Anyone have any favorites or recommendations?
Andrew M
Trail Shoes - The Colorado Trail
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#2
Merrell Moab Ventilators
Available as a mid-high boot or a low shoe
The mid-high is available in both regular and Wide
About $100 per pair
Wandering Bob
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#4
i like NB also… currently I have the new balance 572’s They dry quick, are light weight and super breathable, plus no need for campshoes… take out the insoles and loosen the laces and waah la. or leave the insoles in.Im using them for the pct. we’ll see how they hold up. also they’re cheap relative to other shoes/boots at $50. I also like the addidas kanadia 3’s
new balance
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#5
The best shoe is the one that fits you. I went through five different highly recommended trail runners over 2000 miles on my first long hike before I finally found the right one for me. It turns out I need New Balance’s EE width and with that shoe all is right with the world. If there was one perfect shoe there wouldn’t be so many of them. Good luck finding the one that fits you.
Garlic
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#6
andrew, i find this to be a fair amount of trial and error, but some folks hit it right the first time. i formerly used the montrail ‘hurricane ridge’. i believe it’s since been phased out, or replaced by another model. in any event, the traction i found was stellar-- for the northern apps. particularly where traction simply can’t be compromised (wet conditions especially). i fell a total of 3 X on my thru, all in maine, all in same day, on the “flat” section of 100 mw, likley due to overall exhaustion, particularly on that day. a near testament to the fact that this kick had sound tread. i nearly bit it multiple times in the whites, making lengthy leaps as necessary, but this tread responded as soon as my feet hit earth. the off-set of the h.r.-- gore-tex and plastic uppers. translation: prime blister breeding grounds.
above all, as we all know, RARELY is any shoe a perfect fit. good luck.
leslie
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#7
I had heard about the Ventilators as a thru hiker favorite so I’ll definitely keep those on my try-out list. I’ll see if I can find a pair of NBs too
Andrew M
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#8
Over the past five years, I’ve worn NB for three and Montrail for two. I have found the Montrails to be a nice combination of comfort and foot protection. The NBs that I’ve worn have been comfortable, but lack a sole plate and toe protection which can prevent foot pain on rugged trails. For the CT, this might be less of a deficiency than it is for gnarly New England trails.
Loup
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#9
When I 1st read the Jardine claim (decades ago) that Asics were the best, I thought it was quite arrogant… I had used mostly hi-tecs lite boots; I think 4 my thru hike of Austrailia I used NB which wore out too quickly, since Aussie shops had not a hint of trailrunners 4 years ago!!!
(Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne included).
Neither had Europe 10 years ago; although resupply was ridiculously easy with towns on trail every few days.
Now i only wear Asics, & every time I buy new shoes, I try Asics on one foot & the others including Nike/NB/etc… on the other foot. Asics always feels lighter, solider, & comfortabler… bearing in mind to get extra space for foot expansion, which for me now means buying 14’s! Of course, I only buy when I can use a coupon or extra good sale so I get em for about $40!
gingerbreadman
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#10
I use Asics to run in. They are an excellent shoe for running. However, for running they wear out faster than other running shoes because they are softer and break down faster. I have always used boots for hiking but this year I am switching to trail hikers for my CT thru hike. I bought an inexpensive pair of Columbia’s. I always had good luck with their boot. I don’t know how they will hold up but I will know by the end of July.
pacemaker
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#11
I look for the lightest trail runner with the most aggressive, beefiest tread that feels like a slipper when I first try it on. I don’t have any particular brand loyalty since comfort and weight are the prime considerations.
I just finished reading the best seller “Born to Run”. The author spends lots of time discussing shoes, shoe history, races and barefoot running. The slogan of “less is more” in shoes is raised again; feet and bodies suffer fewer injuries with basic shoes that don’t have built-in control and padding.
My last eight pairs of shoes were Nike Free and I just started wearing New Balance Minimus. So far my only concern is desert thorns.
GottaWalk