I'm a mid-to-late-twenty-something and I'm doing a week on the AT in Central Virginia at the end of June. I have two options for shoes:
1. My trusty running shoes. These fit very well, they're well-broken-in, they're lightweight, and a week of hiking in them would be a great excuse to replace them after the trip. Since I got these shoes my running-related knee problems went away.
2. Gore-Tex boots. They fit pretty good, but not amazingly well.
I'm leaning toward the running shoes because in dry conditions I will probably be less likely to get blisters. Also, the boots are not insulated, but I purchased them for some field work I was doing in Antarctica, so I'm assuming they'll be too hot and heavy for summer hiking. Part of my confusion here stems from the fact that I now live in Texas, and I don't remember exactly what rain is like or how long it can keep running shoes wet.
Which would you wear?