Do we need walking boots?

[Liz S]

Shes probably halfway up Everest now in a pair of pumps.

[Hiker68]

Hi with me only walking disused railway lines and bridal paths I only purchase Murrell walking shoes and also because no matter what boot I have tried I have had issues with sore ankles. But I will say it all depends on the terrain you are walking.

[jimbob]

Just looked up to see what Converse Trainers actually are. We used to call them sandshoes, or baseball boots, aka to the posh kids plimsolls

The young lady in question is clearly (a) young and (b) untrained in any aspect of outdoor activity.

The staff at the Blacks that I use have all done their DoE. ( And I don't mean Dept of Employment , though they may also have done their stint signing on there).

I say young because clearly she is , in her mind, immortal, as we all were once, and not aware of the problems she may have with her feet and legs in later life.

Untrained because, well she just is, the owner of said shop will soon start to wonder why custom is disappearing as their staff continue to dole out such bad advice, and also fail to nail a sale.

One old boss of mine told me plainly that the money he spent on staff training was NOT because his staff were valuable to him at all,but that the training would reassure our customers who were very valuable to all of us because they paid for our wages and training and his wife's holidays.  At the time I thought it ridiculous but with experience and hindsight I now see where he was coming from. He was/is right. The customer may not always be right but they are always important.

[tonyk]

I do hope MabelSouth is reading all the replies everyone has been good enough to post, even though she hasn't logged on since asking the question.
 
 

 Never heard of "converse" trainers before I read this so I suppose the "ad" has done its job.

 They do a kind of baseball type boot,very similar to the PA's that I used to wear for climbing in the seventies.In all honesty you could get away with wearing anything provided you are sure footed and don't mind getting your feet wet.

 
 

[Mel]

Oh well. If it was advertising, it went right over my head 

[quixoticgeek]

I am going away a holiday to the Lake District with friends and I know very little about walking. I have had a bit of a read around online and visited an outdoor clothing store but I need some advice regarding clothing/equipment.

When we visited the outdoor clothing store and we asked for advice the shop assistant told us we didn't need walking boots. She said we could just wear trainers. She then showed us her converses and told us she'd climbed Snowdon 'the hard way' in these and they were just fine, and also wore them everyday to work without much wear to the tread.

I have hiked in various terrain across Europe. I wear hiking trainers (currently North Face Hedgehog GTX or Salamon Sekani). Not had any issues on the mountains with grip or support. Have noticed that the reduced weight of my footware really helps. 

I was shocked she would say this. I was under the impression that we would need some waterproof but breathable footwear with ankle support and a decent tread; ideally in the form of entry level walking boots. I ignored her advice and got myself a pair of synthetic boots which were in the sale, a size above what I normally wear as these were more comfortable. My partner has bought a pair of trainers on her advice and doesn't seem to think he will need proper walking socks. I convinced him to get a waterproof pair with a similar sort of tread to my boots but I am wondering if these will be okay for him or maybe whether I have over done it buying a proper pair of walking boots?


We aren't going to do anything too challenging as we are novices but we aren't just going to be pottering about the shops, either.

For hiking in summer, I would say that you don't need walking boots, and in fact in warm weather you DO NOT want goretex or any other breathable membrane, it will not be able to transfer moisture as fast as you're producing it, meaning you'll cook your feet.


Last spring I was on a hike in Sussex, wearing an unlined pair of walking shoes. The recent rain had turned one of the footpaths into a stream. I walked straight up it, feet getting wet. But with decent wool socks underneath, and no membrane to get in the way, within 15-20 mins my feet were dry. Had I had a goretex boot on and any of the water got in the top, I would have had wet feet for the rest of the day.


I also *REALLY* don't like goretex in winter (<0°C), if you exercise enough to sweat, the in ability of the membrane to shift the moisture out of the shoe means you get very cold feet, I'm currently nursing a frost injury from cycling in -6°C earlier this year. Once my goretex lined TNF Hedgehogs are worn out, I will not be replacing them with a goretex lined shoe.


Regarding the support issue from a boot. The ankle support thing comes from when a hiking pack was 20kg, and you were putting a lot more strain on the body. In this age of ultra light equipment (if you're day bag is over 3kg I'd like to know what on earth you're carrying...), you're not putting any extra strain on the ankles.


So, do you need walking boots? Probably not.


J

[sussamb]

Each to their own.  I've worn gortex lined fabric boots for many years, never felt my feet were overheating and hardly ever got wet feet 

[Steve922]

I read a short book today called 'Backpacking for Beginners' which recommended a 'good pair of sneakers' as the only footwear.

The same book recommended you should take your Laptop, music players and Ipad so you don't get bored.

[tonyk]

I read a short book today called 'Backpacking for Beginners' which recommended a 'good pair of sneakers' as the only footwear.

The same book recommended you should take your Laptop, music players and Ipad so you don't get bored.

 I think the book is about the kind of backpacking where you go to a far away place,stay in a dodgy hostel and get murdered by the local misfit.

[pauldawes]

I think the book is about the kind of backpacking where you go to a far away place,stay in a dodgy hostel and get murdered by the local misfit.

Certainly not written by anybody we'd think of as a walker!


Mind you, I'd have thought recommending walking about with a grand's worth of mobile entertainment equipment wouldn't be great advice for a backpacker stopping in a dodgy hostel, either.

[Cairncamper]

Is'nt there the thing of boots with "ankle support" actually putting strain on the knees more.


Your ankle is designed to move the way it does for balance, and to allow you to move your foot in loads of different directions when you walk on varied terrain.


With ankle support you have less movement, aren't able to position your foot as good, and if you do go over, you impact your knees more.


Ive thought about some of the areas I've walked in, and how ankle support would have made me less stable, and more prone to falling harder and injuring my knees more as well.

[pauldawes]

Another day goes by and OP still hasn't added to first and only posting.


Is there some logical reason why this site attracts a plenitude of first time posters who ask for advice and then never reappear? ( It happens on most sites I take part in...but far more frequently here than elsewhere.)

[tonyk]

Another day goes by and OP still hasn't added to first and only posting.


Is there some logical reason why this site attracts a plenitude of first time posters who ask for advice and then never reappear? ( It happens on most sites I take part in...but far more frequently here than elsewhere.)

 The OP was posting an advert and it was done in a very clever way.It was designed to make you aware of Converse trainers rather than posting a direct link to the product.

[Cairncamper]

The OP was posting an advert and it was done in a very clever way.It was designed to make you aware of Converse trainers rather than posting a direct link to the product.

Possibly lol


I saw a teenage girl  descending from the pony path at Cadiar Idris once with her grand parents, wearing converse, or converse style pumps.


She looked fine but she only weighed about half of what I weigh lol. Those things would have destroyed my feet.


Converse are designed for the streets, and nothing more.


Wearing skateboarding shoes on scree and mud is asking for trouble.

[gunwharfman]

Years ago my wife and I met a middle aged mum and her two daughters halfway up Fairfield on a sunny day in July. One teenager had high(ish) heels on, she was agony, the other had on a flimsy tee shirt and trainers, she was freezing! They were still going up as we passed them!