Bushwalk Australia

Just about to replace my hiking boots and interested in everyone's views on a new pair:

1. Leather or material boots? - thinking of leather boots this time
2. Recommendations on boots - what has lasted welll and is comfortable?

Looking at boots for 3/4 seasons in Tasmania on and off track - multi-day walks

philm wrote: what has lasted welll and is comfortable?

Nothing. It's one or the other in my experience.

if you're doing rocky or scrubby off track walking, then leather will last better...

material boots are generally
lighter especially when wet....
they are cooler on the feet
breathe better, especially the non gore tex ones....
breathability and coolness depends on the weave of the fabric

My suggestion is to ditch the whole boot thing altogether, and consider breathable (lightweight or not-so-lightweight...depending on your pack weight) trail runners... "One pound on the feet is worth 6 pound on the back!" ... used in conjunction with ultra-wicking triathlon socks.

If your feet get wet, they get wet, but will dry fast. They will also stay warm in the process, and you bypass the whole issue of trying to keep your feet dry!

For winter, I use a thicker sock, with a Gore-Tex sock over the top....in my trail runners.

I'm certainly not trying to get an off-topic argument going...it's just another avenue for you to consider and explore if you wish. There is heaps of literature out there supporting the benefits for your feet, ankles and hiking experience in trail runners as opposed to hiking boots.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... gination=1

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... gination=1

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... d_id=54377

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... gination=1

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... d_id=44191

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... ad_id=4244


...just a thought anyways! I made the switch and have never looked back.

we've been through this argument before on the site of trail runners vs boots.
trail runners just dont work for everyone, each to their own, some people have hyper lfexible ankles no matter what htey do to straenthen them and are more prone to spraining ankles in shooes... other people excel in shoes .
the rougher the terrain the more confident and coordinated you have to be with shoes to avoid ankle role. the argument has gone boots dont stop ankle role and that has been debated here before some people believe that argument. others don't, i've never sprained my ankle in boots and only sprained it in shoes....
if you're not used to hiking in shoes dont ditch your boots entirely for shoes. you need to adjust to wearing boots on rough tracks and be sure you're comfortable with it rather than just go and buy a pair of shoes, some people are just black and white and say shoes are 100% better than boots... but it's never as easy as that.... it may seem like a good argument to switch to shoes but dont end up on a rough trail and find that its not really a good choice for you.....

I have tried many different boots for hiking, i found leather boots to be relatively cool, however i just could not bypass blisters. I now wear the lightest runners and they are brilliant.

And how many off track, multi day walks have you guys that are suggesting runners, done in Tasmania??

ILUVSWTAS wrote:And how many off track, multi day walks have you guys that are suggesting runners, done in Tasmania??

none.

wayno wrote:if you're doing rocky or scrubby off track walking, then leather will last better...
material boots are generally
lighter especially when wet....

Absolutely

material boots are generally cooler on the feet

read freeeeeeeezing!

breathe better

irrelevant when soaked - I've become more accustomed to prune feet since walking more in tassie.

if you're not used to hiking in shoes dont ditch your boots entirely for shoes. you need to adjust to wearing boots on rough tracks and be sure you're comfortable with it rather than just go and buy a pair of shoes, some people are just black and white and say shoes are 100% better than boots... but it's never as easy as that....

+1

by ILUVSWTAS » Tue 13 Nov, 2012 5:16 pm

And how many off track, multi day walks have you guys that are suggesting runners, done in Tasmania??

An important question.

I don't have great answers. I don't believe there is a right answer, and for some of us, there's no clear best option. I fluctuate. Sometimes I use leather boots (much heavier, warmer (big plus), still tend to get puddles in my boots after a while, despite plenty of waterproof goop on them. They provide more protection, more support (whatever you believe about ankle rolls). But blisters remain a challenge, and aggravation of one of my achilles tendons

So sometimes I have used Goretex boots, which took longer to get puddles. Good support, but are currently in death throes , and even they stirred up my achilles on the weekend. Sometimes I use boots made of other allegedly 'waterproof' fabric, that get wet through between the back door and the chook house. But if it's not a particularly rocky / rough walk, and I wring my socks out regularly, they can be better than the leather boots for some walks.

