Thank you for making a video about this topic! That said... I am a seasoned 65 year old backpacker with thousands of miles on my feet, and have successfully transitioned from 3/4 shank hiking/climbing boots to trailrunners. I feel your obvious bias has tainted your full perspective on this topic. The heavy boots your dad used when hiking the Grand Canyon are/were not a trivial purchase. Boots like that, of which I also used for thousands of miles and dozens of climbs, are a challenge to find ones that fit a persons feet. If your boots hurt when walking in them, they don't fit correctly. Try a different size or type. With those old heavy boots, you kept trying boots until you found a pair that fit your feet perfectly. When they fit perfectly, your not done. They still need "broke in", which can take days to months, depending on how much you wear them and the boot itself. Those boots will eventually become a perfect fit. That said, they are heavy for many reasons. If you are doing anything involving ice, you need crampons, which require rigid boots. Flexibility is REALLY BAD for crampons (they'll fall off your boot), making flexible shoes very dangerous for you in conditions where you need crampons. Like you showed in the end of the video, training and conditioning are required for ANY footwear, not just the heavy, rigid boots, but even lightweight trailrunners too. Your foot, ankle, calf and other leg muscles have to adapt and strengthen up for the footwear you are using. On one backpacking trip, with my main hiking buddy, in the bottom of a deep valley, with analog cellphones with no reception, my friend hyperextended his knee. By the time we reached that evening's camp, his knee was swollen to the side of a basketball. He spent the evening soaking it in the icy stream next to camp. The next morning he took off the "brain" of his backpack and carried that, "fanny pack" style with his essentials, while I carried remaining backpack (40ish pounds) strapped to the top of my 55 pound backpack. Getting the backpack on and off was extremely difficult, but I carried that 90 pound load 7 miles before we got to a road and were able to get a ride back to civilization. Yes, that was 90 pounds for 7 miles. Any slip, any twist and fall would have likely broke my ankle. The heavy boots and being conditioned for their use made it "safe enough"... The type of boot you NEED to wear should be based on the amount of weight you are carrying and how rough the trail you are hiking on is. Trailrunning with a lightweight or ultralight setup is perfectly comfortable and safe, but still needs some training and conditioning of your feet in the footwear you will be wearing, to prevent common twists and possible sprains, etc... For medium loads 30+ lbs on rough trails, medium to heavy boots are recommended, because the risk of twisting the foot is more likely. For 40+ lbs you need to wear boots made for supporting your ankles. Any slip, any twist can cause a severe sprain or for you to fall, possibly in a dangerous location. Again, your body needs to be conditioned to those heavy boots. I used to train for a couple months before backpacking season, with 3-8 lb leg weights on, spending a lot of time going up and down hills nearby. These would strengthen my lower body, making the weight of the heavier, more durable boots not noticeable. The key is to get boots that fit very well and to train/condition your body so that it's ready for the footwear you are using. Footwear also includes socks, even sock liners. Today, modern backpacking gear is so much lighter that trailrunners are very viable. That said, sometimes you need to carry heavy to very heavy loads and the old heavy, rigid boots may be the correct footwear for that task.
❤Thanks. ONE ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE FOR SWITCHERS IS LOWER PRICE ... bcs my foot shape changes during this transformation. So it does not "hurt" me when getting a bigger shoe the next season. Example: I switched from old leather Hikings to SALOMON XA PRO 3D us size 7,5. This week a new pair of ALTRA LONE PEAK us size 8,5 .... price 150 EUR ... ca. 220 grams p.shoe. And... after > 40 years of job life in office with less use of my feet it is A GREAT JOY AND RELIEF for my toes to have a bigger "home to express themselves and their strengths and purpose"... in a bigger toebox. Due to early retirement I have now a lot of time for light walking and improving my health ... incl. my feet. ❤Greetings from Germany 🙋🏻♀️🇩🇪
I used to do a heavier hiking boot, but now I do trailrunners (altras or xeros). I thought to use a boot for its waterproof features, but the waterproofing I have found not to be durable (unless you keep it up). Once your foot is wet, a light trail runner will dry out faster. Since the trail runner is more breathable, my feet stay dry even on a hot sweaty day. A think sole could be an advatage on rough ground, but I have found that lighter shoes force me to step more carefully and my legs tire less.
