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walter
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 4391
Location: metro-motown-area1/29/15 4:24 PM |
OT: lightweight day-hiking boot recommendations?
quick, day-hiking stuff, no loaded packs. i want something lightweight, ideally a mid+ height for a little more ankle support, with an agile and flexible feel, plus supportive sole that's protective but not at the expense of feel. also waterproof/goretex equipped.
i have a pair of <a href="http://images.buzzillions.com/images_customers/06/41/17884639_129862_full.jpg" target="_blank">keen pyrenees</a> now. had a pair of <a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzQ3WDExOTU=/z/T6IAAOSwk5FUtJV-/$_57.JPG" target="_blank">merrell M2 blasts</a>. in both cases the boots were supposed to be lightweight day-hikers, but to me feel clumsy and actually contribute to unsteady hiking on uneven terrain. its like i cant feel the ground, the soles are bulky and pretty stiff (even after alot of hiking) making my feet feel isolated.
i used to have a pair of <a href="http://s.stpost.com/eccstorefront/product_images/63121/f_63121_1.0.jpg" target="_blank">ecco x-tracks</a>, which were *perfect* but ecco's successor -- the track-6 and it's precursors -- does not fit or wear the same.
suggestions?
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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC1/29/15 8:02 PM |
Shoes are very personal...
Sounds like you know the features to look for. So just try as many on as possible. What fits me doesn't necessarily fit my twin...
Personally, I prefer trail runners for day hike.
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walter
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 4391
Location: metro-motown-area1/29/15 10:01 PM |
trail runners are close
Just add some ankle support for rock-strewn terrain.
My beloved eccos were basically built like extra supportive high-top bball shoes.
I'm intrigued by the salomon wings sky gtx, high coverage trail runners, but no longer made...the search continues ...
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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA1/30/15 7:28 AM |
Just got a pair of Merrill Moab Ventilators Mid. Sound like what you want. Not waterproof, but dry super fast. If you want four seasons, check out the Keen Targhee at same pricepoint.
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walter
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 4391
Location: metro-motown-area1/30/15 8:22 AM |
funny
just ordered some merrell moabs...we'll see how they do!
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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson2/21/15 4:07 PM |
Heavy boots are slow. If you want to go lightweight and fast, I have a pair of the previous generation to these:
http://www.salomon.com/us/product/s-lab-fellcross-3.html
I've done the Grand Canyon, down South Kaibab and up Bright Angel in daylight on these. And plenty of other steeper hikes. But there are two potential problems:
1. They wear out faster.
2. If the hike is rocky, your feet will tire out faster. Then you want something with a stiffer sole.
But if you need to move fast, heavier ankle high boots are definitely slower (my previous pair was a La Sportiva). And if the temperature gets above 100F (I used to do short (4 hr), steep fast hikes in 105F temperatures), you definitely want lighter weight stuff.
2 cents...
Sandiway
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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6926
Location: Maine2/21/15 4:19 PM |
Not my problems
I could care less about going fast in walking/ hiking shoes.
Anything with an uneven surface I want a stiff sole and ankle support. After many sprains from a misspent youth playing hoop, I can turn an ankle on a stiff blade of grass, much less a boulder.
I'm more concerned with walking at -12F like this morning than 105F.
Just different priorities.
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walter
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 4391
Location: metro-motown-area2/21/15 9:15 PM |
salomon makes
high-ankle trail runners. i'm checking those out, too.
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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY2/23/15 11:56 AM |
If you have wide feet (mine are 4E) it can be hard finding stuff except New Balance.
One of the show companies NB owns is Dunham and their light hiker - Cloud, is a very nice shoe, waterproof and not too heavy, they they do make other and heavier versions.
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PLee
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 3713
Location: Brooklyn, NY2/23/15 1:15 PM |
Need to find some boots to hike around Africa for a couple of weeks in September. I'm afraid my 14 yr-old Timberlands won't cut it. No longer waterproof, as wading through slush puddles have amply demonstrated this winter.
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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson2/24/15 12:10 AM |
Wings Sky GTX 2
Walter, yeah they look like a pretty good" lightweight but having all the features" shoe. If you buy them a size big, then some insulation for cold weather might be possible.
Ideally, I'd like two pairs of shoes. One would be one size larger. Then I'd decide, based on the sock choice, which one to take with me.
Sandiway
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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson2/24/15 2:37 PM |
> Weighing roughly 3 pounds, 6 ounces per pair
That's about 800g each (probably in a small size)! Oof, ouch.
Sandiway
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RCoapman
Joined: 09 Feb 2005
Posts: 5202
Location: Back in the snowy homeland2/24/15 4:12 PM |
lol....they are a lot lighter than my regular shoes. Everything is relative, I guess. I've never thought of them as heavy but I've never been a weight weenie.
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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC2/24/15 8:37 PM |
"Just different priorities"
quote:
Anything with an uneven surface I want a stiff sole and ankle support. After many sprains from a misspent youth playing hoop, I can turn an ankle on a stiff blade of grass, much less a boulder.
I'm more concerned with walking at -12F like this morning than 105F.
Just different priorities.
So true. :)
I have strong ankles and troublesome knees. So for day hikes, I prefer low cut trail runners over high top "support" that translates uneven-ness to my knees.
Stiff soles, yes. Up to a point. As long as my feet doesn't feel the protruding rocks, I'm fine with some "rocking and rolling" of my ankles as long as I'm not carrying a heavy pack.
-12F is for skiing, or curling up in front of a fire. Not for hiking. ;-)
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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6926
Location: Maine2/25/15 11:38 AM |
Personal Preference
Sure, some people hike the Appalachian Trail in Crocs, but not me.
If I am for example on the Knife Edge on Katahdin, my preference is not to turn an ankle or fall. That will slow me down more than a couple ounces on my feet.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pmaVqyKos_o
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