[pct-l] footwear and such

[Christopher Baker]

Greetings and salutations to all! Just a quick introduction (I've been
quasi- lurking for a little bit). My name is Chris. My buddy (Matt) and I
live right outside of Nashville, TN. We will be beginning our thru hike in
early May. We have gotten the three big PCT books and we are highly
anticipating the arrival of Yogi's Handbook. (Come on post office)  We know
that her book has a section on shoes, but we have a few questions while we
wait. There is talk of wearing New Balance 800 series which are fairly
inexpensive. There is also talk of wearing something in the lines of
Montrail, Salomon, North Face, etc. For arguments sake, the NB are $50 and
the upper end brands are about $120. Our question: For double the price, are
you roughly getting double the miles? Or is it more of a matter of materials
used to build the shoe (ie Gortex, etc)?  We know everybody wears out shoes
differently. If we need multiple pairs of shoes, which is the best
cost/benefit option? Also, for those who have thru hiked in the past, how
many pairs of shoes did you need?

Outside of that, I have to say that I have really enjoyed the discussions
thus far. It is great to know that there are people out there who have the
same fears and reservations. Likewise, it is great to see those "vets" that
care enough to stick around and help us "greenhorns" out.  Matt and I are
both looking forward to becoming a part of this special group of people. See
y'all on the trail.

Best wishes,

Chris