So, you want to get into hiking and you're not sure what to do first. Well, your feet play a big part in moving you down the trail and if you take care of them, they will take care of you. I would suggest finding a pair of supportive trail shoes or boots that will do just that.
Defining your use is the first step. Doing shorter hikes at the local parks with less challenging terrain requires only a good pair of trail shoes. These look like sneakers. The big difference is much better support. If you will be going on a multi-day hiking trip where you will be carrying a pack over more rugged terrain, you will need a pair of backpacking boots.
No need to be familiar with each manufacturer to make an informed decision. There are 5 common parts that every pair of outdoor shoes has. As long as you know what they are and how to test each shoe for them, you will always make a good choice.
The tread on the bottom of the shoe is called the outsole. The best outsoles provide traction in all kinds of conditions. Look for tread designs that are staggered and avoid those that are uniform. Staggered treads provide better traction while readily releasing dirt, mud and debris.
The midsole is a layer of material above the outsole. You can only see the outside edges of it. The purpose of the midsole is to disperse kinetic energy shock. Every time the force of your foot hits the ground, an equal and opposite shock rebounds back up through your anatomy. Without a sufficient midsole, your tendons, ligaments and cartilage would be responsible to radiate and disperse most of that kinetic energy. Without a sufficient midsole, your body tires easily, your joints become sore and your muscles sometimes ache.
How can you tell if a boot or shoe has a good midsole? Hold the back of the shoe in your left hand, put the front of the shoe against the palm of your other hand and apply pressure. The front of the shoe will start to bend upwards. Some shoes produce more resistance than others. The more resistance, the more support the midsole provides. Most footwear without sufficient support just fold in half. Your choice must still be flexible. The stiffer the shoe, the less likely you are to feel trail debris under your feet which can be dangerous. You don't want to loose contact with what's happening under your feet.
The footbed, commonly referred to as the insole is a thin piece of material cut to fit the inside shape of the shoe providing support and cushioning to the anatomical curvature of the bottom of your foot. Most manufacturers supply insufficient footbeds with their boots and shoes. Once removed, if you can easily twist them out of shape, they will only provide minimal cushioning and no real support. You may choose a shoe or boot and use the original footbed, but over time it will compress and you will loose the cushioning. You may wish to try a replacement footbed with actual support. My favorites are called Superfeet. A good footbed provides proper anatomical support for your feet and body, significantly reducing stress.
The upper is the material of which the main body of the boot or shoe is manufactured. The most common materials are leather, synthetic leather, nylon, ballistic nylon and breathable mesh panels. The upper also contains the tongue, lacing hardware and laces. A shoe or boot made of full grain leather traps more heat, has less breathability and takes more time to break in. Having mesh panels makes for a more comfortable shoe in warmer conditions.
The height of a shoe or boot provides no ankle support, only abrasion resistance and protection from rain, snow, mud etc. Ankle support is provided by something called the heel counter. The heel counter is a rectangular piece of material between layers of the upper at the back of the shoe just above the outsole, wrapping around the heel area.
If you drew an imaginary line straight down the very back center of a shoe, it would cut the heel counter in half. If you compressed the shoe between your palms on either side of that line, shoes with little ankle support would fold flat along the line toward the bottom near the outsole. A shoe with superior ankle support will not easily fold at the lower back of the shoe.
There you go. Now you know what to look for and how to test for it. The only remainder is how the shoe fits and feels and you will have to figure that out for yourself. If you feel YES, when you try on a boot or shoe... you know you have a good fit and I know you will know, when you have a definite NO. There is no MAYBE!
Defining your use is the first step. Doing shorter hikes at the local parks with less challenging terrain requires only a good pair of trail shoes. These look like sneakers. The big difference is much better support. If you will be going on a multi-day hiking trip where you will be carrying a pack over more rugged terrain, you will need a pair of backpacking boots.
No need to be familiar with each manufacturer to make an informed decision. There are 5 common parts that every pair of outdoor shoes has. As long as you know what they are and how to test each shoe for them, you will always make a good choice.
The tread on the bottom of the shoe is called the outsole. The best outsoles provide traction in all kinds of conditions. Look for tread designs that are staggered and avoid those that are uniform. Staggered treads provide better traction while readily releasing dirt, mud and debris.
The midsole is a layer of material above the outsole. You can only see the outside edges of it. The purpose of the midsole is to disperse kinetic energy shock. Every time the force of your foot hits the ground, an equal and opposite shock rebounds back up through your anatomy. Without a sufficient midsole, your tendons, ligaments and cartilage would be responsible to radiate and disperse most of that kinetic energy. Without a sufficient midsole, your body tires easily, your joints become sore and your muscles sometimes ache.
How can you tell if a boot or shoe has a good midsole? Hold the back of the shoe in your left hand, put the front of the shoe against the palm of your other hand and apply pressure. The front of the shoe will start to bend upwards. Some shoes produce more resistance than others. The more resistance, the more support the midsole provides. Most footwear without sufficient support just fold in half. Your choice must still be flexible. The stiffer the shoe, the less likely you are to feel trail debris under your feet which can be dangerous. You don't want to loose contact with what's happening under your feet.
The footbed, commonly referred to as the insole is a thin piece of material cut to fit the inside shape of the shoe providing support and cushioning to the anatomical curvature of the bottom of your foot. Most manufacturers supply insufficient footbeds with their boots and shoes. Once removed, if you can easily twist them out of shape, they will only provide minimal cushioning and no real support. You may choose a shoe or boot and use the original footbed, but over time it will compress and you will loose the cushioning. You may wish to try a replacement footbed with actual support. My favorites are called Superfeet. A good footbed provides proper anatomical support for your feet and body, significantly reducing stress.
The upper is the material of which the main body of the boot or shoe is manufactured. The most common materials are leather, synthetic leather, nylon, ballistic nylon and breathable mesh panels. The upper also contains the tongue, lacing hardware and laces. A shoe or boot made of full grain leather traps more heat, has less breathability and takes more time to break in. Having mesh panels makes for a more comfortable shoe in warmer conditions.
The height of a shoe or boot provides no ankle support, only abrasion resistance and protection from rain, snow, mud etc. Ankle support is provided by something called the heel counter. The heel counter is a rectangular piece of material between layers of the upper at the back of the shoe just above the outsole, wrapping around the heel area.
If you drew an imaginary line straight down the very back center of a shoe, it would cut the heel counter in half. If you compressed the shoe between your palms on either side of that line, shoes with little ankle support would fold flat along the line toward the bottom near the outsole. A shoe with superior ankle support will not easily fold at the lower back of the shoe.
There you go. Now you know what to look for and how to test for it. The only remainder is how the shoe fits and feels and you will have to figure that out for yourself. If you feel YES, when you try on a boot or shoe... you know you have a good fit and I know you will know, when you have a definite NO. There is no MAYBE!
About the Author:
James Warner is a distance hiker and mountain guide. He feels that the more of an active outdoor lifestyle one leads, the happier and healthier they tend to be. If you liked this article and would like to learn more about hiking and backpacking, check out: hiking and backpacking guide
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