[pct-l] NBs' and other lightweight shoes

[RJ Lewis]

Well, so far that is my plan, but plans can and do often change. I know 
I won't be using shoes, but will try and keep my boots as light as I can 
without sacrificing support or safety to my ankles or feet. Taking good 
care of my feet is a priority to me, and as such, I haven't seen a 
blister on my feet in years of hiking long or short trails. Hot spots 
are taken care of immediately, so that they don't become blisters. I too 
am anal about wearing clean sox every day and keeping my feet clean....I 
think my grandmother had something to do with that. *L* I plan on 
remaining flexible throughout my hike, so that if I need to change 
things, I can.

So far, what I like about the Merrill's are that no real break-in seems 
to be necessary- they are comfy right out of the box- whether they are 
the shoes or boots. Kind of nice! The boots have a goretex bootie in 
them, making them waterproof, but I did treat the leather boot also. The 
sole is a nice grippy Vibram sole, and doesn't seem to slip even on 
slippery floors after coming in out of the rain. Even wet rocks don't 
make this boot slip.  Nice! Will take it out on the local trails and see 
how it handles when the rain stops for a few hours.......(if it ever 
stops that is....) The boot has a nice roomy toebox so those of us with 
wider feet have wiggle room....and not an overly expensive boot 
either....hrm..this might work! We will see though.....They are probably 
a bit on the heavy side for you lightweight folks. They sure are comfy 
though!!!



fdumville at earthlink.net wrote:
> I used high and low versions of the Vasque Breeze for most of the trail.
> These are a fairly lightweight well ventilated hiking shoes. They work well
> for my problematic feet giving me a good balance between cushioning and
> support. I switched to a mid-weight boot with a stiff sole for the Sierra
> in June-July 2006. It helped when kicking steps in hard snow but I switched
> back to the Breeze because the stiffer sole was too hard on my feet.
> My 2006 experience with stream crossing was that there where way too many
> to change shoes at each crossing. At times there was so much water on the
> trail that fish were swimming up it . I also wanted to wear my sturdiest
> shoes for the crossings. 
> In August and September 2004 I could step over most streams without getting
> my feet wet.
>
> Snap
>
>   
>> [Original Message]
>> From: RJ Lewis <karmagurl at rainierconnect.com>
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] NBs' and other lightweight shoes
>>
>> I plan on a 3/4 lighter weight boot for the desert section, switching to 
>> a full height boot for the Sierra north. My feet and ankles are worth 
>> it. Been trying out some Merrell's just for fun, to see how they feel 
>> and wear, and plan on the trusty Vasque's for my heavier duty work in 
>> the mountains. Always did say that if you treat your feet right, they 
>> will treat you right.....seems to hold true, especially on the long 
>> trails. I'll leave the shoes to the youngins and trail runners with sub 
>> 10 lb packs. While I don't want lead weights attached to my feet, I do 
>> want stability and a good foundation under me. I'll carry the extra 
>> weight of water sandals, and take the time to swap em at stream 
>> crossings if I need to. After all , it's MY hike, right?
>>
>>     
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