[pct-l] Boots

[jjolson at uwyo.edu (Jeffrey J. Olson)]

Eric said,

"Someone made a comment about why they couldn't understand why anyone
would wear anything but running shoes. I think that's a little much.
It wasn't that many years ago that full grain heavy leather hiking
boots were the "norm" for things like the PCT, and now the pendellum
has swung the other way towards shaving holes in your toothbrush
handle to save weight."

I remember when Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker" came out.  He
advocated going light, but the technology wasn't there.  I don't know if
it's a pendulum or more a movement that's now 35 years old.  I can see
someone who has benefitted from this movement towards lighter and lighter
gear being a "convert" and saying something like "I wouldn't wear anything
but running shoes."

I know that I've benefitted, that I had six pound VAsque Whitneys, purchased
in 1967, that I finally gave to the Salvation Army because they "always"
caused blisters.  I've given up fabric ankle boots because I can tell they
cut both my enjoyment of hiking and my mileage.  I really like hiking in
Tevas, and did for 70 miles in Oregon on the PCT in 1994 when I finally
abandoned my leather Fabianos and was weighting for my NB 580s to be
delivered to the store at the big lake north of Crater Lake.  But I got a
small pebble under the ball of my foot and didn't shake it out for 100'.  I
got a dime sized blister that moved up between my toes.

I think I'm going to try the sandal/running shoe hybrids that are starting
to come out...

Jeff Olson
Laramie WY