ankles as there was no padding there like you would have on boots. Additionally I found that I had very little traction in these shoes, probably because the soles aren't deep enough and/or the pattern wasn't appropriate. I found that lack of traction very dangerous considering the type of terrain I was on.
I know for sure if I had used my fancy Scarpa hiking boots I would have had far better performance.
Going forwards I'll use trail runner for non technical, flat hikes. For anything else it will need to be boots.

[UnlikelyHiker]

Such good advice. I generally get my shoes at REI or LLBean so I can return them if they don’t work. I figured out about 8 years ago that Salomon Speedcross were right for me. I did return a few before I found the right one. Takes sone stress out of shoe buying.

[llamalady]

Shoe advice is definitely super personal! Ive switched to barefoot shoes (vivo mostly) overa year ago, and im super happy with this change! My feet have never been stronger, and my knees have never been better. Been training for a 4 month throughhike, super excited to try them on the long trail this summer!

[CaveDog]

shoes are entirely subjective and every brand fits a different foot. working as a hiking shoe salesman in Durango, CO ive learned that the only factors that really matter aside from sizing and shaping are waterproofing (whether its needed or not), durability, and tread. Many different brands excel within these factors but none have distinct advantages within them. What truly matters is finding a high quality brand which fits the footshape, support, and cushion which is right for you.

[inregionecaecorum]

I find trail running shoes a good option especially with an aggressive sole that keeps traction on slippery grass and mud where I have most often come a cropper in the past. When it is significantly wet though I go back to the old goretex lined walking boots