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Approach shoes anyone? I've been transitioning into Class 4, low Class 5 mountaineering and this type of shoe sounds ideal as a hybrid hiking and rock shoe. Provided they don't get messed up from backpack weight. Checking out La Sportiva TX4s... Mokelumne Trekka fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Apr 24, 2019 |
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Apr 24, 2019 21:15
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I wear five ten guide tennies for all hiking that doesn’t require a waterproof boot. They’re great. The leather models by scarpa, evolv, and sportiva are equivalent, pick whichever one fits your foot best. I haven’t tried the more lightweight shoes like the tx4.
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Apr 24, 2019 21:25
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The one issue I had with approach shoes for backpacking is that the toe box is often more narrow than trail runners, presumably to help with foot stability while scrambling etc. I got some hot spots with my pinky toe rubbing on the next toe because of that. This was with a pair of five tens like 6 years ago though so I don't know if there are more fit options now
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Apr 24, 2019 22:19
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I've thought about this a lot. I would like a shoe with most features of a trail runner so far as light weight and breathability/drainability, with the exception of adding a rubber toe rand to protect the toes when scrambling. The sole would be vibram with moderate lugs so that you can still grip dirt/mud/sand/rock etc and still get decent grip scrambling. It would have a moderate rock plate so that you don't feel rocks and roots underneath but flexible enough that you can crush 15-20 miles without them feeling too stiff. The closest I've come so far is the Merrells I've had for the last few years which are on their way out but I will wear them until I literally can't.
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Apr 24, 2019 23:09
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Have you tried the Evolv Psyches? They’re very lightweight, canvas shoes. I’ve led up to 5.7 in them (not sure that’s an experience I want to repeat...) Downside is that they are not very stiff.
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Apr 24, 2019 23:43
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After my month long cold (happens once every 3--5yr), which made me miss out on some good snowshoeing  I've done a couple gauging hikes. Just did three days / two nights in the desert. I'm probably sticking to long day hikes for now so I can focus more on running. I might have to put things on hold if I have corrective eye surgery this summer.
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Apr 25, 2019 01:17
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Electoral Surgery posted:I wear five ten guide tennies for all hiking that doesn’t require a waterproof boot. They’re great. The leather models by scarpa, evolv, and sportiva are equivalent, pick whichever one fits your foot best. I've sworn by five ten guide tennies as well, but they don't make them anymore. Adidas bought five ten, and I've been told that there's an approach shoe in the Adidas Terrex line which uses the same rubber now.
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Apr 25, 2019 01:33
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https://www.adidasoutdoor.com/five-ten-guide-tennie-mens-approach-shoe/BTM68.html?dwvar_BTM68_color=Dark_Cargo&cgid=sports-approach#start=19 They still sell guide tennies, along with a bunch of other models under the ‘hiking’ category. If you buy tennies, get a tube of shoe goo. The sole will start to separate sooner or later, but a little maintenance will keep them together for a long time.
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Apr 25, 2019 02:06
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Electoral Surgery posted:https://www.adidasoutdoor.com/five-ten-guide-tennie-mens-approach-shoe/BTM68.html?dwvar_BTM68_color=Dark_Cargo&cgid=sports-approach#start=19 Oh, neat. Good to know, although those reviews are not so great. Looks like they don't make the high tops anymore though, which is sad.
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Apr 25, 2019 02:26
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armorer posted:Looks like they don't make the high tops anymore though, which is sad. 
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Apr 25, 2019 02:30
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Because those are called boots. I looked on the site for them, didn't see them under boots either. The high top guide tennies weren't really boot-like though. They were just high tops. There's a difference! Seriously though, I have two pairs of alpine boots, serious affairs for ice climbing and mountaineering, and the high top tennies were very much not that.
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Apr 25, 2019 02:37
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Mokelumne Trekka posted:Approach shoes anyone? I love the TX3s. They hike as well or better than the LS trail runners I used to use, are perfect for class 4 stuff in the sierras, and can climb easy 5th fine. Just bear in mind that ideal sizing for a hiking shoe will be larger than ideal sizing for climbing in them, so you'll have to decide how you want to compromise there. Personally I like to size approach shoes for a comfortable toe box while hiking, but that necessarily means performance on small footholds is going to be compromised. For class 3/4/easy 5th alpine scrambling stuff that really doesn't matter, though, and that's where these kind of shoes shine. For anything technical enough where you are carrying a rope & rack, the additional weight of proper rock shoes is trivial, so I don't stress too much about technical performance of approach shoes. They work great at what they are intended for.
