I am planning a hike which will begin in prairie grass and progress into a canyon with rocky terrain and a stream which I will have to walk through several times before emerging the canyon into prairie grass once again. Anybody have any recommendations for footwear that will be versatile for the many different terrains on this hike??
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- What type of footwear would be best with white water rafting and canyoning?
- What footwear would you keep in your car if you might have to walk 5-25 miles through woods in an emergency?
- Can anyone recommend a woman’s hiking boot that has support and is warm?
Something with gortex
I would suggest either sandals or sandal/boot crossovers. If you are going for sandals, I really like Chaco’s. I sometimes even run in them. You might like the idea of having your toes protected, though. Keen makes really nice sandal/boot crossovers. (Multi-sport sandals) These will give you good support, protect your toes, and allow the water to drain out. I think Teva might make a pair, as well as Merrell. Go to your local outdoor sports store and try several pairs on. West Coast, go to REI. East Coast, go to EMS. Between, I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Good Luck
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Toss a pair of El cheapo canvas sneakers into your pack and use them for your water work. Good hiking boots are too important and expensive to be submerged .
I routinely carry canvas sneakers on long hikes. Not only do they allow me to do stream crossings but they make good camp footwear which allows my hikng boots to dry out after a long day on trail.
Try addidas Gore-Tex climaproof. I found them useful during my recent trekking in Himalayas.
Chaco Z/2’s with the stealth rubber sole. The vibram soles work well, and are really long lasting, but don’t stick to wet rocks as well as the stealth rubber does. The company that manufactures stealth rubber specializes in rock climbing shoes. Stealth rubber isn’t as long lasting as the vibram, but you can get your chacos resoled for like forty bucks or something. Chaco’s rule. Seriously, it’s like a sub-culture.
The Keen sandals/hiking shoes are amazing. The Tevas are great too, but don’t provide protection for your toes. I wore my generic Tevas and my friend wore Keens for hiking through Central America in all kinds of terrain including rainforests, mountains, rivers, beaches etc. The Keens are pricey but they last. I had to throw out my sandals (granted they were old) at the end of the trip. I’m planning to get a pair of Keens for next time I travel that way.
Another option is to pack two pair of shoes and keep one in your pack. I need a lot of support with my high arches and slight pronation so I also wore my Ryka trail shoes and switched up to sandals only when I needed too. I left the suede boots at home.
Also from experience in whitewater rafting in North America don’t forget some comfy wool socks that you can also wear to keep your feet warm in cold water. It may look corny to wear them with your sandals, but if the rivers are 40 degrees or colder it helps a lot. Socks can also prevent blisters from long stream hikes where the dirt and moisture can cause more friction.
Where exactly are you headed? Have fun!