Any hikers?

[cg21]

recently getting into hiking. For both health and enjoyment. Been adding weight slowly to do a “rucking” type workout. The time has come to look for a decent shoe.

Anyone have any suggestions? Prefer water proof. Made in America would be a bonus. Prefer the buy once cry once. I just don’t want to cry after spending a boatload on a shoe.

 

[clayshooter99]

Prior to a remote Az hike I consulted a buddy that has done Everest and McKinley. Biggest thing is good hiking boots/shoes and quality socks. Serious outdoor people have the theory "cotton kills" and I have mostly gotten away from it. I love my Keen Targhee II and I wear them every day as I have several pairs. The large toe box is great and really eases the stress of your toes and feet when going downhill.

 

[cburnworth]

I have had several different brands of boots(irish setter, solomon, keen). Full leather, mid , insulated not insulated. I have tried several different brands of wool socks(smart wool, fox river, red head(cabela's), misc work socks). Whatever boot you end up with make sure it is about 1/2 size larger & get some good wool socks.

 

[spencer rifle]

I have used Merrills for years and many multi-day hikes. Not completely waterproof but also not a foot sweatbox. Thin synthetic socks on the inside, wool on the outside and you are good.

 

[smokingman]

I have used Merrills for years and many multi-day hikes. Not completely waterproof but also not a foot sweatbox. Thin synthetic socks on the inside, wool on the outside and you are good.

I hike with Merrill vents. Either the shoe or the boot,depending on the terrain. With my miles I go through 1-4 pair per year.
Each pair lasts around 500-700 miles unless you are in Pennsylvanian in the damn rock...then every step could potentially kill your tread. I do not care what brand you wear,rocks eat boots and shoes.

Any shoe that is water proof is the same as wearing pools on your feet in both the rain and summer(sweat). Your feet will be soggy and blister much easier(personal experience). Even wearing camp shoes every evening your shoes will never have time to dry on a long hike. Wet shoes/boots=blisters.

I have tried Solamon hiking mids and they did not last me 300 miles before the tread was useless/falling off.
Danner boots held up well. Real leather though so they do not breath well and my feet were sweaty/wet. I still use insulated Danner's in the winter on shorter hikes(2 days or less).

If you do not hike often my number one suggestion is 1/2 size larger than normal,AND cut your toenails. When I did the Appalachian trail in 2019 people losing toenails was probably the most common injury. My pack always has clippers. What passes for cut in the real world and hiking world are two very different things.

Note on camp shoes. They really do make a difference. Your feet will thank you on any hike that lasts more than a day. Shoes/boots off. Clean and check your feet. Put on your dry socks(if your feet have been wet and it is dry out skip the socks) and camp shoes.
Remove soles of your hiking ones(do not try to dry them near a fire,it always ends badly) so they will dry/air out.
Shoes like this(link) weigh almost nothing(if they have an insole take it out and leave it at home,you do not need an insole in them). Your feet get to breath and you will feel light as a feather without a pack or real shoes to set up camp.

Amazon product ASIN B07KTM5FK7

 

[Hawkeye7br]

Merrill's. I usually wear the vented Moab model, but I have an unused pair that is Gortex waiting for the right time to try.

 

[smokingman]

Merrill's. I usually wear the vented Moab model, but I have an unused pair that is Gortex waiting for the right time to try.

I have one Gortex pair of Merrill boots I use in the winter to shovel snow(my Danner winter boots are to nice to be exposed to the cruelty of salt),or when just going around town when it is raining. I will never wear them for hiking again. Merrill vent though is my go to currently and I have gone through plenty of them in the last 5 years,and they hold up pretty well.

 

[cg21]

Thanks guys the price was right only $60 so ordered the vented merrel‘s and some non cotton socks lol I am no where near your level yet but hoping my feet will now be willing to go the distance

 

[spencer rifle]

SWMBO found out her old leather hiking boots no longer fit the week before a backpacking trip. She got Merrills a few days before we left and wore them. No break-in, no issues.

 

[ghuns]

I went through several pairs of Merrills until it seemed like their quality was really going downhill.

I then switched to waterproof Keen Targhee IIs. The first pair was great. The second pair sucked. They were about a week old when I did some stomping around Joshua Tree NP. Took one day for the soles to start to delaminate.