6:56 как раз в более жестких ботинках ходить по снегу и рыхлому грунту удобнее. Со временем от множества сгибов, излишней мягкости и постоянного увязания в мягких ботинках устает нога. В жестких ботинках такого не происходит. В них можно пройти дольше, чем в мягких
I'm going to take aim at your cost "pro" for trail runners. Given that a good boot is more durable than even the best trail runner, the cost per mile is going to be cheaper for boots. Look, despite all of the pros of trail runners, the durability of boots really ought to be given priority in weighting. This makes boots ultimately the better option because they are (well, can be) more sustainable and eco-friendly. Good boots hold up. Good leather boots hold up even more, especially when properly taken care of. And a fully stitched leather boot will wear out the soles before the fabric, and the soles can be replaced. This ultimately leads to less waste. All trail runners are basically made of plastic. You can avoid synthetics with boots if you look hard enough. We need to fight against the "everything is disposable" mindset that pervades our consumer culture these days.
I agree, I wish I could just get new soles on my Merrel trail runners as the rest of it is still fine but the lugs are worn off. There is probably a good comparison there with boots being used for X amount of years at say $400 + new sole = 6 years or 8 or 10 years of use etc vs X amount of trail runners. Seems it costs $140 for new sole or $250 for a full rebuild of a boot so that may be more cost effective for sure. The problem I have and most people I hike with don't use the big heavy boots that can be resoled, everyone is using the lighter $150-$250 boots. I'd like to look at that comparison I just need to find some people who have done the rebuild and chart how long the boots last. I hear ya with the disposable mindset, I use my trail runners until the lugs are gone then they downgrade to easier trails then downgrade to either training shoes, gym shoes or walking shoes until there is nothing left of them.
I think price shouldn't even be considered in comparisons like this. Its our bodies we are talking about. Comfort, ergonomics etc is infinitely more important than saving money. You can get more money, hard to replace a knee.
@@FINsoininen I always give the advice to new hikers and backpackers that footwear and backpacks should be bought without looking at the price tag. These need to be properly fitting and comfortable, and sacrificing that for cost can lead to injuries. For some people, that means a cheaper shoe. For others, something high-end.
“Yeah it performs worse and will make your body perform worse and maybe even have to end an event early or caused injury but it’s better for the environment! That’s all that matters!”
В Аппалачах у себя ходите или в Большом каньоне в кроссовочках по сухости. У нас на Урале без нормальных треккинговых ботинок точно ноги повредишь. Камни, глина, корни, мокрая трава, курумник, скальник, снег кроссовки не выдержат. Я в кожаные-то себе все отбил, они все потертые и поцарапанные. Кроссовки просто перетрет. и я еще не говорю дождь, про мокрую траву, про броды. Иногда вообще только резиновые сапоги
I agree with "higler" about the extra pair of dry socks vs. heavy boots, but my knees at age 78 will not tolerate, or even permit, most of the exercises the presenter gives us, particularly the "pistol squat." I walk 3k every day it's above zero wind chill in Minnesota (about 350/year), and when I lived on the Colorado Front Range, hiked 100 miles (total) every summer in high country. I've hiked in both "mid" and "low" hiking shoes, and generally prefer "mid." Trail shoes/boots are my all-day, every-day footwear. I don't know if my ankles really NEED the extra support, but psychologically, I like having it. In any case, no ankle issues or injuries in a couple decades of hiking. I always have at least one hiking stick or pole, which helps, and age means I'm no longer in a hurry to get to a particular destination. Taking your time and exercising a bit of care helps, also.
Sounds like you have years of good conditioning on your legs which you'll be able to continue on hiking for many years to come. My goal is to be like you when I hit that age.
Coming from someone who wears trail runners 80% of the time you are missing the the real reasons why you wear mountaineering boots or a stiff hiking boot. First, you can edge and kick steps in conditions you wouldn't be able to in tail runners (including with micro-spikes/crampons on). Second, a flexible shoe will also not allow you to climb technical rock whereas you can climb any fourth class and even up to about 5.9 climbing routes in a stiff mountain boot as it will allow you to edge well. You will get turned around on tricky ground in trail runners and think it's too hard where if you were wearing mountain boots you would be chillin. All the "cruxes" get easier.
You are correct with those benefits but kicking in boot holes and steep wall climbing is beyond the scope of hiking and backpacking, that's mountaineering. That is also a world where going fast and light doesnt apply. No mountaineer ever has had a light pack haha
@@IdRatherBeHiking The principle is the same in mixed ice/snow and slightly exposed no fall zone type sections like in many of your videos. With better footwear these sections become much easier and you don't have to do as much routing finding. Ends up being faster overall. And yes we often wear no pack or a day pack with just some food/water.