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Apr 25, 2019 06:25
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Morbus posted:I love the TX3s. They hike as well or better than the LS trail runners I used to use, are perfect for class 4 stuff in the sierras, and can climb easy 5th fine. Just bear in mind that ideal sizing for a hiking shoe will be larger than ideal sizing for climbing in them, so you'll have to decide how you want to compromise there. I happened to order the TX3s last night, before seeing this post, as this is the impression I got from the reading I did. I went with my street shoe size. I don't intend to do much mid or high grade class 5 climbs in them, but far more hiking and scrambling. My partner did not like my idea of trail running in them, for the sake of preserving their lifespan, but we'll see.
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Apr 25, 2019 15:05
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It probably won't be, but I'm going to treat this like my last summer in Colorado. What are some of the absolute must do hikes I should look at? To go along with shoe talk, what are some of the more highly recommended trail running shoes? I'm going to give something else a try this year to see if I can cut down on my little toe blisters a bit more.
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Apr 25, 2019 15:30
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A lot of people love Altras, but I can't say if they're as good since being purchased by one of the big manufacturers (sigh). They didn't really work for me, but I have absolutely terrible feet and I've never really found hiking boots or trail runners that are actually pain free. They have a nice, natural toebox so tend to cut down on blistering for a lot of people.
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Apr 25, 2019 21:41
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charity rereg posted:A lot of people love Altras, but I can't say if they're as good since being purchased by one of the big manufacturers (sigh). I found Lone Peaks to be a bit too sloppy for my tastes. Either I needed a smaller size or an insole to take up a bit of room. They're zero drop which I like but also have a decent amount of rise off the ground which I don't and probably contributed to that kind of sloppy feeling. Not something I felt like I would want to do scrambling in
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Apr 25, 2019 21:56
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I have super wide feet and had to size up a full size in my Lone Peaks. Haven't gotten a single blister since I switched two years ago. Shoes are very personal. Have to try on many to find what works for your foot shape and gait.
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Apr 25, 2019 22:03
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Well it's about time I got some new boots, so I guess I'll give it a try... Recommendations for waterproof but mainly three-season/light boots with a more solid sole and good padding for the ball of the foot? Am I looking for Sportiva or ? Context: Don't ever follow the advice of a podiatrist who talks about nothing but plantar fasciitis. I now have Morton's Toe and metatarsalgia. If you don't know what those are, you don't want them. Both are basically nerve damage.
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Apr 25, 2019 22:31
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I've never found one which sucks because hiking is basically my favorite activity in the world. At least on this 6 week canoe trip I probably won't get many blisters! I have super flat feet, a super high instep, super wide feet, and the thing where my small toes want to curl under the other toes. The only thing I haven't tried are straight up toe separators. I had moderate success with the body glide foot stuff, sometimes with a sock liner too. But that just means smaller blisters and hot spots instead of the huge grotesque ones I usually get Edit: I also went to a bad podiatrist who basically only wanted to sell my insoles. Outside of hiking I have solved almost all of my foot pain issues through education and careful footwear selection.
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Apr 25, 2019 22:33
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charity rereg posted:A lot of people love Altras, but I can't say if they're as good since being purchased by one of the big manufacturers (sigh). I'll have to track some of these down and try them. Blisters on my little toe are my biggest problem by far.
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Apr 25, 2019 22:45
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fknlo posted:Blisters on my little toe are my biggest problem by far.
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Apr 26, 2019 00:23
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You can usually get shoes punched out too.
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Apr 26, 2019 01:48
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Well it's about time I got some new boots, so I guess I'll give it a try... Have a look at the boots on Altai Gear. They're quite light, and highly breathable/waterproof. My pair have been really comfortable and didn't need breaking in before my first hike in them. The inner sole can be swapped out with something that has more cushioning too.
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Apr 26, 2019 02:06
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Athletic tape, sliced down the middle, wrap around the little toe. If you still get a blood blister or notable regular blister, there's some physical shoe problem. Most would shout "bigger toe box", but there may be an internal padding issue (get a wrench or something and rub it around in there), or maybe you can just skip that first outer eyelet when lacing. My little toes curl under the fourth toe. I've had the most success with covering them in the fancy blister bandaids but still get them. I bought silicone things that went over the toe that also worked well but they slid off and I'd have to constantly stop and put them back on. I haven't tried the athletic tape thing.
