[pct-l] Trail Running Shoes

[Brian Lewis]

As a side note, all of this stuff gets talked about again and again,
here, and on various forums, such as http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum,
or http://www.backcountryforum.com/ or
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/  ...
As another side note, the only way to decide what's right for you is
to try out most likely solutions; I don't propose what works for me
personally as the one, true and universal solution, and suggest that
you be skeptical of anyone that does.

The issue of goretex shoes is one that like so many things is a matter
of personal preference (and opinion ...).  The anti-goretex camp says
that they take longer to dry out, and in stream crossings, wet snow,
or continuous rain, they *will* get wet.   I'm in this camp, and per
previous, use goretex socks if I want the benefits of goretex.   I had
a pair of goretex shoes once that fairly quickly developed holes,
which IMO made them a bit like having a screen door on a submarine ...
water gets in, but has a harder time getting back out.    Of course
not everyone agrees with this viewpoint.

Ken Powers already gave IMO a great response to the long list 'o
things-that-are-to-feared about trail runners.  My take:

Slip and Falls - no

Frostbite - not even close. Trail runners worked better in snow than I
had expected, you get used to it

too many rocks in the shoes - depends on the shoe (or boot), and
whether you use gaiters, and whether your shoes develop holes ...
bottom line, not a big issue for me, and my shoes develop holes faster
than most.

Plantar Fasciitis - I did have a mild case of this before starting on
the trail, but got custom orthodics.  Yes, a shoe with a firmer sole
might help here (?), but didn't turn out to be a problem for me.

Achilles Tendonitis - no

ripped or torn uppers- somewhat, but so what?  I used the infamous
Golite shoes, and they developed holes along the way, but I still got
500+ miles per pair.

sole separations/delaminations - Never had this, but I don't try to
get thousands of miles on a single pair (as some people do try to)

Sprained/Strained Ankles/Tendons - no.  Some people feel that boots
are important to support the ankle, some (Jardine) feel that boots
enable a person to keep hiking despite weak ankles. Dunno, I guess my
ankles are fairly strong, never an issue for me.  As Ken said, keep
your base weight within reason, plus you will indeed really strengthen
all the associated muscles, etc over time.

jammed toes from soft uppers - no.  Note that thru-hikers tend to get
shoes one or more sizes too big; with so much leeway, it's not likely
a problem, unless you're fearing something falling on top of the toe
area (?).  I never had a problem with that either.

numerous blisters from too roomy a shoe - No.  Like many people (boots
or shoes), I had some blisters early on, and as someone else pointed
out, your feet toughen up as you walk.  At some point it feels like
you have hooves rather than feet, nothing seems to bother them.
I'm of the opinion that non-waterproof shoes, ones that breathe very
well (quick to get wet, but quick also to dry out) are ideal, less
prone to blisters than boots that create a closed-in moist
environment.  Of course, sandal advocates likely look at my shoes in
the same way that I look at boots!  :-)

Bottom line is --- try it.   Find some local snow if you can, bring
spare socks, find some reasonably challenging terrain. Decide for
yourself if the lower weight and/or better ventilation make shoes the
right approach for you.


Brian Lewis / Gadget '08
http://postholer.com/brianle