@@DantonWest I'd say I only barely dip my toes into mountaineering. I do know some people who love having the hard boots, especially for steep climbs, me personally I like to feel the ground under my toes. On downhills, I tend to jog or run which I never show on camera which is painful in my boots. It all comes down to personal preference and what terrain is on the menu for the day. I did a steep winter ascent a few days ago and took my boots as I knew we'd be kicking in a lot of steps all day and most of it was in snow. In general trail runners aren't going to keep feet warm on mountaineering objectives, only Kilian Jornet's double summit of Everest in Salomons is the only time I've seen someone use trail runners on something like that and I'm pretty sure they insulated those shoes as they were custom made for that summit of Everest.
Hi from Port Alberni! The second half of this video is the *best* review of ankle and knee strengthening exercises for hiking that I've ever come across ✅ I currently wear "heavy" hiking boots like the Scarpas in the video; I have been humming and hawing about getting Vivo Barefoot shoes for a while, and now your video has convinced to buy a pair and try that style of shoe for myself on some of my upcoming pre-snowy-season hikes 🥾! One suggestion: check out the Original Strength movement system (lots of TH-cam videos about it) which helps condition the rest of the body for functional strength and mobility which translates nicely to hiking and scrambling.
just be very careful transitioning to barefoot shoes, the zero drop can be an alarming change for people. I'm looking to do the same myself but due to financial devastation in my life (my livelihood, my other channel with quarter million subs being deleted) I've put that on the back burner for now. At some point im do more in depth knee and ankle videos, that was just a toe in the water intro but I'm glad it was helpful.
Aw man, so sorry to hear that 😢 The content you produce on this channel is great, TH-cam ought to have your back you as a content provider. I hope you bounce back soon, and that I'll meet you on a trail one day, maybe I'll be the guy hobbling along on new trendy barefoot shoes 😜
Great video. Could you please recommend a trail runner for a trek I am planning to do in Nepal (Langtang Valley) in October? I've been battling Achilles tendonitis, so a zero-drop shoe is probably a bad idea. There is some snow on a couple day hikes to peaks, but for the most part the trail is dry and well-maintained.
Is there probably an extended video on relevant exercises / stretches for trail running shoes? (Maybe I've missed one in tour channel). Being a novice in hiking, want to switch from high boots to trail runners, but due to history of ankle sprains would prefer to prepare by training first. Thank you!
I just read a study published by the NIH called, "The effect of high-top and low-top shoes on ankle inversion kinematics and muscle activation in landing on a tilted surface." The report seems to support what you said about strengthening muscles and ligaments. My take away (better to read it for oneself) high tops delay the muscles normal tensing in preparation for taking on the load of landing.
High tops espeically tightened down reduce mobility which weakens those muscles. Best to make you feet and ankles ironclad then you don't need to worry about it. I'll be doing more videos on this topic soon as it seems to be one most don't know about.
I'm going to do a hard disagree on this one. People have a preference and it's silly to convince them otherwise. Ankle injuries are a real thing and can haunt people for their entire lives. I had severe ankle injuries from skateboarding in my youth and my ankles just don't have the elasticity they once had. I do see a few hiking channels trying to convince people to use trail runners also. I don't understand why they care what people wear unless they are inexperienced and don't know better.
I'd agree with that, if you or anyone has mobility limitations from broken bones then you are operating out of the norm and just need to find what works for you. That could be a heavy emphasis on knee strengthening to make up for that loss of mobility with a tight boot. The average person though has weak ankles and reduced mobility from sitting all day and wearing shoes with a heel lift which can be solved with some training.
Merrell trailrunners are so underrated. Love the Agility Peak 4. Oh, and I wear trailrunners year round in Colorado and I'm def not the only one. An extra pair of dry socks is still lighter than any boot haha
Awesome, ya boots come out rarely. I was slogging through snow all day yesterday so I wore my boots but as soon as it firms up or melts the trail runners come out.
Pretty narrow view to say the only reason you need ankle support is after spraining your ankle mid-hike. As a person who has had a traumatic ankle break with sub-par surgical reconstruction, I absolutely do need ankle support and all the exercises in the world won’t make me not need a boot with support in order to hike.
Thank you for making a video about this topic! That said... I am a seasoned 65 year old backpacker with thousands of miles on my feet, and have successfully transitioned from 3/4 shank hiking/climbing boots to trailrunners. I feel your obvious bias has tainted your full perspective on this topic.
