[pct-l] Trail Running Shoes

[Ikem Freeman]

Great re-cap, Brian.

One more very important point ... plan on the size of your foot to get wider
and longer as you go.

Before I started my 08 hike, I wore size 10.5 USA. My first pair of
Montrails were size 11.5, and my second were size 13 ( I got them at the
1,000 mile mark, near Bridgeport, CA.) and they fit really good.
O. Ikem Sofar
On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 8:20 PM, Brian Lewis <brianle8 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
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