Which is best? I just don't know. please help me decide.
Hello Everyone
I will be doing the 4 day Inca Trail in late Oct and EBC about a year later. I don't know what shoes I should get for this trip. I have been advised that I don't need ankle support for the Inca Trail and better to buy boots nearer the time for EBC, to save carrying them around for a year.
I have stupid feet. They get sore very quickly, so I thought the more support the better but I will also be wearing these shoes for the rest of our trip which will cover alot of very hot countries. I am not very good in flip flops or sandals.
So should I get a walking boot or a trail shoe/trainer?
(I have also been thinking of getting a pair of Crocs as an extra pair of shoes. Anyone got much experience with these?)
Reply to this I did the Inca Trail with a pair of hiking boots for the ankle support. There was a mixture of footwear among the group I was with.
The trail has a lot of places where you could potentially roll your ankle, so better to play safe - imho. You could always ship them home before you move on.
Reply to this Might be worth you while buying a pair of lightweight walking boots,here in the UK I have had a few pairs of Hi-tec boots that have been very good ,give good support and have a reasonably hard heel and sole,they might be quite good for other parts of your trip when doing a lot of walking and don't weight to heavy if in your pack.One time a few years ago I took an older pair of boots when walking in the Baltic States,when I had finished the main walking part of the trip i just dumped them.
Unless I am doing heavy weight walking these days I just use a pair of good walking /trail shoes,my favourites at the moment are a North Face pair I got in the Christmas sales.
As to Crocs,I personally think they are the ugliest footwear know to man but have been assured they are the comfiest shoes going.I work in a large hospital and many of the nursing staff wear these especially the theatre staff so they must be comfy.
Reply to this I previously travelled with a pair of Merrell Gore Tex trail shoes which I wore constantly for the first few months (in all the colder countries and trekking). I used them on the inca trail and they were perfect but there were people doing the trek in our group in tennis shoes with no problems whatsoever so not sure if they were needed. I would never have boots cause they're just so damn heavy. I'm not a flipflop sandal kinda guy but once I hit the hit countries I bought a pair and never took them off. The thought of carrying boots for months scares the crap outta my back!
On this trip I've got a pair of North Face goretex trail shoes and they're fine but they REALLY stink. I wish I'd bought Merrell's again.
Faye has a pair of Crocs as well with her and she loves them but I'll echo the above comment, they're damn ugly and stupid looking. 😊
Reply to this My North face shoes are not old enough or have been used enough to get smelly,I look forward to checking the odour content of them in the future and will report back my findings.
My Hi-tec boots have never got smelly.
Reply to this Michael, do you wear socks with your trail shoes? I bought a pair of Sketchers for holiday last year that were made to wear without socks but, as comfy as they were, they were unuseable after the weeks holiday because they were drenched in sweat and stank.
I wonder if you have taken a look at the shoes crocs now make. They have various different styles now and alot of their shoes look fairly normal. I hate the original clog type ones, so wouldn't be buying them. I want
these ones Reply to this I always wear socks.... Thick hiking socks in the cold and thinner cotton sport socks when it's warmer. I'm actually embarassed by the smell now. Was on an overnight train and I wasn't going to take them off, but then all the chinese peeps starting getting all kind of crazy smelling food out to nosh on so I whipped 'em off and it was just another funky smell lost in a sea of funky smells...
I've actually just been to the pharmacy and bought some Odour eaters (Well the Chinese equivilent), so it'll be interesting to see if they work!
Sorry the photos won't load on that site you posted, probably to do with the great Chinese Firewall, boy am I missing Facebook and twitter, something I never ever ever thought I'd say. Faye doesn't actually have the original style crocs either, she has some thinner ones with an extra strap... They don't look bad but I'd never admit it or tell her that... 😄
Reply to this I am a big fan of Merrells Goretex Trail shoes as well - I just had a great pair to hike in Patagonia, and not long after reaching Europe I dumped them to give more space in my pack. I found that they had a really great tread and my feet never ached whilst, or after, wearing them.
As for crocs, I have seen some of the newer styles coming out and must admit I have spotted a pair that look quite nice!
Reply to this I like the addidas shoes,sole looks nice and chunky with good grip.
Reply to this I took back my Adidas Kanadia and bought a different pair of Adidas with, what I think to be a better sole, and cheaper by £15. So now I have these lol
Adidas Duramo 3 Trail
Reply to this I swear by decent hiking boots and spend a few quid on a good pair of hiking socks, they make a world of difference, I can't find it here but there is a product you can buy in European or US chemists that is a second skin if you do get in trouble with blisters, I have found it to be fabulous and has been the difference between misery and comfort (I was breaking my new boots in at the time)
Reply to this
In response to: Msg #134491
Compeed is the best thing to happen to me. I do alot of walking (as a result of picking up a hiking addiction in Peru) and Compeed or other brand alternatives are amazing when a blister appears.
It helps to heal the blister quickly and painlessly and if used during a hike can also stop the pain you get from blisters when walking.
Seriously reccommended.
Reply to this Compeed it is, If you're gonna walk a lot good shoes or not everyone gets blisters and this stuff is a godsend
Reply to this I think that to walk many kilometers is preferably a shoe of a brand that allows you freedom of movement.
Reply to this I got a pair of <snip> Timberland Boots but they rubbed like mad, Compeed didn't seem to put an end to it.
I've now taken to some merrell gore trex trail shoes, pretty much agree with what has said about them 😊
[Edited: 2011 May 19 08:53 - Jabe:6222 - No advertising on forums, please]
Reply to this I have had a pair of North Face shoes for a few years and good for city and hiking. They have gore tex and great support for my feet.. I like The North Face shoe range for hiking.
[Edited: 2011 May 18 19:02 - International backpackers:29934 - Trying to work out how to add a link]
[Edited: 2011 May 18 19:03 - International backpackers:29934 ]
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