Papa Needs A New Pair of Shoes

Hiking every day this year I went through quite a few pairs of shoes. I finally found a pair that I love and they lasted the final four months of the year but I'll need a replacement soon.

I hike in running or trail shoes with very few exceptions because I can cover more miles in less time without heavy boots weighing me down.

I started the year with two pair of New Balance 992s and was happy with them but I wore them out fairly quickly. They'd had plenty of miles on them and I was very happy with how well they held up. Due to my happiness I bought a pair of the updated 993s and could not have been more displeased with the changes New Balance made to their flagship shoe. The midsole was softened and started compressing almost from the first day I wore them. They also changed the outsole and it lasted just a couple of weeks before it started coming apart. Considering that these retail for $139.95 I have to say these are the worst shoes I have ever bought.

I then bought a pair of Patagonia Release trail running shoes. These shoes I loved until they also started to break down. On the heel of these shoes is a gap in the rubber and this stupid design is a major weakness on these shoes. This was disappointing because I really liked these vegan friendly shoes.

I then went back to wearing a pair of Merrell shoes that I'd had in my closet and those were OK until I found my latest and final shoe of the year, the La Sportiva Wildcat. I highly recommend these. The sole is not perfect and it did wear faster than I would have liked but considering that I was hiking every day, they held up pretty well. These shoes are light, comfortable, breathable and have sufficient support for hiking on the rough trails in the desert area that I live in. If the rubber on the sole were just a little harder they would be perfect.

We don't have a place in town that sell these but when REI comes out with their next 20% off coupon I'm getting another pair. There are a few hikes that I still want to do.

Hal's Views on Shoes

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX

While an army may travel on its stomach, the feet are the most important part of the body where this hiker is concerned. I have hiked for nearly two hundred straight days with no foot problems whatsoever. I am very selective with my shoes and socks--as with all my equipment--but still I've had some issues, at least with shoes.

Here are some things I've learned with shoes that may help you have a more pain free hiking experience.

1. Go as light as you can. Unless you are planning on carrying a heavy pack up a glacier or scree covered mountain slope, you should be wearing SHOES. Boots have their place but these days shoes make more sense for the majority of hikers. My personal preference are trail running shoes but since everyone has different feet, you might like something a bit more substantial. Try your shoes before buying. Only mail order if you're familiar with the fit and feel of a certain shoe.

2. Get a SOLID rubber sole. There is a trend going on in shoes today whereas the bottoms of the shoes have separate pieces of rubber glued onto the midsole. This makes the shoe lighter and more flexible but it is also a major weak point. I have had three pairs of shoes come apart due to this design flaw. Right now I have a pair of New Balance 993s that are coming apart. I have had the same problem with Merrell, Nike and Patagonia. Make sure before you drop $100 on a pair of shoes that it has a ONE PIECE SOLE.

This is what happens with with those multi piece soles. This pair of shoes is a New Balance 993 that sell for $139.95. They are going back.

3. Get a bigger size. In everyday shoes I normally wear a size 12. Most of my hiking shoes, however, are a 13. I have two reasons for this. One, my toes have taken a beating on downhills and it is nice not to have them hit the front of my shoes when hiking downhill. Two, feet tend to swell as the day goes on so if your shoes have a nice snug fit in the morning by afternoon your feet will be cramped and uncomfortable. Your experience may vary but that's what works for me.

4. Use the tie that binds. There are two things I do when tying my shoes that help in keeping them tied and comfortable. On the shoes that have two upper eyelets close together I use this method to make sure my heel stays in the heel cup. Then after I make my loop, I wrap the other lace TWICE around the loop before tying. This way the knot is less likely to come undone.

My hike today was somewhat boring so that's why I decided to write about shoes. I took a couple of pictures but I really didn't like them too much.

Here's one of them.

Not only was it boring but it was HOT. I don't like hiking midday during the summer and that's what I had to do due to my schedule. In fact, it was so warm I actually carried a golf umbrella to see if that would help. It did a little but I don't know if it's worth the effort of carrying it. Hopefully, I won't have too many days I have to hike midday until the summer's over. But in case I do, I have some other subjects I'd love to educate you on.

They will be:

Hal talks on Socks

Hal's facts of packs

Hal rails on trails

My wife had heard some of my rants and she said she's praying that I don't have anymore boring hikes this year. That's very sweet of her looking out for me that way. Tomorrow, I'm planning on heading up to Idyllwild so I should have some cool pictures from that. If you have any questions about gear or anything else, please leave them in comments.