Hey, how many multi-day off-tack walks have you done in runners ILUV?

Nuts wrote:Hey, how many multi-day off-tack walks have you done in runners ILUV?

Hahaha, true it's none. And it will remain none. I value my ankles too much.

I am having success of track hiking with shoes, here in QLD. On the hikes involving rock scrambling i am having success with GoLite Timberlites. Otherwise i wear Merrell Mix Master.

For the Overland track and Larapinta i have a pair of Treksta Evolution Mid GTX i am saving just for those two hikes, I wear them occasionally at work to help them adapt to my feet.

http://www.trekstausa.com/p-31-mens-evo ... d-gtx.aspx

I completed a one week hike wearing just the Merrell Mix Master. They where and still are excellent.

I could never go back to those heavy leather boots.

Try Zamberlan? They probably wont last as long off track but they're nice from the box (iv'e found)

My last few walks have been in runners, i'm in two minds, light, dry quick, comfortable, don't last as long and seem to get wet very early. The worst thing iv'e found is the lack of ankle protection.

I tried a pair of Merrell runners Phil, they were sexy they were also Cactus in a week.. On the Overland Track

Nuts wrote:Try Zamberlan? They probably wont last as long off track but they're nice from the box (iv'e found)

I'll second that. Besides bricks like Scarpa SL's, they'll probably last the longest too. (provided you WAX them regularly huh Mr.B)

ILUVSWTAS wrote:

Nuts wrote:Hey, how many multi-day off-tack walks have you done in runners ILUV?

Hahaha, true it's none. And it will remain none. I value my ankles too much.

I value my ankles to, thats why i exercise them to keep them strong and walk a lot wearing very minimal shoes, sometimes bare foot so to strengthen the ligaments and ankles, today i hiked bare foot for two hours along the beach at Gold Coast, i train a lot on the beach, walking on soft sand helps to strengthen my ankles and ligaments, and its working for me.

I have taken advice here from many on wearing heavy leather boots to protect your feet, it don't work for me, they feel like torture machines.

Phillipsart wrote:I am having success of track hiking with shoes, here in QLD..

So not particularly relevant to a question regarding boots for tas then...

Phillipsart wrote: today i hiked bare foot for two hours along the beach at Gold Coast

Well you would be a bit silly wearing bushwalking boots on a beach.

Nuts wrote:Try Zamberlan? They probably wont last as long off track but they're nice from the box (iv'e found)

My last few walks have been in runners, i'm in two minds, light, dry quick, comfortable, don't last as long and seem to get wet very early. The worst thing iv'e found is the lack of ankle protection.

I tried a pair of Merrell runners Phil, they were sexy they were also Cactus in a week.. On the Overland Track

I tried Zamberlans, no good for me, there last are to narrow for my feet and I've found them to heavy.

No intentions on taking the Merrells to the Overland Track, i will be taking the Treksta Evolutions i linked to earlier.

&^%&*^&$ slow down everyone, i'm having a struggle submitting my post (and associated pearls of wisdom)

I do think theyv'e made some changes (SWT). I wore through a couple of pairs before they stopped stocking them locally. Those seemed as tough as the pair of scarpas i tried and eventually broke behind the toes. More recent ones the sole has worn away. Maybe walking on tracks is harder on boots in some ways. Either way, i'd stick with one of the proven brands, the mud can disolve the glues if they haven't got it right.

Nuts wrote:&^%&*^&$ slow down everyone, i'm having a struggle submitting my post (and associated pearls of wisdom)

I do think theyv'e made some changes (SWT). I wore through a couple of pairs before they stopped stocking them locally. Those seemed as tough as the pair of scarpas i tried and eventually broke behind the toes. More recent ones the sole has worn away. Maybe walking on tracks is harder on boots in some ways. Either way, i'd stick with one of the proven brands, the mud can disolve the glues if they haven't got it right.