Their customer service was great. Emailed them a pic of the shoes and the receipt. In minutes I had a $125 credit at their online store and they shipped them to me next day air free of charge. That pair held up slightly better. Made it about 6 months before the soles started falling off. I didn't bother with trying to get those replaced. Just Gorilla glued the soles back on anytime a chunk would start peeling off. Had them for 4 years now. They are still pretty waterproof. The inner liner is about shredded in the heel area. Lost a big chunk of sole Saturday. They are probably headed to the trash, finally.

I also have a pair of Danner Cloud Cap GTX 6" boots. I just checked my Amazon orders and can't believe I've had them since 2013. They have lasted this long because I have maybe worn them 10 times and never for any serious hiking. They are just horribly uncomfortable. Every now and then I get them out and give them another chance but they still suck.

For any hiking/walking/running activities now I wear Adidas Terrex Swift R2s. They are more of a trail running shoe than a hiking one, but they got me through a day of hiking/bouldering in Red Rock Canyon outside of Vegas without incident.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Day hiking will have slightly different requirements than weekend backpacking and both of those will have vastly different requirements than through hiking. Stiffness and support requirements tend to increase as the length of the hikes increases.

Personally for day hiking, even 5-10 miles per day for 3-4 days in a row, I LOVE my Teva boots. They're mid-height and water proof. Yes, my feet get sweaty. But I don't get water intrusion from the creek stomping that we like to do. I'd rather deal with sweat vs a boot full of water from a creek that'll take days to dry out completely.

Also - your body size and overall ankle strength play a factor into what kind of boots you'll want. If you're not too big of a person and have strong ankles - that's a different take on things than someone large and/or has ankle issues.

 

[cg21]

I hike with Merrill vents. Either the shoe or the boot,depending on the terrain. With my miles I go through 1-4 pair per year.
Each pair lasts around 500-700 miles unless you are in Pennsylvanian View attachment 201572 in the damn rock...then every step could potentially kill your tread. I do not care what brand you wear,rocks eat boots and shoes.

Any shoe that is water proof is the same as wearing pools on your feet in both the rain and summer(sweat). Your feet will be soggy and blister much easier(personal experience). Even wearing camp shoes every evening your shoes will never have time to dry on a long hike. Wet shoes/boots=blisters.

I have tried Solamon hiking mids and they did not last me 300 miles before the tread was useless/falling off.
Danner boots held up well. Real leather though so they do not breath well and my feet were sweaty/wet. I still use insulated Danner's in the winter on shorter hikes(2 days or less).

If you do not hike often my number one suggestion is 1/2 size larger than normal,AND cut your toenails. When I did the Appalachian trail in 2019 people losing toenails was probably the most common injury. My pack always has clippers. What passes for cut in the real world and hiking world are two very different things.

Note on camp shoes. They really do make a difference. Your feet will thank you on any hike that lasts more than a day. Shoes/boots off. Clean and check your feet. Put on your dry socks(if your feet have been wet and it is dry out skip the socks) and camp shoes.
Remove soles of your hiking ones(do not try to dry them near a fire,it always ends badly) so they will dry/air out.
Shoes like this(link) weigh almost nothing(if they have an insole take it out and leave it at home,you do not need an insole in them). Your feet get to breath and you will feel light as a feather without a pack or real shoes to set up camp.

Amazon product ASIN B07KTM5FK7

So how do you solve the problem of wet feet with your vented shoes????

 

[hooky]

I went through several pairs of Merrills until it seemed like their quality was really going downhill.

I then switched to waterproof Keen Targhee IIs. The first pair was great. The second pair sucked. They were about a week old when I did some stomping around Joshua Tree NP. Took one day for the soles to start to delaminate.

Their customer service was great. Emailed them a pic of the shoes and the receipt. In minutes I had a $125 credit at their online store and they shipped them to me next day air free of charge. That pair held up slightly better. Made it about 6 months before the soles started falling off. I didn't bother with trying to get those replaced. Just Gorilla glued the soles back on anytime a chunk would start peeling off. Had them for 4 years now. They are still pretty waterproof. The inner liner is about shredded in the heel area. Lost a big chunk of sole Saturday. They are probably headed to the trash, finally.

