Lose some weight -- off your feet
Still wearing heavy, high-top backpacking boots on day hikes? If so, it may be time to start thinking light and low-cut. A beefy leather “waffle stomper” provides important stability while lugging a heavy backpack in the Sierras, but it’s overkill for easy day treks in our local mountains.
The problem with heavy boots is that they add weight to every step you take. Carrying an extra two or three pounds may not sound like much -- until you do it on a 10-mile hike with a 3,000-foot gain. The new lightweights are part of the movement to shed weight on the trail.
Lightweights are easier to break in and less likely to cause fatigue and blisters. They’re also cheaper. According to Tim Bist- line at REI in Arcadia, lightweight hiking footwear runs about $75 to $170; midweight boots, $135 to $210; and extended backpacking/mountaineering boots, $175 to $225. Good-quality, lightweight hikers are also available at many sports outfitters for less than $75.
The new lightweights’ slim style belies their strength, thanks to modern materials used in their construction and special treatment at the midsole. A boot’s midsole is a cushioning layer between insole and outsole that contains several sole-stiffening elements. Unlike the heavy, stiff shanks built into the midsoles of mountaineering boots, light hikers sometimes use partial shanks of nylon or carbon fiber.
This construction -- even in a low-cut shoe -- can help prevent a twisted ankle. “Good underfoot support is a huge part of keeping ankles from rolling,” says Jason Tate, a boot fitter at the Adventure 16 store in San Diego. Tate recommends looking for a shoe or boot with “integrity in the midsole.” A midsole that’s rigid can provide ankle support. To test whether a boot has sufficient rigidity, grab it by the toe and heel and twist. The harder it is to turn, the more support there will be for the ankle.
When purchasing boots, consider the types of trails you’ll be hiking. For most of Southern California’s dry, hard-packed trails and fire roads, a well-made trail shoe or midcut will do.
Trails with lots of stream crossings -- definitely a consideration after this winter’s heavy storms -- require waterproof boots. Gore-Tex linings built into boots or shoes -- including some lightweights -- are still the best defense against moisture.
Some boulder-hopping hikers are turning to rock climbing’s lightweight shoes, which have sticky, rubber outsoles. Wearing these might make you feel as agile as a mountain goat, but Tate warns that they tend to wear out faster than trail shoes and boots.
Going light in a boot doesn’t mean sacrificing good fit. Just as with backpacking boots, lightweights should fit close to the foot but not too tight. Outdoor stores such as Adventure 16 and REI use FitSystem, a boot-fitting process that evaluates the biomechanics of your foot.
During a hike, a foot will swell and elongate and possibly pronate (roll in) or supinate (roll out). A properly fitted boot can tame this podiatric beast by keeping the foot snug in the boot, says Doug Stone, FitSystem’s executive director.
When trying on boots, pay attention to where the boot flexes, Stone says. It should be at the same flex point as your foot. The goal in fitting is to match the widest part of the foot with the widest part of the boot. During the fitting, walking on an inclined board can help determine whether the boot is wide enough, and also whether there’s too much movement forward or back. When walking uphill, your heel should rise only slightly.
It’s best to get fitted late in the day, when feet tend to be at their largest, as they would be on the trail. Always bring socks you normally hike in; experts shun cotton and recommend merino wool or a wicking synthetic.
Want new boots but not barking dogs? Find an expert boot fitter at a quality outdoor store, make sure your foot is measured accurately, and ask whether the boot can be customized. Tall or short, light or heavy, the last word in hiking footwear is always comfort.
To e-mail Julie Sheer or read her previous Outdoors Institute columns, go to latimes.com /juliesheer.