Yeh the mud is a killer on stitching!! That's why 98% of returned gaiters come from Tas.

Track walking certainly harder on gear and feet. Your making the same repetitive thud on the same length every time. It's just wearing down one spot. When your offtrack, everything gets a work out and you never take the same stride twice.

Hi

Having a fellow walker happy with Innova, much like runners, on the Western Arthurs rather less rigid on what can work. For me solid leather boots in the correct size and fit it the go. Have enough deep gashes in the side of my boots to make me shudder thinking what if the fabric was not up to the job but then this issue does not seem to be a problem for others.

Though apparently an unacceptable approach to one person I favour gradually experimenting with your preferred option. Not much fun on day three of a seven day walk finding out it does not work.

Cheers

What do you think of the Treksta Evolution hiking shoes i linked to for the Overland track?

Well, for Tasmania offtrack, can I suggest a compromise between boots and runners?

How about a lightweight runner-style water resistant mid height boot? Like this

Just got back from a week in the Walls, walked from Rinadeena to Dixons via Daisy Lakes and then trotted around the walls on and off track in these Synapse mid WP's. Will update my Synapse Review to add the WP version, but the précis is this: Same shoe design, the upper is stiffer and takes a little more to wear in (I did about 15km in them before the trip) and the fabric is decently waterproof but dries out quickly if you find yourself putting your foot in deeper water than the top of the boot (which I did several times). I wore Gaiters (Quagmire) with them no problems on the big offtrack day.

All told, pretty happy with them. Can't give a weight at the moment because I've just washed all the Tassie dirt off them inside and out, they are soaked.

Wow - crazy popular topic!

i agree with those saying no 1 right style or approach.

Philm - maybe easier if you list a few models that you have been considering and people can give their experiences / thoughts on those. Otherwise there are likely thousands of viable options.

In case you haven't noticed, footwear is a someone personal choice in what works and what doesn't .

I walked the overland track in Feb this year in Montrail trail runners and it was perfectly fine. The overland track is incredibly well maintained and half of it is boardwalk. You are more likely to hurt yourself getting your poles stuck between the boards! I imagine winter is a different story. My girlfriend was on her second walk ever and went very well in the same shoes.

I'm all for everybody deciding footwear options for themselves, so I hope you don't feel like I'm trying too make you turn to trail runners.
Just my 2 cents.

Ent wrote:Hi

Having a fellow walker happy with Innova, much like runners, on the Western Arthurs rather less rigid on what can work.

Cheers

Hey that was me. Wore boots for years. Buggered knees drove me to look for other solutions. Tried Innov8's in mud, water and off track. No snow trips yet. I have used sealskins with the track shoes to good effect. I have also worn five fingers on a day trip in the snow in NZ.

It is about trying before you hit the tough stuff. Once I would have been an absolutist about boots in the wilds of Tas. Now I am not so certain after having tried other solutions by necessity.

Just make sure you have tried your solution extensively before committing to 8 to 10 days in the bush.

P

you really need to understand how the footwear you are considering is designed esp compared to what you've been using
people say go lightweight... if you're on a multi day trip with a heavy pack and or its rough underfoot then theres a lot greater forces on the foot...
years ago i was using lightweight lowa renegade mids on the kepler.... my the last day my feet were in pain, the soles were very flexible and corkscrewed easily aswell as flexing at the toe easily,,, they werent supportive enough to cope with the weight i was carrying.
trail runners can be like this , although some designs can have stiffening in the sole for support to resist the corkscrewing action and or stiffen up the flexing at the toe to varying amounts...
also shoes like inov8 and i think salomon have lower heels with only a 4mm rise in the innov8's as opposed to the normal 8mm heel... this can make a difference to your calves and your knees if you arent used to it, more tension and risk of injury on the calf if you do too much too soon in them. sometimes less stress on the knees....
when you pick your footwear do some homework on the design characteristics of what you are looking at, try and corkscrew the sole lengthways to see how well it resists the action, be wary if htere is little resistance, also be wary if you can barely twist it at all.... how stiff is it at the toe? stiffer can help in support but too stiff can put more stress on the calves...

