Hi,
I noticed that a lot of thru hikers are now wearing trail runners for the entire PCT. I currently wear fairly lightweight water-proof mids but I have sweaty feet and tend to end up with too much moisture inside the shoe since they are not breathable. I have heard countless times that highly breathable trail runners are the best way to deal with unavoidable external moisture getting inside, and sweat build up on long distance hikes. I have been strongly considering the switch to trail runners but I am also concerned about how low temps and wind would affect my feet. You see, not only do I have sweaty feet even in cold weather, but I also have generally very cold hands and feet - I deal with cold weather better than my friends but my hands and feet feel like popsicles when their hands are still warm. I hike mainly in the California mountains and sometimes there is some snow or the temps are 15-30F + wind(I also hike at night sometimes).
I would like to get some input/experience on how suitable or comfortable a very breathable trail runner would be in cold/windy conditions. Right now I am looking at something like a La Sportiva Wildcat. Would a trail runner with Goretex strike a good balance in breathability and be noticeably warmer in cold & windy conditions?
Thanks for any advice/input.
RF