A sturdy base for the hike
If walking’s not exactly the calorie-burning, heart-rate-rocking fitness adventure you were hoping for, consider adding two things: a mountain and some hiking shoes. Whether you tramp up the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains for a couple hours or tackle the John Muir Trail in the Sierras for several days, the journey will go more smoothly if you’re wearing footwear designed for the task. With rock-stopping soles and burly, supportive exteriors, these four models offer great value for a variety of hiking styles and conditions. And the views aren’t so bad, either.
-- Roy M. Wallack
--
Already broken-in
Lowa Jannu Mid: Sturdy, mid-ankle, suede leather boot that can handle day hikes and backpacking on Mt. Whitney.
Likes: Burly but doesn’t feel like it. Immediately comfortable, with no break-in period, unlike many other serious hiking boots. That’s due to a wide toe box, padded leather lining around the ankle and a shock-absorbing polyurethane insert under the heel. Feels lighter and faster than its 1 pound, 10 ounces (size 9.5). The stiff sole from Vibram, the world’s most prestigious sole maker, offers great foot support, rock protection and fatigue resistance even if you’re carrying a heavy pack on a multi-day trek.
Dislikes: A deep-mountain boot such as this will make you cry for waterproofing when you hit stream crossings or snow. (A similar Lowa model with Gore-Tex, the Khumbu Mid GTX, is $20 more.)
Price: $170. (888) 335-5692; www.lowaboots.com.
--
Getting a good grip
Scarpa Zen: Low-cut, suede, part-hiker, part-”approach” shoe built for hiking and scrambling up steep slopes and over boulders.
Likes: Light, fast and feels tough enough for light backpacking, even though it’s just 1 pound (in size 9.5). The combination of close-to-the-toes laces (like those found in climbing shoes) and a semi-stiff Vibram sole with special “sticky” rubber and a grippy honeycomb tread pattern gives it good nonslip control in dicey conditions.
Dislikes: None.
Price: $120. (866) 998-2895; www.scarpa.com.
--
For the trail runner
Five Ten Camp 4: Low-cut, multipurpose trail shoe for hiking and trail running.
Likes: Comfy, fast and agile. Great fit due to a wide toe box and close-to-the-toe lacing. The latter, paired with the sticky-rubber sole, make it a good bouldering shoe. The lightweight (1 pound, 1 ounce in size 9) and flexible sole begs for a fast pace. A great trail runner.
Dislikes: Too flexible to support serious backpack loads without foot fatigue.
Price: $ 109.99. (909) 798-4222; www.fiveten.com.
--
High-top lightweight
Ob{omacronl}z Yellowstone: The econo-SUV of hikers, with mid-cut nubuck leather and waterproofing.
Likes: Feels like something new: a high-top trail runner. Because of its fairly light weight (1 pound, 3 ounces in size 9) and a very flexible sole with rounded edges, I became confident enough to run off-trail in it. The ankle protection and “Be-Dry” waterproofing keeps feet dry and ankles unscratched.
Dislikes: The flexible, rounded sole doesn’t seem too stable. Lightweight, day backpacking, OK; heavy, loaded backpacking, no.
Price: $119. (406) 522-0319; www.obozfootwear.com.
--
Irvine-based endurance cyclist and runner Roy M. Wallack is the coauthor of “Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100.” Reach him at roywallack@aol.com.