WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 30
  1. #1

    Default Waterproof Boots or Not? NOBO starting May 1st

    I usually only wear my waterproof boots (Danner Mountain Light) if I think it's going to be really wet or cold. I can stand in a puddle of water and nothing gets in. I love them. I liken hiking in them to driving a monster truck. I just plow through anything. They're pretty comfy too. But in the summer months they can be overkill.

    For summer hiking, I prefer the ventilation of my non-waterproof boots (Merrell Moab Ventilator). Super lightweight, comfy, robust and lots of ventilation.

    Any thoughts on which will be good for a NOBO starting from Spring on May 1st?

    Is the trail really that wet and muddy? Are my feet going to be constantly soaked if I go with the Merrells?

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    01-16-2011
    Location
    On the trail
    Posts
    3,789
    Images
    3

    Default

    Not just no but he'll no. Just one opinion.
    enemy of unnecessary but innovative trail invention gadgetry

  3. #3

    Default

    Non waterproof trail runners are my go to for everything except snow.

    I want a shoe that is light, breathable, and dries fast.

  4. #4
    Registered User Huli's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-02-2013
    Location
    Virginia
    Age
    47
    Posts
    180

    Default

    +1 to both above

  5. #5
    Registered User scope's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-08-2006
    Location
    Chamblee, GA
    Age
    60
    Posts
    1,582
    Images
    34

    Default

    Everybody above is correct. Take the Danners for now, switch to the Moabs later. You'll appreciate the plow-through now as well as the resistance to dew. Everyone is right, though, you'll eventually want the Moabs, I just see no reason to wear them out now when the Danners can be of some use.
    "I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
    - Kate Chopin

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    05-06-2012
    Location
    where i am now, which might not be where i am tomorrow
    Posts
    307

    Default

    synthetic tennis shoes.

  7. #7
    Registered User Lyle's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-25-2006
    Location
    Croswell, MI
    Age
    70
    Posts
    3,934
    Images
    68

    Default

    No to waterproof.

  8. #8

    Default

    Waterproof would be useful in the snowy Smokies in March. Other than that, stick to non-waterproof boots, something that supports your feet the way they need support. If the Moabs work for you with a full pack, go for it. But skip the Goretex, just make sure you have a pair of socks you can keep dry to change/swap as you go.

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-12-2009
    Location
    Spring Lake, MI
    Age
    58
    Posts
    1,470

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Huli View Post
    +1 to both above
    #2 to both...

    If you choose the waterproof ones, you might ask your loved ones to pray for your feet... (JK)... You need breathable shoes that can easily dry after getting wet. (Yes, you will get wet. Put your shoe in a bucket of water and then wear it for a hike. That would be what the waterproof shoe is like.)

    As another poster advised, keep an extra pair of socks to change into to help the drying. (Personally, I have three pairs of socks on a distance hike: one on and two in my bag).

  10. #10

    Default

    The advantage waterproof shoes have is that you can stride right through puddles on an otherwise dry day, and keep your feet dry. So many wet & muddy areas are completely blown out because weekenders dont want their clean shoes dirty, or by more serious hikers who've just dried their trailrunners, so they tiptoe around the mud, which just makes it all worse. Waterproof shoes are as much for the trail as they are for you.

  11. #11
    Registered User egilbe's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-18-2014
    Location
    Lewiston and Biddeford, Maine
    Age
    61
    Posts
    2,643

    Default

    I just splash through water in my trail runners. My feet get wet. No big deal. They dry in a few minutes, unless I'm constantly in mud puddles. Hiked up Rumford Whitecap last weekend. The trail is pretty much a stream bed and this time of year is all snow melt. Still no big deal. Feet got cold. They warmed up once we got out into the sun. I.Did.Not.Die

  12. #12

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Wear what you wany
    It wont make much difference

    Not everyone is capable of learning thru others experiences
    Some have to learn to things for themselves

    Plenty of places to buy new shoes along way

  13. #13

    Default

    Have you tried waterproof shoes before? I tried a pair once - couldn't get rid of them fast enough. It was like walking around with my foot in an oven. Having them full of water would be even better. They'd never dry.

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-09-2016
    Location
    Sanford, NC
    Age
    45
    Posts
    564

    Default Waterproof Boots or Not? NOBO starting May 1st

    I prefer a pair of well oiled, leather boots with a gusseted tongue. You can still stand in ankle deep water but don't get sweat trapped in them like gore-tex. Keeping them clean and oiled on a thru hike could be a pain though.
    You can walk in another person's shoes, but only with your feet

  15. #15
    Registered User ggreaves's Avatar
    Join Date
    07-13-2013
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Age
    56
    Posts
    190

    Default

    steer clear of waterproof boots. after a few hours walking around in them, your feet will be soaked with sweat. And don't buy into the goretex hype about breathability. It doesn't work. Period. Anything that's waterproof will keep you sweaty on the inside. That's why a lot of raingear has venting and pit zips. Because in spite of being touted as breathable because they're made of goretex or eVent or whatever flavor of the month, they trap moisture and heat.

  16. #16

    Default

    I've been struggling for a long time trying to avoid the discomfort of wet feet. I've used everything from bread bags, waterproof socks, and was about to try waterproof shoes. I bought a pair last fall, but they are way to heavy.

    Then I ran across Andrew Skurka's blog about keeping feet dry. Basically, it's impossible. He did however recommend protecting the skin against water with Bonnie's Balm, a waxy paste that prevents water from penetrating into the skin. I decided to give it a try.

    I coated my feet for a couple days, then put on my Moab Ventilators and went to the state park nearby after a heavy rain. I intentionally walked through ankle deep puddles.

    I'm convinced this is the answer. Feet got wet, yes, but no discomfort. Forget the waterproof shoes and socks.

  17. #17
    Hiker bigcranky's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-22-2002
    Location
    Winston-Salem, NC
    Age
    61
    Posts
    7,937
    Images
    296

    Default

    Mesh trail runners, merino wool socks = happy feet, wet or dry. Your feet and boots will get wet, period. No matter how waterproof they are. (Note that every pair of boots and trail runners sold comes from the factory with a big hole in it, which allows water inside the shoe when it rains hard enough for long enough. Which it will on the AT.) Mesh trail runner dry quickly and wool socks keep the feetsies warm when they get wet.
    Ken B
    'Big Cranky'
    Our Long Trail journal

  18. #18
    Registered User
    Join Date
    01-16-2011
    Location
    On the trail
    Posts
    3,789
    Images
    3

    Default

    I found the thought of wet feet is much worse than the reality of wet feet.
    enemy of unnecessary but innovative trail invention gadgetry

  19. #19
    GSMNP 900 Miler
    Join Date
    02-25-2007
    Location
    Birmingham, AL
    Age
    57
    Posts
    4,861
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    5

    Default

    I always wear waterproof boots. But that is because I do the bulk of my hiking in GSMNP. While the AT is a ridge trail, the bulk of GSMNP trails cross numerous streams and feeder creeks. Then there is the humidity which can make plants along side the trail wet even when it hasn't rained in a week.

    I wear thin nylon liner socks with thick wool socks with waterproof boots, and even when hiking in the middle of summer, I don't have a problem with "wet" feet.

  20. #20
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-25-2014
    Location
    Westchester County, NY
    Posts
    2,305

    Default

    Well ventilated trail runners. Even those Moabs are overkill, IMO.

    If it's wet enough for long enough your feet are going to get wet anyway. Better to have shoes that dry out quickly while walking.... think about how long it takes leather to dry!

    Not to mention the constant weight penalty every single step from wearing unnecessarily heavy footwear.

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •