boots versus shoes

Hi guys and girls I will be walking the routeburn,Caples and Greenstone in March April 2009 is it worth buying track shoes and are there days you can use them on these tracks. When i was at the Mt Aspiring hut i walked down to the river with runners on and a rock jumped out from the grass and broke my little toe on the left foot it might sound funny but try walking 15 km with a broken toe I wont be wearing thongs or runners outside the hut again,are the track shoes stronger than runners Lindsay

owwwwww...try a pair of boots!!!!!!!!!! They got toe protection and since your only doing 3 tramps go for a cheap pair of 200dollar down....make sure you break them in, in a river and you'll be sweet!!!!

I do walk in Boots but there are times that i dont think it is needed IE: last day on the Kepler track,i broke my toe at the hut wearing runers at night i should watch where i walk Lindsay

Lindsay - Your 2009 tramp will be ok with "runners" but get Trail Runners that have solid toe covering - not ordinary runners - Also agree Croc are great, but they are too bulky in a small light weight pack. I use a MacPac 35 amp for my 6 day trips - I also recommend Teva thongs with injinji toe socks (for sand flies) for camp shoes

OK...I'm doing the Milford Track in a couple of months. My boots which I last wore for trecking in Nepal 11 years ago have given up on me. Do I buy shoes or boots? My inclination is towards shoes since I am a (very) occassional tramper. Are they OK for Milford?

Shoes should be fine on the Milford. Most of it is just like a road. Get something that is nice and comfortable so that you can enjoy the scenery rather than worry about your feet

Jumping into this a little late, but does anyone out there tramp in sandals? If so, what brand/model? I've always used boots. Solid, leather boots. I still will in the highcountry, snow or cold winter weather. However, the first creek or river crossing fills them with water and wet they stay for the rest of the trip. The Sympatex membrane in my boots seems just as good at keeping water in as out!! The soles fell off my last boots long before they wore out because they were wet all the time. Recently though, I've been trying alternatives for the warmer weather. I've been tramping in Keen sandals which are wide and low, and have really good toe protection. I've had no problem with my ankles or feet, wading through creeks is a pleasure and my feet are dry 5 minutes later. I always carry warm socks for 'just in case' situations. The only failings with the Keens is the tread isn't aggressive enough and the leather gives a bit when wet. I'm thinking of trying a pair of Teva Dozers which are all synthetic and have a more aggressive tread pattern. They also look like they strap to the foot a bit more securely. Anyone tried them? Thinking of trying lightweight, fast drying, ankle high boots too. Any suggestions? I'm increasingly thinking that if you can't stop water getting into your boots, you should have boots that let the water back out and dry fast.

I have an old pair of Adidas Banshees http://cache.snewsnet.com/snews/images/items/adidas_banshee.jpg that I have used for years, only on day trips. They have great traction and I found them good, even off track. The problems were that they would get grit and sand in them and I had to empty them often. Also the problem with any sandel is that they have straps and with no socks there are more places for them to rub on your feet. From time to time I would get problems in that department. I once wore them in snow and I definitely wouldn't recommend them for that. The problem with them now is that they have velcro straps and the velcro has become weak with time so they are always falling off my feet. I think that if you have had experience with boots then it is a great idea to try different things. Once you have the strength in your feet and a sureness of step then you don't need as much protection as when you first start out. I find I am looking at lighter and cheaper boots these days and the less leather the better. I wouldn't get to hung up about water in your boots. Once they are wet on a trip they stay wet. As boots age they develop leaks and before you know it the water runs out as quick as it came in.

They look pretty good, I'll have to check the Adidas range. I'm keen, but I generally draw the line at snow in anything less that layers of leather, gore-tex, cambrelle and merino :-) You're a brave man for even trying sandals in snow!! Of course, a thousand years ago the Roman armies trod most of the known world from snow to sand beneath their hobnailed sandals, so... Yeah, I know what you mean about grit, luckily the Keens are open to the sole around the outside so anything that gets in rattles out pretty quick too. They've got neoprene next to the skin to, so no rubbing, although I've got fairly hard feet. Good point about velcro. None on the Keens, but I've had that quit on other things in the past, so a good reminder to avoid that as a fastening system. I don't exactly get hung up about water in my boots, I'm used to it, but I do get sick of pulling those white, wrinkled, soft, macerated lumps of smelly thing on the ends of my ankles out of sodden boots at the end of the day and thinking "there's gotta be a better way". The search continues, but when I find the perfect sandal and the perfect lightweight boot, I'll post it here!

Treehugger I bought a pair of Teva Dozers to try for tramping. I found them to be good sandals but were not much good for tramping as there was not enough shock absorption in the bases (especially under the heels). I switched to Salomon shoes and they were great but I killed them in about 12-18 months. I replaced the Salomons with Oboz from Kathmandu which were very comfortable, I really liked them but I killed them in six weeks Actually I was thinking of trying the Keens so was very interested in your comments about them. I don't think we will ever get agreement on shoes v boots, it's personal choice but I can say I have come from the "boots/ankle support" old-school and in recent times had a complete change of heart. I am now a complete shoe convert with the following conditions: Light load = light footwear but carrying the kitchen sink and expecting to get away with shoes is pushing your luck Time of year and conditions matter eg. snow, ice, crampons, warmth = boots Lighter footwear = less fatigue = longer distances covered in a day Avoid goretex liners in warm weather the plan is to have wet/cool feet = water in fast and water out fast when crossing rivers Shoes dry (at least partially) at the hut = dry feet for that cold morning start. They make the ultimate hut shoe and unlike some of the other "hut shoes" are not ultra-slippery on wet/painted hut floors The midnight walk to the toilet is no problem in shoes I disagree that they are only suitable on formed tracks, this year alone I have done the following trips in shoes: Mt Arthur to Murchason via Leslie-Karamea, Wangapeka & Matiri Valley, St Arnaud - Lewis Pass via David Saddle & Three Tarn Col, Hokitika - Erewhon via Whitcombe Pass & Butler Saddle, The Three Passes & Tara Tama Range Finally shoes are cheap but will not last like boots and will need to be replaced regularly