The First Mistake New Hikers Make: Choosing Footwear 101

Boots or low cut shoes is a question of terrain but mainly of your fitness / muscles / tendons / flexibility.
I use my boots in 10-20% of my hikes, mainly in colder wer weather higher up in the mountains with lots of gravel but I mainly use low cut shoes. I just would hesitate to recommend it to beginners who are only used to sidewalks and city running trails. Be careful with your ankles.
And: a game changer is the right socks.

Zero drop, 3mm, 5mm, 8mm ?

hello there! Is it worth spending money on Goretex boots, taking into account that the membrane starts to fail after about a year and a half?

anyone know of an approach shoe that's also a water shoe?
i do alot of canyons that are full of water and involve alot of climbing

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I enjoyed your video. I too often feel more sure of my footing wearing a lowcut. Unless the trek is slow, cold and wet, I don't ever break out the mid boots. Good journey to you!

How about for long mountain trail. Like 3-day hike and wet, probably muddy and pretty cold. Is it still advisable to have the gore tex yet heavy from Merrell or must have lightweight but non-waterproof?❤

Asks for comments and questions and then doesn't reply to a single one? 👎

Do a review on the Nike Wildhorse 8’s. I’ve been an Altra fanboy for years and have thousands of miles on them. I’ve also put many miles on Brooks Cascadias and Hoka Speedgoats but just picked up a pair of Wildhorses and I’m sold. They are amazing.

I like Merrell Moab 3 non-waterproof, hiking shoes with Dr Scholl's Heavy Duty Work insoles, instead of the Merrell insoles they come with. They fit true to size, need no break-in and they're light and very comfortable. They also dry out faster than waterproof footwear, that always gets wet anyway.

Ive been wearing the new vans high gore tex ultra range forest green and theirr really nice but a tad to flat and they’re not the skate version either . I live in the Canadian Rockies

Hey,

I'm going to be doing the Everest Base Camp Trek during late September, whilst it's only really cold closer to the camp, am I better off getting a waterproof shoe that isn't warm and wearing a warmer sock later or just buying warmer waterproof shoe?

Nike leather air Jordans (low) pretty much water repellent and comfy as..and will take you almost anywhere..

After three bad boots in a row I’m a shoe hiker.

I don't think high-tops help prevent a rolled ankle. I do think that they help protect from impacts to the inside and outsides knobs of your ankle bones. They do keep: dirt, stickers, thorns, awns, pebbles, puddle water, and snow out of your shoes.

Hi, mate. Thx for the video. Could you tell please - what is the name of the Merrell shoes (with thin membrane) ?

Waterproof shoes are pointless when the vast majority of hikes that would supposedly require them, entails stepping in water more than ankle deep.

They are a scam.

do you wear water proof socks when you wet hike in your water shoes ??

What would you recommend for a disc golfer? Lots of trekking through wild terrain – woods, swamps, steep hills (often going into the thickest overgrowth to retrieve a disc) etc. So shoe must be durable, but (the tricky part) also allow you to move athletically (footwork in disc golf is way more important than in regular golf).
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Man I don’t know how you’re wearing so many AKU shoes/Boots. They absolutely murder my feet and I figured they were secretly torture devices made to look like shoes.

waterproof high ankle shoe is a MUST for Himalayan Hiking. Quest/X Ultra type shoes are more suited than those breathable shoes.

Won't matter which shoe to keep dry. When brush is wet., not even raining. The water runs down your leg and your foot is soaked in no time.

Thanks for this video! In April 2024 hopefully I'll be making my first ever hiking trip! It'll be one of the shorter Camino de Santiago trails, just to test the waters. I'm already exploring all of these clothing and footwear options. Very informative!

I live in the Alberta Canada area, and all I've ever worn were the "dads hiking boots." I wonder how the other shoes you've mentioned would work in the Rockies?

Thank you for video! Never heard of approach shoes before. Do you think approach shoes is a best choice for hiking in mountain areas (no rocks climbing & easy tracks )?
Are they breathable enough to wear in hot climate?

Have you ever tried barefoot shoes?

This hits home. I spent a lot of money trying to find something that didn't cover my feet in blisters after only a few miles. I finally tried the Altra Lone Peaks, and they were a game changer for me. No blisters, tons of miles. It's different for everyone, and that's just what worked for me, but Altras have some great reviews.

Most shoes, except the 1st boots (i think those aku are cat B/C) and the approach shoes, are trail runners of sort, so they are actually only meant and useful for a certain type of terrain. You entirerly missed cat C and D boots with more stiff and completely stiff soles which allow for mounting of crampons and that stiffness is needed on alpine terrain. So, it really depends on what kind of terrain people plan to hike. Also the drop and cushion is important, experienced hikers prefer less drop and less cushion etc etc.

Trail runners are really not the universal solution everyone seems to be pushing these days.
In the Pacific Northwest, you are definitely going to want boots, not shoes, even through most of the summer. Knee-high gaiters are essential, too. Unless you want trench foot because nothing dries here.

Altra Long Peak + darn good brand socks have changed my hike! The Altra has room for my very wide forefoot, zero drop, and is lightweight. I finally caved in this year and bought a pair. I wish I had bought them sooner.

