Australia & New Zealand Outdoor Adventure Forum

I always liked to wear boots and I think it is the best footwear for this type of activity.

Boots are sturdy and totally suitable for any and all types of soil and adversity that may appear along the way. It's the toughest footwear for this. I have some friends who wear sneakers, and I do not understand how they can feel comfortable with them. It's kinda weird.

So, what about you?

I used to love wearing rubber shoes when I go hiking because it is cool to the feet. But when one time we passed by a thorny pathway and my foot was hit by a thorn, that’s when I realized that leather shoes is better to wear. When I was in college, we had a subject of military training where we were required to wear combat boots. That’s a good one for hiking because not only the feet are protected but also the legs. However, later in life, I had bought a leather shoes that I use for hiking, one that is not loose but not so tight. Until now that old pair of shoes are still in our stock room and can be used in case I go hiking.

I always go for a good quality sports shoes that are light weighted and have a gripping sole. As a spare I always carry flotters along which I wear while resting . This helps my feet to feel free for a while and also helps them o regain their energy by breathing in fresh air.

High boots all the way! I learnt the importance of wearing appropriate footwear when I went for my first climb. We were given these heavy mountain boots that were difficult to climb with as the ascent got steeper.

A friend of mine was wise enough to wear simple sandals for the initial simple terrain then changing to light weight sneakers for a little more difficult terrain and finally the heavy boots for the most difficult terrain.

I always wear hiking boots when out for hiking especially designed for the purpose. I was using Solomon Ellipse Hiking shoes so far but now I have decided to buy another one from Nike that I saw a colleague used during our last outing. Nike's Lunar Force 1 would sound a little costly but it's really a comfortable pair for hiking purpose.

Today I am having special shoes for hiking and trekking purpose. As we used to go regularly I thought it is good time to purchase. So normally I do prefer shoes only. I remember one time my fingers got too much hurt because of shoes during coming downwards from hill. Then one of mate mentioned me that I should purchase shoes with one large number specially for hiking as same number can hurt your finger during coming downward on hill. So after that I purchased this shoes with one more number and after that it works well.

Boots tend to be a bit more painful from experience and I'm sure your feet would heat quicker on a hot day while wearing boots. Some hiking sneakers have a curved sole of the shoe which gives you comfort while most boots don't have that same curvature. It's mostly flat on the bottom and inside. Boots are also heavier if you get those heavy duty ones. When I go for hikes, I prefer light comfort so sneakers for me.