[pct-l] how do running shoes tend to die, and when?

[greg mushial]

>> From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] how do running shoes tend to die, and when?
>> To: pct-l at backcountry.net

>Whatever you can walk well in has to be better than what makes you
>walk poorly.

>Anyway, by cheaper I mean for example, I found the expensive new
>Balance shoes that everybody likes to be very uncomfortable. I was
>hobbling after 10 miles. But I bought a $39 pair of cheap New Balance
>400 series at Big 5 and they were very comfortable. They seemed to
>last as long or longer than the expensive ones, but the mesh material
>they are made out of isn't as open and doesn't dry as quickly. Plus
>the sole is less "aggressive". I haven't found that the PCT requires
>highly technical footwear. It's maintained well and the grade is gentle.

In native NH, we used to talk about: hard to beat success...  I think that's 
related to your comment.

But I'm wondering...  really how important is quick drying? I've been doing 
my evening walk/hikes and the ambient temps have been in the 95-108F 
range...  yet, when I get home (4, 8, or 12 miles later) and yup, don't want 
to be near my socks, and the shoes live out on the back porch (to save the 
noses (of the members of the household))...  but they're not what I'd call 
wet - maybe some sweat, but nothing that I'd call WET. So, beyond myself 
sweating the shoes into wetness, I'm thinking about the trail conditions 
doing such...  but: how often does one have to ford a stream - that's one 
case I'm thinking of; the other being snow fields. Of the pieces of the PCT 
that I've been on/know (JMT, Yose->Beldon and PQR) I'm trying to think if 
there were more than maybe a half dozen stream fords...  maybe I'm 
misremembering. In that case I can think of the shoes getting wet, in that I 
tend to leave my shoes on (don't have to worry about sharp rocks in the 
river bottom etc), and wade on across. But if one runs into such a situation 
once or twice a week... it that something that I'd want to optimize a shoe 
around (especially potentially at the expense of longevity etc)? The other 
case is snow fields... and my experience has been that in those cases, one 
stays on them for days at a time, in which case, yup, one's feet stay wet... 
but quick drying shoes I don't think would be any drier than slow drying 
ones [I'm also think about this in terms of my old leather boots, where 
they'd stay wet for multiple days at a time, but again, I always viewed that 
as a reality, but not really a concern]. Maybe (likely) I'm missing other 
circumstances where this would be a concern??

again, thanks - TheDuck