What kind of footwear does everyone use?

[NightCreature0]

I tried the Salomon XA pro 3d and hated them. They seemed to squeeze my feet too much, and I don't have a wide foot. Switched over to the Brooks Cascadia's 8's and love them. I bought a pair of 9's on clearance for when the 8's wear out.

[Berserker]

Haven't seen them mentioned yet so I'll give the New Balance 1210s some love. They were designed for ultra-marathoners, and have a slightly enlarged toe box area that's really nice when the feet swell up.

[Berserker]

I have hiked in five finger shoes for over 6 years and find they do very well.

I've done day hiking for a few years in these, and while I think they're awesome in that capacity there's a reason that not many backpackers use them. It takes a while to get the feet adjusted to them, and then adding pack weight can cause further fatigue. One also has to be careful walking in them as one misstep can lead to a pretty nasty bruise on the sole of the foot, or a sprained or broken toe. Don't get me wrong I love these shoes, but they aren't really suitable for actual backpacking in my opinion (except for with a rare few who can actually walk barefoot all day with a pack on).

[ChrisJackson]

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Currently in the New Balance M890BB4. Really no complaints. Found them on sale for $60. Have about 250 miles on them.

[shelb]

Trail Runners!

[shelb]

Trail Runners! -Salomon....

[Sarcasm the elf]

La Sportiva wildcats
Scarpa Kailash GTX
Salewa Pro Gaiter Boots
Sorel Conquests pac boots

That about covers it...

[Mountain Wildman]

La Sportiva wildcats
Asolo Fugitive GTX
Sorel Conquests pac boots

[Cobble]

Merrell Moab Ventilators are my current choice.($80-$100) 800-1200 miles per pair is what I've seen and heard from others. Frankly I have recently moved away from low hiking boots to trail runners.

I liked that my hiking boots lasted a LONG time so while I LOVE quick drying I value long lasting.(and low cost)

[Another Kevin]

I tried Salewa approach shoes and they were a disaster.

Just curious: is it just that you were using approach shoes for trail hiking, or are the Salewa faulty for some reason? I have some trips that I'm thinking about where I'll probably need more grip than my trail runners offer - there's some really slippery, slabby gneiss in some pf the places that I want to go. I'm thinking of bringing approach shoes for those pitches, and so I look for comments from people who hike in them.

[Another Kevin]

La Sportiva wildcats
Scarpa Kailash GTX
Salewa Pro Gaiter Boots
Sorel Conquests pac boots

That about covers it...

Similar approach to Elf's, but only three levels:

New Balance MT610 trail runners (with green Superfeet)
Timberland Hyperion boots, with or without OR gaiters.
Sorel Caribou pac boots.

(Oh, and Crocs or watershoes for in camp and at stream crossings)

Trail runners and traction gear do not mix.

I'm starting to ruminate about approach shoes, because there are a couple of hikes I'm starting to fantasize about that probably need more grip than trail runners provide. Slabby ascents on slippery gneiss.

[cbr6fs]

Used to wear salomons, now moved over to Hoka one one mafeta speeds

[md1486]

Have new Vasque St-Elias (little over 80 miles in them), no break-in, waterproof and really comfortable but little narrow for the toes.

[Hoofit]

I am also planning a NOBO 2016 thru, md Feb or Mar 1, and I am leaning toward the Keen Durand as they have a wider toe box than the Merrell's. I like the mid height boot. I am an avid hiker now and have done several backpacking trips in Merrell's but have found my feet have changed and the boots are now a little tight. If you haven't checked out the HOKA trail shoe it might be worth a look. I run in them now an my feet are always happy. They have a very good sole on the shoe and are a good hiker in warm weather.

Keen gets my vote too, nice wide toe box fits my rather flat feet! Good insoles, such as Superfeet, sure help too.

[Traveler]

Merrill Moab wp hiking shoes w/low REI leaf/duff gaiters - light hiking use in cool weather
Salomon X Ultra Mid 2 GTX Backpacking boot w/OR gore-tex low calf gaiters - most three season conditions
Asolo TPS 520 Backpacking boot w/OR full lower leg gore-tex gaiters - winter conditions with snowshoes or crampons

[Odd Man Out]

Oboz Sawtooth hiking shoes. Low top nor waterproof.

[Mr Liberty]

La Sportiva Wildcat. They stock them at a some REI stores if you want to try them on.
I loved them when I hiked in the Sangre de Cristos in New Mexico, and I'm sure they'll work just about anywhere else. They ventilate reasonably well, dry out fairly quickly, and have a good sole that flexes enough (but not too much) that also gets good traction on just about every surface. Highly recommended, if they fit your feet.

MAKE SURE YOUR SHOES FIT PROPERLY. YOUR FEET ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR BODY WHILE BACKPACKING.

[hinktech]

I've had a couple versions of the Merrell bare ascend trail runners and love them.

[MuddyWaters]

Shoes are very particular.
Since Inov8 changed their awesome shoes to focus on making cheap poorly designed crap a few yrs ago, I still havent found any I like .
Once you know what the perfect shoe is, nothing else ever compares again.

[PcolaDawg]

Okay, a little late but I'll jump in. Bought a pair of Vasque Breeze 2.0 GTX boots in March and have since put over 250 miles on them, over 50 miles on the AT. Not only did I not get blisters, I didn't even get hot spots. I've never had boots work that well that quick. The socks I use with them are Wigwam Merino Comfort Hiker 2 Pack sock.

Been backpacking since the age of 5 and this is by far the best boot/sock combo I've ever had. I am in love.