The heavy boots your dad used when hiking the Grand Canyon are/were not a trivial purchase. Boots like that, of which I also used for thousands of miles and dozens of climbs, are a challenge to find ones that fit a persons feet. If your boots hurt when walking in them, they don't fit correctly. Try a different size or type. With those old heavy boots, you kept trying boots until you found a pair that fit your feet perfectly. When they fit perfectly, your not done. They still need "broke in", which can take days to months, depending on how much you wear them and the boot itself. Those boots will eventually become a perfect fit. That said, they are heavy for many reasons. If you are doing anything involving ice, you need crampons, which require rigid boots. Flexibility is REALLY BAD for crampons (they'll fall off your boot), making flexible shoes very dangerous for you in conditions where you need crampons. Like you showed in the end of the video, training and conditioning are required for ANY footwear, not just the heavy, rigid boots, but even lightweight trailrunners too. Your foot, ankle, calf and other leg muscles have to adapt and strengthen up for the footwear you are using.
On one backpacking trip, with my main hiking buddy, in the bottom of a deep valley, with analog cellphones with no reception, my friend hyperextended his knee. By the time we reached that evening's camp, his knee was swollen to the side of a basketball. He spent the evening soaking it in the icy stream next to camp. The next morning he took off the "brain" of his backpack and carried that, "fanny pack" style with his essentials, while I carried remaining backpack (40ish pounds) strapped to the top of my 55 pound backpack. Getting the backpack on and off was extremely difficult, but I carried that 90 pound load 7 miles before we got to a road and were able to get a ride back to civilization. Yes, that was 90 pounds for 7 miles. Any slip, any twist and fall would have likely broke my ankle. The heavy boots and being conditioned for their use made it "safe enough"...
The type of boot you NEED to wear should be based on the amount of weight you are carrying and how rough the trail you are hiking on is. Trailrunning with a lightweight or ultralight setup is perfectly comfortable and safe, but still needs some training and conditioning of your feet in the footwear you will be wearing, to prevent common twists and possible sprains, etc... For medium loads 30+ lbs on rough trails, medium to heavy boots are recommended, because the risk of twisting the foot is more likely. For 40+ lbs you need to wear boots made for supporting your ankles. Any slip, any twist can cause a severe sprain or for you to fall, possibly in a dangerous location. Again, your body needs to be conditioned to those heavy boots. I used to train for a couple months before backpacking season, with 3-8 lb leg weights on, spending a lot of time going up and down hills nearby. These would strengthen my lower body, making the weight of the heavier, more durable boots not noticeable.
The key is to get boots that fit very well and to train/condition your body so that it's ready for the footwear you are using. Footwear also includes socks, even sock liners. Today, modern backpacking gear is so much lighter that trailrunners are very viable. That said, sometimes you need to carry heavy to very heavy loads and the old heavy, rigid boots may be the correct footwear for that task.
Fantastic presentation bud, so nicely and professionally explained! Love it!
Cheers!
❤Thanks. ONE ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE FOR SWITCHERS IS LOWER PRICE ... bcs my foot shape changes during this transformation. So it does not "hurt" me when getting a bigger shoe the next season.
Example:
I switched from old leather Hikings to SALOMON XA PRO 3D us size 7,5. This week a new pair of ALTRA LONE PEAK us size 8,5 .... price 150 EUR ... ca. 220 grams p.shoe.
And... after > 40 years of job life in office with less use of my feet it is A GREAT JOY AND RELIEF for my toes to have a bigger "home to express themselves and their strengths and purpose"... in a bigger toebox.
Due to early retirement I have now a lot of time for light walking and improving my health ... incl. my feet.
❤Greetings from Germany 🙋🏻♀️🇩🇪
I used to do a heavier hiking boot, but now I do trailrunners (altras or xeros). I thought to use a boot for its waterproof features, but the waterproofing I have found not to be durable (unless you keep it up). Once your foot is wet, a light trail runner will dry out faster. Since the trail runner is more breathable, my feet stay dry even on a hot sweaty day. A think sole could be an advatage on rough ground, but I have found that lighter shoes force me to step more carefully and my legs tire less.
6:56 как раз в более жестких ботинках ходить по снегу и рыхлому грунту удобнее. Со временем от множества сгибов, излишней мягкости и постоянного увязания в мягких ботинках устает нога. В жестких ботинках такого не происходит. В них можно пройти дольше, чем в мягких
I'm going to take aim at your cost "pro" for trail runners. Given that a good boot is more durable than even the best trail runner, the cost per mile is going to be cheaper for boots. Look, despite all of the pros of trail runners, the durability of boots really ought to be given priority in weighting. This makes boots ultimately the better option because they are (well, can be) more sustainable and eco-friendly. Good boots hold up. Good leather boots hold up even more, especially when properly taken care of. And a fully stitched leather boot will wear out the soles before the fabric, and the soles can be replaced. This ultimately leads to less waste. All trail runners are basically made of plastic. You can avoid synthetics with boots if you look hard enough.
