[Cdt-l] Montrail Hardrock or different inserts

Jim Eagleton eagleton at hotmail.com
Wed Sep 24 11:38:37 CDT 2008


I mainly want to reiterate the advice that individual fit is ... individual.  So, please take these secondary factors as secondary.  
1)  Pack weight and foot toughness are significant factors when switching to the lighter trail runners.  It may be better to start with a slightly sturdier shoe and switch when dropping the winter jacket.  
2)  Gaiters are also part of the system.  I used ID eVent gaiters in the snow.  I used breathable OR Rocky Mt gaiters in NM.  In the dryer parts of MT I used the "sit down and shake out the shoes"  method.
3)  I use Green Superfeet.  They last for two or three pairs of shoes.  I dried a pair on hot and warped them.  (They didn't feel that uncomfortable on the bottom of my feet, but seemed to make the shoes too tight.  Luckily I had a back up pair in my bounce box.)  
4)  I have slightly low volume feet.  I have found the woman's Vasque Velocity significantly more comfortable than the men's.  However, I rarely need to use this trick. This year, I wore the woman's version of the Montrail Hurricane Ridge xcr, and found it about the same comfort to the men's version I used last year.  (However, the woman's was on sale:)   )
5)  There have been lots of complaints that the Montrail Hardrocks got less comfortable in ca 2006.  I wore the 2007 and 2008 versions and found both "acceptable" but the 2008 version was more comfortable.  Maybe it was just the trail conditions?  It is very frustrating when manufacturers change the design every year, and you don't know if the fit has changed as well.  Conversely, all the warnings about the 2006/2007 versions of the Hardrock are not necessarily relevant to anyone.
6)  I am not impressed with GoreTex shoes (the two Montrail Hurricane Ridges).  They are great for the first couple of days, but soon develop leaks.  Once they leak, the shoes that get wet easily, and take all day to dry out.  
 
Rambler
 
> Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:51:00 -0700 (PDT)> From: shane wohlken <darkbodhi at yahoo.com>> Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] Shoes> To: cdt-l at backcountry.net> Message-ID: <181535.17500.qm at web56908.mail.re3.yahoo.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii> > Dan-> > As you mention, all feet are different, so it is really hard to suggest anything specific--it really becomes trial and error on your part. But I will mention a few things that have helped me keep my feet happy. I began to view my feet issue as a complete system problem--not just a boot problem. One part of the system is the foot pad--finding that perfect footpad is almost as important, if not more so, as finding that perfect shoe or boot. Again, every foot is different, so you will really need to explore, but for me, I discovered that I did not do well with a soft/gel type pad. In the end, it was a harder, more firm pad that worked for me (I use Superfeet), but for you, it may be the softer kind--definitely experiment. ...
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