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[pct-l] Shoes and boots



Laraine Downer wrote:
>>One specific area I'd love feedback on is with BOOTS.  I took Henry Shires
advice and acquired a pair of New Balance trail shoes for the major part of
the hike and am training with them to get my ankles strengthened.  However,
for the Sierras, plan to acquire lightweight boots (with -per Jardine: "good
toe bumper for kicking steps, sturdy edges, etc." ).  I'm looking strongly
at the LaSportiva Storm GTX (3# 3 oz. in my size- about the lightest real
boot I can find). <<

Laraine, I hiked 150 miles on the CDT last summer in New Balance 802 trail
runners, which I found outstanding on the rough terraine of the CDT,
including cross country travel above timberline. The 702 and 902 models are
also worth looking at, depending on the width (802 and 902 are available in
woman's width 2A and B).  I always make this suggestion: you can hold off on
purchasing shoes for anywhere beyond the southern California deserts until
you find out how much the feet swell.  While in Tuolumne you can call Road
Runner Sports and order the width you need for the trail north of Sierra
City, for example.  By that time you will hear opinions of all the other
shoes other hikers are wearing and you will have a sense of your new shoe
size.  This became a necessity on my '96 thru-hike when my size 12 shoes
hurt too much and caused a bout with tendonitus in northern California.  I
went from a 12 narrow to a 13 normal width.

For boots in the Sierra I had to travel to Ridgecrest from Kennedy Meadows
to buy new boots because the boots I had packed were lost en-route.  With
the limited selection in that small city, I ended up with a cheap pair of
Hi-Tech Sundance, which were designed more for rocky terrain than snowy
passes.  But they ended up extremely comfortable and manageable on the snow!
For boots in the Sierra, perhaps the most important thing is comfort rather
than stiffness or weight.

Laraine, I will see you at the PCT meeting this weekend, and I will bring my
New Balance shoes.


GoForth wrote:
>>The reason I do not think that boots are necessary through the High
Sierras is that virtually nobody was wearing boots there that I saw.  every
thruhiker that I saw was in running shoes. <<

I'm surprised at this comment.  In '96 only a few thru-hikers hiked the
Sierra in shoes or low-cut boots.  Maybe shoes have advanced since '96 to
the point where running shoes are feasable for most hikers.  The New Balance
802s might be fine for some.  Keep this in mind: while you are crossing the
steep couloir on Forrester Pass, and several hundred feet of steep, icy snow
implies a potential swift slide to death or serious injury if you slip or
loose your balance, you may think for a moment that your choice of footwear
was based on what's comfortable for YOU as opposed to the latest trend!



Roger Carpenter
P.O. Box 651 
Vancouver, WA  98666
(360) 696-1746

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