Wow interested in this debate. For off-track in Tasmania can't see myself in anything but boots - mainly for anckle support with a pack.
I am not as concerned with getting my feet wet as this will happen anyway. Currently I have a pair of Mamont goretex boots - these have been really comfortable and are light but was considering moving to leather as I thought these would provide better support and last longer off-track?

I'm off to the shops and will list a few boots I am considering.

I have looked at the Scarpa M3 boots but find the Scarpa boots have a narrow fitting and are hard underfoot. Perhaps I"ll list a few boots and we can do a poll.

daveholst wrote: I'm all for everybody deciding footwear options for themselves, so I hope you don't feel like I'm trying too make you turn to trail runners.
Just my 2 cents.

Naturally and forever, all opinions will be overridden with good old grandfather clauses and 'get out of jail free cards' including 'personal choice', 'at the end of the day...', 'pros and cons for each style', 'good and bad experiences with different styles' etc, so I don't think it will be perceived that way. We have all given our 2 cents worth, with the hope of providing the OP with heaps of good info to turn into a decision.

Yep always a hot topic this one.

No one seems to mention Meindl Boots. I've a pair of Island Pro's and they are the best boots by far I have owned /worn. Several mates have them too and we all think they are the poo. Mainly they have a strong following within the hunting crowd, You find them in most good gun shops in OZ. Go to NZ and they are also in the camping shops. Not cheap though but with these I find you get what you pay for. Never a blister straight from the box into a steep weekend hunting trip (Heavy load) on the fringe of Barrington Tops (Not tracks, just steep hills and a lot of scrub) As far as boots go I couldn't recommend them enough but they are a bit heavy @ 1150g each shoe. Other than if you get water over the top they are like wearing gum boots as far as water goes. Like any solid boo though, get them wet and they dry slow. Met a few Kiwi trampers wearing them and they had drilled holes in the sole to let water out quickly.

Mamut also seems to make decent boots (My walking mate has a leather pair he likes that are a few years old and still alive)

Now I'm a light weight runner man. As it's been said and many are against them for the reason of no ankle protection, too much foot flex, soft soles etc. That's a personal debate and I do believe you can re-condition your feet/ankles to be strong and use runners. That's if you don't have rubber ankles from previous injuries and I understand many are in that boat and boots will be better. Just don't think you'll walk straight out the back door with a 25kg back, offtrack for 6 days and you will be fine and feel better as you have flash light runners. Most likely you will be in pain for days and never wear them again. It's a process of time and if your packs over 15kg loaded I would probably not recommend runners as I believe the additional support of a boot is required with heavier loads. I must say I really appreciate the extra feedback from a track etc through the shoes being soft and flexible. It's also that feedback that causes a lot of pain if you've never done a few days with a pack in runners. Again, you just can't jump into them and tear off like boots. I feel the effort is worth it. I walked a few days a week after work on a rough track with a pack on for a few months getting used to the runners, after getting my legs/feet used to the runners I'll not wear boots again I fear. I must admit though that when I first purchased my inov-8's I lashed out 100km's in a few days on the GNW straight away. Man my legs were killing me and I thought my feet were about to fall off. I thought all this light weight shoe stuff was all crap. But it's not, you just have to ease into it.

As for offtrack. I do plenty and have never, never regreted being in runners since swapping. But again I'm fair used to them now and I feel that is the biggest factor. I think a light weight pack makes the biggest difference. In an alpine enviroment with fickle weather that's a lot harder to achieve, but still possible, just takes some effort.

I must say though that the lighter the choice of footwear, the less fatigued / sore I get after a long day.

Find that balance between the lightest shoe/boot you can wear that offers enough support/protection. Walker bliss right there . Everyone will find that point in there own way, due to there own circumstances.