Trail Running Shoes vs. Hiking Boots
I recently hosted a live Q&A session on Instagram about hiking in a bigger body. I’ll be addressing the questions I received on my blog over the next several weeks. This week’s question is about footwear.
Q. I see some people hiking with running shoes and gaiters and some in boots. Why do people use one or the other? What do you use?
A: The boots vs. running shoes dilemma is not black and white. I tend to switch it up depending on what kind of terrain I will be hiking, how many miles I’m going for and how my body is feeling on that day. I’m not much of a shopper, but when it comes to hiking footwear, I’m a bit of a diva, I’ll admit it.
When I did Havasu Canyon in the Havasupai Reservation in Arizona, I brought a couple of footwear options. On the way down, I wore my Asolos, which are the ones boots that brought me up and down Kilimanjaro. They’re super sturdy, hardcore hiking boots. They’re the right books for me when the hike is going to be long and I feel like I need plenty of support. On the way back up and for the descent to Mooney Falls,I wore my Columbia Mountain Masochist shoes. I needed something lightweight that had great grip.
On the Long Trail this summer, I switched between my trusty Asolos and some Hoka One One trail running-hiking hybrids, which were really great. I probably wouldn’t have even thought to try those particular shoes, but they were sent to me by my friend Mirna. She’s a trail running superstar and happens to share the same shoe size as me. It was great to have a lighter option than my Asolos for when the going was smoothe, plus they were endorsed by Mirna and I trust an ultramarathoner’s shoe suggestion!
So, if you’re hiking in a bigger body, I’d say quality footwear is really important. It’s not just about comfort and supporting your ankles, it’s also about creating stability from the base of your body. You want to think about how much ankle support you’ll need and how rocky the trail is likely to be. There were parts of the Long Trail that were so rocky I really felt grateful for my Asolos. If the trail will be flatter, you might want something lighter so you feel more maneuverable, so a trail runner would work.
You also need to think about what your budget can bear. However, I can’t underscore the importance of good footwear enough, and it is the one place I splurge because it makes a difference.
I’ll be answering more questions here over the next few weeks. If there’s something you would like to see me write about, let me know by shooting me an email.