I also have a pair of Danner Cloud Cap GTX 6" boots. I just checked my Amazon orders and can't believe I've had them since 2013. They have lasted this long because I have maybe worn them 10 times and never for any serious hiking. They are just horribly uncomfortable. Every now and then I get them out and give them another chance but they still suck.

For any hiking/walking/running activities now I wear Adidas Terrex Swift R2s. They are more of a trail running shoe than a hiking one, but they got me through a day of hiking/bouldering in Red Rock Canyon outside of Vegas without incident.

My Keen experiences have not been good. I've found that they don't last. I've had a pair of Keen H20 sandals that have been repaired multiple times on my dime and a pair of the Targhees that didn't last beyond 2 backpacking seasons. Their customer service on warranty stuff is great, but that's a stop gap fix as the replacement will eventually fail too in my experience. It sounds like your experience mirrors mine.

The Targhee lacing system began failing with the eyelets giving way and the soles began to develop holes on tread after the first season of hiking. They had less than 500 miles on them when it started. I've used them to mow the yard for the last few years and even that little bit of walking in them for an hour 30 times/season caused has them to deteriorate further.

The sandal stitching tore out around the ankles. Here you can see an example of where I had them re-sown and then one finally let go at the sole where it was lasted under the footbed. I used the warranty credit on these to buy the Targhee boots above.

 

[smokingman]

So how do you solve the problem of wet feet with your vented shoes????

They dry out much faster and I wear camp shoes after/during setting up camp.
In my personal experience the Vents work. I have spent years of my life hiking.
The longest being 6 months and 12 days(including a couple weeks off due to injury and a couple days for the 4th of July).

During my hike of the AT I saw and helped a guy in NJ (also a through hiker),get to a hospital.
He had really bad trench foot. He wore water proof Solamon shoes. Are you going to get trench foot on a weekend hike,no. If you are hiking long distance your feet need to be dry as much as possible. To do that your shoes/boots need to dry quickly. Vents do,anything with Gortex does not.

The only time I ever had a blister on the AT was the 6 days I tried the non vent mids Merrils. It rained on day 2,and was hot all days so sweat as well. They never dried even when I did a really short day(my feet were getting blisters and I could tell). I got into a town,spent the night in a hotel and the next day found a store(and a trail angel)that took me to get vents. Threaded my blisters and continued the last 1000 miles or so without any more.

Last point. If you are wearing shorts hiking and it rains,how do your feet get wet? It is not from stepping in a puddle most of the time,water runs down your legs. Water proof boots/shoes with Gortex will release the water VERY slowly(it is why I call them pools for your feet). Vents pump water out every step.

Side note I learned about "Dirty Girl" gators,and started wearing them in 2019. They helped a ton with debris,but to some degree with water too. Super light and incredibly durable(I still have my original pair and wear them almost every hike).

Home Page

dirtygirlgaiters.com

 

[smokingman]

My Keen experiences have not been good. I've found that they don't last. I've had a pair of Keen H20 sandals that have been repaired multiple times on my dime and a pair of the Targhees that didn't last beyond 2 backpacking seasons. Their customer service on warranty stuff is great, but that's a stop gap fix as the replacement will eventually fail too in my experience. It sounds like your experience mirrors mine.

The Targhee lacing system began failing with the eyelets giving way and the soles began to develop holes on tread after the first season of hiking. They had less than 500 miles on them when it started. I've used them to mow the yard for the last few years and even that little bit of walking in them for an hour 30 times/season caused has them to deteriorate further.

The sandal stitching tore out around the ankles. Here you can see an example of where I had them re-sown and then one finally let go at the sole where it was lasted under the footbed. I used the warranty credit on these to buy the Targhee boots above.

I saw someone throw their Keen shoes off a mountain after the sole wore through in less than 200 miles,and hiked down in camp shoes. They have great grip(from what I am told),but the tread is simply to soft. If you google them almost anyone who has reviewed them for more than a weekend hike will likely point out how fast the soles wear out.

 

[hooky]

I saw someone throw their Keen shoes off a mountain after the sole wore through in less than 200 miles,and hiked down in camp shoes. They have great grip(from what I am told),but the tread is simply to soft. If you google them almost anyone who has reviewed them for more than a weekend hike will likely point out how fast the soles wear out.

