[pct-l] footwear and trainers

Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes diane at santabarbarahikes.com
Wed Sep 12 07:34:02 CDT 2012


I hiked most of the second half of the trail in Brooks Cascadias.  
They were great. I think the Brooks street running shoes I bought at  
the very end were even better because they were a 4E width and had a  
huge toebox. I don't like the fit or feel of New Balance shoes even  
though they most often have widths to choose from.

Ankle support is a crutch. You don't need it unless you are so weak  
you actually sprain ankles often. In which case perhaps a brace would  
do more good because the high ankles of boots only protect from  
abrasion, they don't immobilize for support. The high ankles of boots  
also keep debris out but you can get light gaiters for your running  
shoes. Most people like the fun fashions of Dirty Girl gaiters.

Most people prefer the lighter weight and breathability of a trail  
running shoe. The greater flexibility of a running shoe lets your  
feet do their job.

There are lots who do use boots so you can do that if you prefer. You  
can get fairly sturdy boots that are lighter and have a little bit  
better breathabiltiy than full leather boots.

There are always a few who want to do it in the Vibram Five Fingers.  
I have yet to see a single thru-hiker wearing those anywhere north of  
the San Jacinto area. I don't think I've seen anybody in Merrell  
barefoot or other similar shoes, either.

You can always wear a variety of different footwear for the different  
segments, such as boots for the Sierras if it's a big snow year. But  
other than a big snow in the Sierras, there really isn't anything  
about the trail that requires maximal footwear. It's a nicely graded  
surface that's rarely a struggle to walk on.

On Sep 11, 2012, at 10:14 PM, Linda Sheehan wrote:

> What about ankle support and those rocky trail surfaces? My ankles  
> aren't
> what they used to be. I've always worn boots that support the  
> ankle, but
> then I'm a Northwesterner and snow is always present. My friend and  
> I are
> doing sections of the PCT and have done almost all of WA. I realize in
> SoCal especially the boots will be little saunas in the heat, but I'm
> afraid for my ankle.
> An older and only a little wiser hiker with no trail name yet, Linda
>
> On Tue, Sep 11, 2012 at 10:06 PM, Lindsey Sommer  
> <lgsommer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I hike pretty much exclusively in Brooks Cascadias these days. I LOVE
>> them. I find I actually get less blisters than I used to get with  
>> my Asolo
>> boots and I feel a bit less weighed down.
>>
>> Lindsey
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Sep 11, 2012, at 8:59 PM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <
>> diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I completed the last two sections of the trail in street running
>>> shoes. They were great! I don't see why they wouldn't work for the
>>> whole trail.
>>>
>>> Diane
>>> On Sep 11, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>>>
>>>> From: patrick griffith <patrickjgriffith at hotmail.com>
>>>> Subject: [pct-l] footwear and trainers
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dear all,
>>>>
>>>> to what extent is it possible to wear trainers instead of trail
>>>> shoes or hiking boots? I imagine they would need changing more
>>>> frequently that tougher hiking boots but conversely they would a
>>>> great deal lighter and considerably cooler in the hotter sections
>>>> of the pct. any thoughts/opinions would be welcome!
>>>>
>>>> cheers
>>>>
>>>> Patrick
>>>
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