Just spent a week hiking and camping across Madeira using Saucony Peregrines and Drymax trail running socks. @109km and 7000vm over 7 days with @22kg pack - of course I could have packed slightly lighter (buying lighter gear wasn't worth it - pack etc, or making do without good coffee) but wouldn't have been as comfortable and I used almost everything. I experienced all weather from heavy rain, cold and wind in the mountains to hot dry dusty coastal trails. Non GTX trail runners was definitely the right choice for me. Best investment was a €10 micro umbrella from Decathlon which was enough for many of the shorter lighter rain showers and meant not getting sweaty in a poncho or rain jacket, I would consider a more windproof longer handled umbrella for future hiking! (so can maybe attach to shoulder straps...)

I think the higher ankle support shoes weaken your ankle muscles and therefore cause injuries later on.
Marty from Perth Western Australia.

🤦‍♂️
If you're getting blisters, either you chose your sandal/shoe poorly or you don't know how to wear them. Don't blame the sandal.

That's a nice run down of different footwear. But you didn't mention barefoot-style shoes at all? Have you tried any? What's your thoughts? They are very popular in ultralight and thru-hiking communities because they are lighter and generally promote better feet, ankle, knee and back health since they allow for natural posture and help developing good stabilizing muscles. Though they do require some getting used to so most hikers don't like them, especially if they were raised on high support boots

here is the thing i dont hear people talk about ,, trail running shoes are made for running, they grip when you apply poressure.... i dont hike fast, so i wonder if i am missing out on traction.

Helpful. Thanx.😊

Appropriate resistance exercises strengthen the ancles. No boot will ever protect the ancle, it can destroy the knee instead.

I thought I was pretty savvy when it comes to choosing my hiking shoes, but hey, I learned something from this video, yay!
Is it possible the "Unknown" Merrills are the Nova 3??
Thanks for sharing. 😁

Good footwear lineup
Those of us who have wide feet have a much harder time in finding footwear that actually fits, because the vast majority of "wide" shoes are D-width (medium).
I wear a size 10, 4E and "wide" Keen shoes don't fit me, but Merrill Moab 3 shoes do.

I like non gortex . and where wool socks. Why once water gets inside gotex foot where it will take a long time to dry out. On a normal hike .

Great video.

Thanks for doing a "one size does not fit all" explanation. For those of us in remote areas where most of the hiking involves no trails and wet, abrasive terrain, the common advice to just buy trail runners doesn't hold up, and neither do the shoes

Interesting video, Eric. What are your thoughts about the need for arch support? I get the concept that lowcut features can help with ankle strength, but in hiking uneven terrain, I feel as though arch support is a must. Also, do you wear merino wool socks year 'round? I started doing that and I love it! Thanks for the great info!

Great video! I use waterproof Mishmi Takin hiking boots that use an eVent membrane which is more breathable than GORTEX and my feet stay dry and cool even in warm humid summer weather.
Someone tried to convince me trail runners would be better but if you step in one mud hole or even walk through wet grass with TR’s your feet are instantly wet/muddy. But everyone has to find what they like best.

Great video, lots of useful information for finding the right shoe for the right situation. I use Saucony Peregrines and Merrell Moab Vents for all my hiking needs.

I hear so many people saying Gore-Tex isn’t breathable in hot weather, that it’ll make your feet hot & sweaty, etc. My experience is the opposite. I wore 2 kinds of boots when I was in Saudi Arabia & Iraq back in 90-91 - jungle boots and Danner Ft Lewis boots with Gore-Tex and Thinsulate. Jungle boots, if you’re not familiar with them, have a leather vamp and heel cap but the rest of the boot is canvas/nylon. There are screened drains in the leather at the arch so water will drain out. Very quick drying, no fabric lining so there’s nothing for your sock to chafe against. Their drawback in the desert was that sand got in through the drains. My Danners kept my feet as dry as my jungle boots did in the up to 130F temps we saw, and were more comfortable in the rainy season when it dropped as low as 30F.
I also wore my Danners in Korea, which was as hot & humid as the southeast US in the summer and bitterly cold & snowy in the winter.
So I’d say it depends on the person. My feet do sweat pretty heavily just like the rest of me, and on my 30 minute drive home at a previous job my feet would start off sweaty from my work boots and be dry in my Fugitives by the time I got home.
I have found that actual Gore-Tex breathes better than proprietary brands like Keen.Dry or Oboz’s BDry. Vasque’s UltraDry does a good job of keeping my feet sweat-free while winter hiking or snowshoeing, too.

Wolverine polar range boa system boots are the best winter boots I've ever had. Hands down. It's sad there website doesn't sell that anymore.

are there any items you've come across that add extra back support?

Appreciate the thorough discussion. I frequently battle blisters on my heels, and have tried various footwear. Man, nothing can slow down a hike like loaing your wheels. So I'm always looking for options.

Start by going to a running store and get properly fitted. Then buy trail running shoes, not hiking shoes. Unless you plan to hike in a lot of snow that's all you'll ever need.