Adidas Trail Runner

[NiteRaven]

What do you guys think of these for a section hike on the AT? They seem to have a lot of nice features for hiking...

http://www.shopadidas.com/product/in...ductId=3992689

Only problem is shop adidas is the only place that sells them.

[leaftye]

I'm sure it'd be great if it fits your feet well. Make sure they have a great return policy since you may need to swap out a few pairs to get the right size for you, or you may even need to return it entirely if it's a poor fit no matter the size.

[NiteRaven]

Thanks for the advice. Of the major brands, which one do you find holds up best? (Nike, Adidas, New Balance, ASICS, etc.) I heard most people go through 4 pairs of shoes on a thru-hike, I'm wondering if you can get that down to 3 with a brand that holds up better.

[leaftye]

They all hold up about the same, in that the EVA midsole is almost always the first thing to wear out. 300-500 miles is about what you can expect out of any sneaker. At that point you're basically walking on a shoe with a flat--no cushioning. The rest of the shoe may still look nearly new.

[Tilly]

Now I haven't worn Adidas for thruhiking, but the last 2 pairs of sneakers I bought for work are adidas(I'm on my feet walking around the entire shift) I do not feel like they have held up very well. That's just for work.

I thrued in New Balance trail runners and they held up extremely well. I used only 2.5 pairs (still use the last pair). If I hiked in a drier year I could have gotten by with only 2 pairs.

My hiking partner switched from Chacos to NB in Vermont, and he still has & uses that pair.

Only caveat is that I have to use superfeet with my NB's.

[garlic08]

They all hold up about the same, in that the EVA midsole is almost always the first thing to wear out. 300-500 miles is about what you can expect out of any sneaker. At that point you're basically walking on a shoe with a flat--no cushioning. The rest of the shoe may still look nearly new.

This is my experience exactly. I've been able to get over 700 miles from a pair of sneakers by using cushioning insoles at $10/pair, but then the uppers start to fail. Much more than that from a lightweight fabric shoe is really pushing the limit, as far as I've seen. I was hoping to make the AT with three pairs of New Balance, but didn't quite make it--I ordered a new pair shipped to Monson, ME for the last few days.

As far as brands go, the name makes no difference at all compared to the fit. No matter what everyone recommends, you need to get a shoe that fits you, whether it costs $12 at Walmart or $120 at REI. I met a well-known hiker who was buying no-name shoes at Walmarts across the West as he wore them out. He spent far less on shoes on his 5000 plus mile trip than I did on my 1200 miler. I have wide feet and need New Balance's EE width or similar.

Good luck finding the right shoe. It took me 2000 miles and 4 pairs on the PCT to finally find the right fit.