[pct-l] Shoes! Shoes! Shoes?

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Sam,

White is a good reflective color for shoes in the south, but comfort and
ventilation are much more important attributes.  An example of what I find
are comfortable, well-ventilating, white shoes can be seen at:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=263804  That type is more likely
to be a running shoe than a trail shoe.  That photo was taken at the iconic
“footstep” road crossing just north of Hat Creek Rim.



Note that the gaiters are black, poorly-ventilating fabric, but they are
less important to heat management than are the shoes.  By that time my
preferred gaiters had worn our and I had to bring in the second team off the
bench.



My last times through the southern deserts were in trail shoe which were
gray in color with black trim.  Maybe not the best for heat, but they felt
great.



The mesh of the shoes provides good ventilation with each step, and my
friend Yogi says if she can feel the breeze on her toes she got it right.  The
down-side of mesh is the shoe will accumulate more sand and dust
inside.  That’s
not the biggest problem, but an accumulation will grind the shocks,
shortening their life.



I’ve heard good things about MicroSpikes but I haven’t used them.  Instead I
prefer instep crampons  http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=264768 but
I seldom carry even them.

My opinion is full-platform crampons are distinct over-kill, and even at
best they are heavy.  PCT thru-hiking is not alpine mountaineering.  99% of
hikers will be following existing footprints across snowpack, but sometimes
those footprint surfaces can be slick.  Most of the time shoe treads are OK,
but shoe screws are an extremely light-weight, cheap, easy-to-use
alternative.  http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=429216
http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=429217



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09

On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 11:46 PM, Sam Griffin <samgriffin4 at gmail.com> wrote:

> So I've been searching for a pair of shoes to start the trail with. I've
> also been told to begin the PCT with extremely breathable shoes that have
> no
> waterproofing whatsoever and are white. That said, is the color part
> essential? I've been looking at the Merrell Moab Ventilators, but these
> only
> come in a brownish variety. The last thing I want is to roast my feet in
> tiny portable ovens, and I haven't done much desert hiking, being from the
> Southeast  (I've done a 20 day stint in Coyote Gulch near Eascalante, Utah,
> and some romping in Texas when I was younger). That's not to say here in
> North Carolina your feet won't broil in-shoe during the dog days of summer,
> but there is usually dense coverage and the heat is moist and jungle-like,
> not full on desrt sun blasting.
>
> Anyone have recommendations? The Salomon XT Wings trail runners seem comfy
> (and they're on crazy sale at Sierra Trading Post).
>
> Also, anyone tried the Kahtoola micro spikes? You like them?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --Sam
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