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Apr 26, 2019 02:14
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Anyone have any experience with kid hiking boots? I'm seeing Keens, Merrel's, and not much else I recognize.
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Apr 26, 2019 16:00
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fknlo posted:My little toes curl under the fourth toe. I've had the most success with covering them in the fancy blister bandaids but still get them. I bought silicone things that went over the toe that also worked well but they slid off and I'd have to constantly stop and put them back on. I haven't tried the athletic tape thing. I've always found the tape bunches up eventually at the front of the shoe from sweat and the same friction that causes blistering, but YMMV, and I haven't tried splitting it. If yours are like mine they aren't straight (if they were, they wouldn't curl under!) so I've had a real hard time taping. Once there is blistering I've tried wrapping in cotton which sort of helps, at that point you're pretty much hosed. I never pop them in the field. I did a 100 mi trip and my right little toe basically like degloved because it was 100% blister which then popped. Lost the toenail too. I've improved my foot situation a bit since then. I mentioned that my canoe trip started as an idea for an AT thru hike and besides the work thing I think realistically there's 0% chance of my feet making it. I've thought about toe separators, this looks really interesting for the price since they aren't between every toe: https://www.amazon.com/Natracure-Advanced-Gel-Separator-Loop/dp/B00O80M8OY/ bus hustler fucked around with this message at 16:25 on Apr 26, 2019 |
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Apr 26, 2019 16:20
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I use bunga pads for foot issues, but keep in mind I don't have problems with my toes like yall are describing. They make these ankle sleeves out of a really soft gel with a woven outer shell.. not sure what it's made of but it feels silicone based and it's pretty versatile stuff. I take a pair of scissors and cut out chunks to fit the tender spots, and stick the pad there. Once I slide my sock over it it never moves again as moisture from my skin glues it in place. They market to ice skaters which is why I discovered it, hockey skates are horrible foot coffins and being able to put padding exactly where I needed it was super useful. I haven't tried it personally but they also make tubes out of the same material so perhaps that's worth investigation. http://www.bungapads.com/en/gel-pads-en/forefoot-toe-and-finger/
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Apr 26, 2019 16:53
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charity rereg posted:I've always found the tape bunches up eventually at the front of the shoe from sweat and the same friction that causes blistering, but YMMV, and I haven't tried splitting it. If yours are like mine they aren't straight (if they were, they wouldn't curl under!) so I've had a real hard time taping. Once there is blistering I've tried wrapping in cotton which sort of helps, at that point you're pretty much hosed. I never pop them in the field. I've looked at those before but wasn't sure how they'd work. I went ahead and ordered a pair, so I guess I'll find out! xzzy posted:I use bunga pads for foot issues, but keep in mind I don't have problems with my toes like yall are describing. They make these ankle sleeves out of a really soft gel with a woven outer shell.. not sure what it's made of but it feels silicone based and it's pretty versatile stuff. I take a pair of scissors and cut out chunks to fit the tender spots, and stick the pad there. Once I slide my sock over it it never moves again as moisture from my skin glues it in place. The sleeves/tubes tend to slide right the gently caress off my toes every couple minutes. I tried sleeves while wearing toe socks and it still didn't help all that much. I was able to get some decently long hikes in last year with them with minimal-ish blistering, so it's definitely my fallback option if new shoes and other things don't work. e: grabbed a set of lone peaks from a local shoe store. Described my feet and issues, sales guy was basically "those are my feet" and pointed me towards the altra and something by Brooks. The toe box on the altra might as well have its own zip code. fknlo fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Apr 26, 2019 |
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Apr 26, 2019 18:31
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Well it's about time I got some new boots, so I guess I'll give it a try... You really need to try several on and see what works for you as foot shapes vary so much. These are good, lots of my friends use them but they didn't quite suit me: https://www.salomon.com/en-int/shop-emea/product/quest-4d-3-gtx.html#848=10655 I have these and think they're awesome: https://www.lowaboots.com/mens/hiking/renegade-gtx-mid-black-black
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Apr 26, 2019 21:07
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I would stay away from any waterproof shoes or boots unless you're actually going to be hiking in snow. Further reading from our lord and savior Andrew Skurka: https://andrewskurka.com/2012/why-waterproof-shoes-will-not-keep-your-feet-dry/ https://andrewskurka.com/2016/conditions-hiking-waterproof-footwear-winter-system/
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Apr 26, 2019 22:08
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Thanks for the suggestions; a few brands I had forgotten. Indeed I don't live in the Midwest and do know why I wear goretex boots.
