boots versus shoes

for tramping sandals I use Chaco Z2 sandals- you need to wear them in a bit so that the webbing doesn't chafe, but the support and grip of the soles is great. I've worn them on long tramps with a heavy pack no worries.

An intriguing idea that I hadn't thought of either as an option for serious tramping and have some questions for those who are users of them. I haven't really tramped for years but as a mature university student I am thinking of getting out in the hills a bit over the summer break. Boots and pack are my immediate needs but will make a query on packs in a relevant thread. So for shoe/sandal users it seems to me that the most at risk time for ankles is when fatigued at the end of a big day. How do you find them at the end of a 10 hour day under load? Not that I plan to do days that big but I have been caught out a couple of times. Secondly I wonder if strapping your ankles, as we used to do when playing rugby league, would substitute the ankle support of a boot. There is a good deal on Scarps ZG10's that I was considering until I saw comments on this forum regarding shoes and sandals.

Hello. Where do you plan to wear your footwear? I suspect it'd make a lot of difference as to what works.

Sorry I should have clarified. In my teens I did plenty such as all the peaks in Tongariro, around Egmont, a couple of trips on the tops of the Ruahine and Mamaku ranges, off track in the Coromandel and probably a few others if I thought hard enough. I tend to hunt off track a bit more in recent years but really have a hankering to hit some south island hills. I envisage I could end up in all sorts of places really. I did a tour of the south island last year on Earthrace, including a week in Fiordland and would love to walk down in those parts. Stewart Island might have to wait a year or two though. I was a member of the Auckland Tramping Club from age 14-16, but am just as likely to solo. Just thinking back to my King Leo's at 2 1/2 pounds each and can see the merit in shoes:) But am in two minds as even through the soles of those boots the my feet were sometimes battered in rocky country. Oh I was in the RNZAF for a bit and got dropped by Iroquois for a hunt up Lees Creek near Dip Flat one time, trouble was it took us all day to walk out with no time to hunt.Lol.

The thing that boots offer you over and above shoes are protection for your feet, grippy soles and possibly some ankle support. There are some good options in light weight boots these days. Have a look at some of the Mountain running options.