Quick! Put down those cheap pair of hiking shoes you bought at Walmart and listen. If you are anything like me you are constantly in your hiking shoes hiking almost everyday. You are not afraid of getting muddy, and the cold never bothered you. You even wear your hiking shoes to work sometimes working anywhere from eight hours to twelve hours a day. So why are you going to torture your feet in a pair of Walmart hiking shoes that don't last long?
Today we are going to talk about what to look for in a hiking shoe, and what brands you may want to consider. Yes, we will discuss even the Walmart brands, and how you can find good hiking shoes for cheaper. First, lets talk about comfort.
Comfort is key when dealing with hiking shoes. Whether you are walking the local trails that are one mile or hiking four miles up mountains, you want to be comfortable while doing so. pay attention to your soles. They are what give you that comfort. Look in your shoes that you own right now and pull out the insole. Are they a worn down foam or do they have some rubber to them. This all matters in the long haul. Some shoes have vibram soles like Merrell and Keen. Timberland has a anti-fatigue insole that I've fallen in love with. I have used shoes with just those cheap foam insoles and they are tolerable, and can be used for long periods of time. I have a pair of High Tech brand shoes that don't have a super well built insole, but they still get the job done. My feet just hurt after working on all terrains. If you have/ buy a shoe with foam insoles that hurt your feet Dr. Scholls makes insoles for every foot type and is another option.
Waterproof is important in a hiking shoe for those very muddy/wet days in the woods. Now I understand there are going to be places where you need to have a more breathable hiking shoe and not much of a waterproof shoe, like out in Arizona where it is super hot and dusty. However, when it comes to being in a temperate or tropical climate waterproofing needs to be consider. Trust me dry feet are better than wet feet, especially when it is going to be a while before you can change.
Tread is a great idea no matter the terrain you will be hiking on. You need tread to be able to grip the ground you walk on. So why settle for a hiking shoe that's almost flat and slick looking on the bottom? Make sure there is a rubber out sole, which won't wear down as easily as other soles.
Quality is the last thing I want to address. Would you like to have a pair of shoes that will wear out in a few months or last a few years? I would imagine that you chose a few years like most people. Pay attention to the quality when you are buying a pair of hiking shoes. Make sure if you are buying cloth boots that the cloth is a well made material. Is the leather actual leather on a pair of boots, or is it pleather? These are all things to think about while shopping.
Now that you know what to look for in a hiking shoe let's talk about brands. There are so many brands in the hiking community. From Timberland to Columbia to Merrell to Keen it can be frustrating trying to figure out what shoe brand to go with. In my experience and people I know here are a few shoe brands to look for:
Timberland is by far my first choice when picking out a hiking boot. I was introduced to my first pair of Timberland boots (on the left in the picture) over a year ago at a Gabriel Brothers for forty dollars. They are a men's shoe that must have been sized wrong because they fit me and I'm a seven in women's. Since I've got them they have been through three camp jobs (all of which is where I'm on my feet in them for eight to twelve hours a day), two vacations in which we did quite a bit of hiking, and countless hiking trips around the parks in my hometown. I've put some serious, serious wear on these shoes, and it has only been just recently that the waterproofing is starting to go and the tread is starting to wear. The anti-fatigue in these shoes have saved my feet plenty of times, and it's going to be a sad day when these shoes finally give out.
Now buying women's Timberland hiking shoes (the ones on the right in the picture) has shown me how wide my feet have gotten. Ladies if you have wide feet unfortunately Timberland does not sell their wide ladies hiking shoes with the anti-fatigue. I bought a pair of the non-wide hiking shoes with the anti-fatigue hoping to stretch them out. After countless searches for boot stretchers that actually stretch a woman's shoe, and trying to stretch the shoe with a boot stretcher that sort of worked, I'm still fighting to get the shoes to fit. I'm afraid I'm going to have to break down and pay some one to do it for me.
High Tech is a brand that is not super well known, but does a pretty decent job with shoes. I found my pair of High Tech hiking shoes in the bargain cave at Cabelas for twenty six dollars. They have been good to me and were waterproof until this summer. For being a cloth shoe I have not worn a hole in them yet. My boyfriend has even had a pair of these and owned them for three years throwing them away just recently because he wore a big hole in them. Unfortunately the insoles in these shoes aren't built like the Timberland shoes, so when I would go to wear them for extended periods of time at work I would find myself with back pain.
Merrell was the only shoe my boyfriend could find recently that fit him, and he swears up and down by them. My boyfriend is a six foot five inches tall man who has anywhere from a twelve to fourteen wide shoe size. He's super hard on shoes (and I mean super hard like he's been through at least two or three pairs since we've been dating, and we've been dating a year and a half). So just recently we were trying to find a shoe that fit him, which can be hard with his wide feet. In come Merrell shoes that fit him perfectly, and has not failed him yet. They breathe nicely, which is an advantage for me because whenever he gets waterproof shoes his feet tend to smell. They work great for him when we are out hiking, and have great tread.
I could go on and on about brands, and the testimonies that come with them from friends and family. I need to address the one shoe brand that all of us hikers on a budget consider when trying to find a shoe that is affordable. The Walmart brand shoe. Now that Ozark Trail is making a shoe at Walmart (which by the way costs thirty dollars) I'm sure you or some one you know has considered this shoe or at least wondered how the shoe would hold up. I bought a Walmart brand of hiking shoes before the Ozark Trail brand came out with one (they were Nevados), and this is what I have to say about them. They were a cloth boot and waterproof with decent tread. At the time I was just looking for a decent hiking shoe to take with me to Belize for a month. I wore them almost every day on my trip from seven in the morning til eight at night and they held up pretty well. I even wore them to church. I came back to the states and wore them on the trails in the snow and rain. After only wearing them for a few months the waterproofing gave out and after five to six months of owning them I noticed some holes forming, and I wasn't even wearing them like I do my Timberland. I would only wear them once or twice a week.
Long story short give a little thought into your hiking shoes the next time you buy a pair. Make sure they are comfortable, have some tread on them, and are a great quality shoe. Find a shoe that is tailored to your activities. There are so many shoes out there for hiking and some are made for specific hikes. Choose a brand that you like. If you find you love Timberland shoes go for it. If you have a pair of Walmart brand shoes that have lasted you forever, then that's totally awesome. Everyone has their own opinion on the shoes they wear. If you would love to share your own shoe story totally comment below.
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