Shoes.... Never in my life would I have thought that I would have this much time and effort into shoes. I have tried on what seems like hundreds, and have finally, FINALLY, found a pair that I am extremely happy with! (I only had to buy three different types to get there... ) One of my biggest fears of my upcoming thru hike is developing blisters that could possibly end my hike early. So, in hopes to prevent this from happening, I have joined the cult following and picked up myself some Brooks Cascadia 10 Trail Runners. Now, I know what you are thinking, "Trail runners? Don't you need a sturdy waterproof boot for hiking?" Well, my friends the answer is not necessarily, and I will explain how I came to this conclusion.
1. The Keen Targhee II
 | Now, don't get me wrong, Keen makes a great boot, and the Targhee's are one the most comfortable boots that I have ever worn. They have a huge toe box and formed to my foot quite nicely. They kept the dirt and water out, and for day hikes and short weekends they are perfect. However, I am not going on either of those. I am going to be subject to downpours for hours on end and, unfortunately; water can only be kept out of a shoe for so long. Even though Gore-Tex is great about keeping water out, it will eventually become saturated and, once it does; it takes forever to dry out. So a waterproof shoe is not the best route for me. I needed something that dries fast. Furthermore, being out for six months I have to take everything into consideration (even the weight of shoes) and it is said that "one pound on your feet equals five pounds on your back." So, even though the Targhee's are a great boot, they weigh a ton and a half. I quickly started to look at other types of footwear. |
2. The Salomon Pro XA 3D
 | A common misconception about hiking shoes is that you need something sturdy with ankle support. That may be true if you tend to carry more weight in your pack and are prone to rolling your ankles. However, it has actually been shown that these types of boots weaken your ankles over time due to the fact that you are not using these muscles as frequently. With trail runners, you are able to feel the ground and able to gauge your traction on surfaces, reducing the amount of slips and ankle rolls. So, enter the Salomon XA 3D Pro's, a non waterproof rugged trail runner. I initially went with these because they weren't waterproof and are a little bit more rugged than most trail runners (almost as rugged as a boot) allowing me to be able to put more miles on them. In the store I was absolutely sold on these shoes. They fit great and had a sticky traction. However, while on a day hike up Blood Mountain my feet were absolutely killing me. |
The shoes ended up being way too narrow for my foot, and the box had my toes rubbing up against each other causing hot spots. My feet ached for the following couple of days. I quickly realized that these too would not be the best shoes for me.
3. The Brooks Cascadia 10
 | Enter the Brooks Cascadia 10s, the golden goose. The Cascadia's were the pair of shoes that I originally wanted to get, but I was unable to find when I was in Louisiana. They are wildly popular amongst the thru-hiking community, and looking back, I probably should have just waited to get these instead of buying the Salomon's. When I first tried these shoes on, it was like walking on clouds. You can see by the picture that they are much wider than the Salomon's. They have incredible traction and are a little bit more rugged than the previous Cascadia model. They are mostly constructed of mesh allowing for great ventilation while hiking and are able to dry quickly when wet. These shoes meet all of my needs as a thru-hiker. I am incredibly happy with these and I think the great shoe debate has finally come to a close for this thru-hiker. If you have any questions on any of these shoes or any other footwear please reach out to me! |