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Apr 26, 2019 22:35
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Anyone know of any decent hikes within driving distance of SE Wisconsin? I went to Kettle Moraine Southern Unit last year and that wasn't too bad. I'd like to go backpacking as well. I have a pack from REI that I got maybe 12 years ago or so and I can't identify it. There are no tags or names on it. I got it cheap because I was really poor at the time so I don't even know if it's any good. I mean, it holds stuff just fine. I want to do a lot of camping this year too. I have no one to go with me though so I'll probably be alone. I've never been backpacking but there has to be someplace in WI that I can do that. Anyone familiar with the area?
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Apr 27, 2019 01:35
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It's hard to get really remote in Wisconsin, so manage your expectations. For car camping type options, Rock Island and Wildcat Mountain are my favorite spots. Rock Island isn't technically "car camping," you have to haul everything you need on foot via a small ferry, but it's pretty low effort to get there. In fall when colors start to change, any campground along the Mississippi is gorgeous. Perot State Park is my favorite and has a pleasant day hike. Wyalusing is nice too. Devil's Lake is a good day hiking spot, but it's gonna be crowded as poo poo. The whole driftless region is gorgeous really, but it has limited public lands. More serious hiking is available in the UP or in northern Minnesota around Voyageurs but I haven't made it to either so got no specific suggestions!
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Apr 27, 2019 01:59
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I dont know what camping is like, but you could definitely do this as a 3 day 2 night or long overnight. https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7012535/ice-age-trail-kettle-moraine-state-forest-southern-unit Don't know if that's the part you did already though.
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Apr 27, 2019 02:21
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Pennywise the Frown posted:Anyone know of any decent hikes within driving distance of SE Wisconsin? I went to Kettle Moraine Southern Unit last year and that wasn't too bad. I'd like to go backpacking as well. I have a pack from REI that I got maybe 12 years ago or so and I can't identify it. There are no tags or names on it. I got it cheap because I was really poor at the time so I don't even know if it's any good. I mean, it holds stuff just fine. How far north are you willing to go? 4 hours puts you at the Grand Island Trailhead, 5 in Munising at the Grand Island Ferry, 6 hours in Grand Marais to hike Pictured Rocks, 5.5 to the Porcupine's, and 6 to get to Hancock so you can take a floatplane to Isle Royale.  There's also a bunch of NCT plus some shorter hikes like Craig Lake State Park and Mccormick Tract and such.
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Apr 27, 2019 02:36
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In the WI area is the Superior Hiking Trail, Porcupine Mountains, and Isle Royale but there is nothing really on Wisconsin.
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Apr 27, 2019 02:54
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Yooper posted:Anyone have any experience with kid hiking boots? I'm seeing Keens, Merrel's, and not much else I recognize. What about them? The selection isn’t as varied as adult footwear obviously but there’s some out there if you dig. Some of the larger retailers will carry house brands (sometimes made by the big names only without all the branded material). The issues I’ve had is price and durability. I haven’t found a boot my kids won’t destroy in a summer (and I go 5 years). But, to be fair I expect that so I either buy accordingly or lower my expectations. If you take them backpacking like I do I tend to get them a better boot or trail runner. But for normal day to day state park stuff that’s your call. Or I dunno if that was ur question.
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Apr 27, 2019 03:56
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khysanth posted:I would stay away from any waterproof shoes or boots unless you're actually going to be hiking in snow. What’s funny is that when I was slinging boots back in the 90’s all the major companies said this. Even after Gore-Tex was thrown in every boot. There want a vendor that came in that didn’t give some sort of disclaimer about this. Just like rainwear being 100% waterproof. The more things change....
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Apr 27, 2019 04:15
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I'll have to look into these places. Thanks guys.
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Apr 28, 2019 23:21
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Nateron posted:What about them? The selection isn’t as varied as adult footwear obviously but there’s some out there if you dig. Some of the larger retailers will carry house brands (sometimes made by the big names only without all the branded material). Yup, that answers it. I'd hoped that I was missing something but the selection is just that limited. The reviews really slam the durability so I was hoping to find a better option. Hopefully he outgrows them before they fall apart.
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Apr 29, 2019 01:49
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