Hiking Boots

Hiking Boots

Traditional hiking boots or backpacking boots may have their place but that place just isn’t on my feet. If you don’t have some kind of problem with your ankles, there isn’t snow on the ground, and you aren’t carrying more than thirty pounds on your back, then why not wear your comfortable running shoes. You’ll be so happy that you did.

Hiking or backpacking boots are heavy, hot, stinky, and stay wet forever. Decent running shoes can be as light as one pound for both shoes, while most hiking boots are a minimum of three pounds. Army research showed that a pound on your feet is like five on your back, some say six, so three-pound boots by design guarantee you’ll be more tired at the end of the day.

Hiking Boots and Ankle Support

Some hikers argue for the necessity of ankle support, but throughout history people managed without stiff ankle-supporting boots. Even if you’re carrying thirty pounds on your back, consider the fact that there are people walking around that weigh 60 pounds more than you, and they do it without problems. It is an issue of weak ankles, not a lack of support. To solve this problem, try walking a little each week on uneven ground, not in the mall, to build your ankles up.

While some may really need hiking boots, why not be sure your ankle problems are not just due to a lack of exercise before you settle for backpacking in heavy boots. It’s true you may need hiking boots when you carry more than thirty pounds in your backpack. My solution to that is to cut the weight down.

Why Running Shoes?

Your feet will stay cooler in a good running shoes than in hiking boots, and this means fewer blisters. Once I switched to running shoes and lightweight socks years ago, I stopped getting blisters, and I don’t mean fewer blisters. I mean no blisters. I haven’t had one blister since I switched, not even after a 110-mile 7-day trek in the Rockies, for example.

For socks, I have used nothing but thin nylon dress socks for years. They are cheap, and they weigh less than an ounce per pair. That makes it easy to carry lots of fresh socks. They also can be easily rinsed out and dried quickly. My feet won’t tolerate hotter socks now, although I do bring a warmer pair for sleeping or for cold weather.

Unless you have size 13 feet, you should be able to find good running or hiking shoes that are less than two pounds per pair. Carry a kitchen scale to the shoe store if you have to. Unfortunately, catalogs sometimes don’t show weights, so you’ll have to guess which hiking shoes are lighter based on the description and photo.

The higher quality shoes have soles stitched to the uppers. Look under the insoles to check this. A removable insole is another sign of quality shoes. Usually you can find a good pair of running shoes less than 28 ounces and under $80, or even less than that on closeouts.