I’m trying to get back into the outdoors and would really appreciate some recommendations for the best sort of shoe or boot for general trail hiking. I went on a hike in the Shenandoah with my regular sneakers and it wasn’t ideal. I’d like something sturdy with a good tread. It doesn’t need to be super hardcore and I’d rather not spend a ton, though I don’t want something cheap and shoddy either. I’m not climbing Everest, or even doing any serious winter camping, just tooling around local trails, maybe doing some weekend camping, and planning a trip to visit an old friend in Arizona. (Yes I know Winter is camping, but still.) I’m not sure if shoe or boot would be the best way to go. I’ll be doing my own research, but would appreciate advice from you all. I know some of you are outdoorsy types.
The best advice is to go to a store that has a lot of different boots and try them on. Different shoes fit feet differently, so it’s pretty hard to recommend a specific brand or model without knowing your feet.
If you can find a good outdoors store near you such as an REI or EMS spend some time asking the sales staff about who is their best boot fitter. Unless I’m hiking in snow I use trail runners but that’s not for everyone. I also use lightweight boots that go above the ankle for anything that requires a bit more support. It doesn’t sound like you need full leather boots with a full metal shank.
I’d had great luck with Vasque over the last 30 years or so (and I get comments from time to time on my old resoled pair of Skywalks from people who remember them). My favorite right now is a year-old pair of Mindbenders that are great for every type of hiking that I do.
My favorites are the Wolverine Fulton (W05107). They are relatively cheap ($60) and provide good support. But, yeah, you should go to a good store and try on a few.
It depends on your foot. Garmont hiking shoes fit my feet, but I’m really thrilled with my Scarpa boots. Keen makes a good shoe as well, but apparently the soles don’t hold up to too much scree. Buy what fits and will protect your feet. Personally I’ve never used a really heavy boot, even under as much as 50 lbs.
Echo the steel toe thing, I have used everything from mountaneering boots to 5 fingers and have finally settled on trail runners. I love them, they are light and offer good toe and foot protection. I wear these almost 100% unless I know the day time temp is going to go below 10c.
There are a lot of histrionics about ankle protection or not, but I do like my low cut shoes.
They also weigh a lot less so you get less sore legs. Boots do last longer but are generally dearer to start with also you can wear trail runners in your day to day life.
I have hiked through several National Parks of the Southwest, wearing a pair of Merrell hiking shoes. They’re ventilated and waterproof. They’re the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn, and I wear them virtually all the time. They’re not cheap, but I’ve worn them over seven years, and they’re still in great condition.
No sure what your budget is, nor what sort of terrain you’ll be hiking (my hiking is mainly in the English Peak District, North Wales and the Swiss Alps), but my recommendations would probably be a lightweight boot such as this:
I’m a big fan of Meindl - I’ve been through several pairs of their shoes and boots over the years and they’ve yet to fail me.
If you’re buying a single pair of something I’d recommend a lightweight boot as they have the advantage of not being so tiring over longer distances as a full-on leather boot, but provide a bit more ankle support than a shoe. Also you’ll be grateful if you do happen to encounter anything splashy/muddy.
As The Tooth says, don’t skimp on the socks.
Last suggestion. Whatever you buy, consider replacing the provided insoles with something like these. I don’t know if there’s any scientific proof that they work, but to me my feet always feel more stable and supported with them than without.
If you aren’t going to be negotiating difficult terrain, trekking trainers are a good alternative to boots. I’m sorry, I can’t remember what Americans call them - something that implies “all-purpose running shoes”. (Somebody help me out.) They resemble regular running shoes but the edges of the soles are sharper and they give you more traction.
I own and use both boots and trainers. Unless I’m hiking on lava or on a super uneven trail where I need more ankle support, the trekking trainers work just fine.
A tip from the leader of the trekking course I took: If you do get boots, be careful about storage. Store them in a room where the temperature and humidity tend to stay fairly even if you can. The glue that holds the sole on doesn’t hold up well over time if you store the boots in air-con, but use them in a hot humid environment.
ETA: I second the EMS advice. The salesperson really knew what questions to ask and the pros and cons of various brands when I bought my boots there.
I hike/walk regularly and sometimes do multi-day backpacking trips. I live along the Appalachian Trail and meet lots of long-distance hikers. Two very popular shoes along the trail are Merrell Moab Ventilator and La Sportiva Wildcat. I own and wear both, and would be hard pressed to choose a favorite between them.
Except for specialized uses like alpine climbing, the trend is to wear lighter, lower cut shoes rather than “boots”. The idea is that taking a pound off your feet is like taking five pounds off your pack, so you can walk farther faster and be less tired.
There are true believers, but Gore-Tex is not all it’s cracked up to be. I agree with those who say it has no place in hiking shoes or boots. The pores that make it somewhat breathable quickly get clogged with dust and body oil, trapping sweat and whatever water you manage to step in inside – and they take days to dry out; not pleasant when you’re on the trail. The non-waterproof mesh type shoes dry very quickly from the heat of your feet, even if you walk through streams with them.
I’ll second the recommendation for Superfeet. They make a big difference on a long walk. Pricey, but they last for years and are easy to switch from one pair of shoes to another.
I love Merrell Moabs. They are my everyday shoes and what I wear to hike. I think their best feature is that there is no breaking them in - perfectly comfortable and wearable right off the shelf.
Typo Knig just went to REI to be fitted. He was shown 3 basic styles: the sort that’s almost like a sneaker, the sort that’s just a titch higher (a little ankle support), and the low boot sort. For the kind of hiking he is going to be doing (Boy Scout day hikes mostly), the staffer recommended either the lowest kind, or the one that’s a bit higher. I don’t recall the terms he used. But generally the suggestion was that the boot sort might be a bit heavy for his needs.
From there, there were choices of things like mostly-leather and leather/manmade.
He wound up with a pair of mid-height ones, with a fairly rigid sole - they just felt better. I believe they were in the range of 140 dollars - not cheap, but he wanted something that would really last.
Whatever you get, consider investing in some good wicking socks. Typo Knig has a couple pairs of smartwool socks, but the staffer also showed him some newer ones, similar but a manmade material that’s supposed to dry a bit faster if they get damp.