I bought them in 2014, I believe, and retired them 2 years later before starting in again with yard work a few years ago. You read the current reviews and people seem to love them, unless they actually wear them for something other than trips to Whole Foods.

 

[Dirty Steve]

I have tried Salomon, Lowa, Vasque, Danner, Merrell and Keen.

Salomon has been my go to for about the last 12 years.

I run the Quest 4d GTX, X Ultra 3 mid and the X Alp Mountain GTX. I also have a pair of Toundra pro winter boots. The Toundra only get worn around town. They are too hot to hike in. Salomon juts fits my foot perfectly.

The Ultra 3 is a good day hiking shoe. It is light but does not have a ton of ankle support for wearing a pack or use in rough terrain. It is more of a shoe than a boot.

The X Alp Mountain GTX is super stiff all leather boot. It is a mountaineering and heavy pack boot. I wear it for hunting out west as well as backpacking. It is NOT a warm weather boot. It is very comfortable for me and the lacing system locks them onto your foot. The built-in gator is a nice feature. Sadly, they were discontinued. I only wear them a few times a year so they should last for quite a while.

The Quest 4d GTX is my go to. They feel like a light weight pair of high top basketball shoes. I have worn them in hot weather in SE Utah and cold weather in NW Wyoming. They have the same lacing system as the X Alp. I have been wearing the Quest model for about 10 years now and have gotten several buds hooked on them. I get about 3 years of use out of a pair.

Dirty Steve

 

[ditcherman]

To the OP, all these shoes are made differently, you need to go to a retailer like Rusted Moon Outfitters or at least REI and get fitted.
I would love to love Merrill’s, but they’re just too narrow up front. Keen and Solomon are wide up front.

Now I will defend my Keens, I wear them for work in the summer and thought they’d barely make it through last planting season; they made it through last season and will make it through this one, getting 28% fertilizer spilled on them constantly and rode hard and put up wet (never cared for).

My go to for hiking are my Solomons, so comfortable, light, but durable.

I’ve never spent more than 4 days on the trail in waterproof boots, but wear them everyday for work and couldn’t imagine not having waterproof. Non cotton socks are the answer. So I don’t see the downside to waterproof.

The tl:dr
Get fitted
Non cotton thin socks and waterproof are the answer.

 

[cg21]

I really appreciate all the feedback the “cheap” merrels will arrive today along with non cotton socks. aside from all the footwear advice this thread has shown me how naive I was to the world of hiking the miles you guys are logging are impressive, but instead of discouraging I will try to catch up


edit to add a side question:

how heavy are the packs you guys are carrying on the multi day or full day hikes? Just curious because at least I can work towards a reasonable goal then.

 

[ditcherman]

I really appreciate all the feedback the “cheap” merrels will arrive today along with non cotton socks. aside from all the footwear advice this thread has shown me how naive I was to the world of hiking the miles you guys are logging are impressive, but instead of discouraging I will try to catch up


edit to add a side question:

how heavy are the packs you guys are carrying on the multi day or full day hikes? Just curious because at least I can work towards a reasonable goal then.

Hey there’s no wrong miles, one’s better than none!
I logged maybe 200 miles on my Solomons over two years, in 17 and 18 and desperately want to get back at it.

I soloed part of the Techumseh, and went with a buddy and did the Knobstone, both in the fall (dry) and both times my pack came in at 40 pounds. I will say I feel the need to carry more water than the average might (swallowing issue). 40 pounds is pretty high for a three day deal but I can’t seem to get much less than that. I will say I was starting off with my sleeping bag and stove from ‘87, so that didn’t help.

We got a surprise permit for 2 nights in the bottom of the Grand Canyon and were told it was perfect hammock weather and ditch the tent, so I was probably 30 pounds then. Plenty of water available. That happened to be on a rim to rim weekend, and we met so many people who were even doing rim to rim to rim, with maybe nothing but a water bottle. That was crazy.

Same deal in escalate, water plentiful, just a couple days in and out, about 30 pounds.
Point is, many would be half or less than what I am.

It’s kind of like my bug out bag, though, that happens to be a truck, and I will need to load the gun room and shop into it before we can leave…