We need to fight against the "everything is disposable" mindset that pervades our consumer culture these days.
I agree, I wish I could just get new soles on my Merrel trail runners as the rest of it is still fine but the lugs are worn off. There is probably a good comparison there with boots being used for X amount of years at say $400 + new sole = 6 years or 8 or 10 years of use etc vs X amount of trail runners. Seems it costs $140 for new sole or $250 for a full rebuild of a boot so that may be more cost effective for sure. The problem I have and most people I hike with don't use the big heavy boots that can be resoled, everyone is using the lighter $150-$250 boots. I'd like to look at that comparison I just need to find some people who have done the rebuild and chart how long the boots last.
I hear ya with the disposable mindset, I use my trail runners until the lugs are gone then they downgrade to easier trails then downgrade to either training shoes, gym shoes or walking shoes until there is nothing left of them.
I think price shouldn't even be considered in comparisons like this. Its our bodies we are talking about. Comfort, ergonomics etc is infinitely more important than saving money. You can get more money, hard to replace a knee.
@@FINsoininen I always give the advice to new hikers and backpackers that footwear and backpacks should be bought without looking at the price tag. These need to be properly fitting and comfortable, and sacrificing that for cost can lead to injuries.
For some people, that means a cheaper shoe. For others, something high-end.
“Yeah it performs worse and will make your body perform worse and maybe even have to end an event early or caused injury but it’s better for the environment! That’s all that matters!”
В Аппалачах у себя ходите или в Большом каньоне в кроссовочках по сухости.
У нас на Урале без нормальных треккинговых ботинок точно ноги повредишь. Камни, глина, корни, мокрая трава, курумник, скальник, снег кроссовки не выдержат. Я в кожаные-то себе все отбил, они все потертые и поцарапанные. Кроссовки просто перетрет. и я еще не говорю дождь, про мокрую траву, про броды. Иногда вообще только резиновые сапоги
I agree with "higler" about the extra pair of dry socks vs. heavy boots, but my knees at age 78 will not tolerate, or even permit, most of the exercises the presenter gives us, particularly the "pistol squat." I walk 3k every day it's above zero wind chill in Minnesota (about 350/year), and when I lived on the Colorado Front Range, hiked 100 miles (total) every summer in high country. I've hiked in both "mid" and "low" hiking shoes, and generally prefer "mid." Trail shoes/boots are my all-day, every-day footwear. I don't know if my ankles really NEED the extra support, but psychologically, I like having it. In any case, no ankle issues or injuries in a couple decades of hiking. I always have at least one hiking stick or pole, which helps, and age means I'm no longer in a hurry to get to a particular destination. Taking your time and exercising a bit of care helps, also.
Sounds like you have years of good conditioning on your legs which you'll be able to continue on hiking for many years to come. My goal is to be like you when I hit that age.
This is an excellent video thanks for making it.
Cheers
Coming from someone who wears trail runners 80% of the time you are missing the the real reasons why you wear mountaineering boots or a stiff hiking boot. First, you can edge and kick steps in conditions you wouldn't be able to in tail runners (including with micro-spikes/crampons on). Second, a flexible shoe will also not allow you to climb technical rock whereas you can climb any fourth class and even up to about 5.9 climbing routes in a stiff mountain boot as it will allow you to edge well. You will get turned around on tricky ground in trail runners and think it's too hard where if you were wearing mountain boots you would be chillin. All the "cruxes" get easier.
You are correct with those benefits but kicking in boot holes and steep wall climbing is beyond the scope of hiking and backpacking, that's mountaineering. That is also a world where going fast and light doesnt apply. No mountaineer ever has had a light pack haha
@@IdRatherBeHiking The principle is the same in mixed ice/snow and slightly exposed no fall zone type sections like in many of your videos. With better footwear these sections become much easier and you don't have to do as much routing finding. Ends up being faster overall. And yes we often wear no pack or a day pack with just some food/water.
@@DantonWest I'd say I only barely dip my toes into mountaineering. I do know some people who love having the hard boots, especially for steep climbs, me personally I like to feel the ground under my toes. On downhills, I tend to jog or run which I never show on camera which is painful in my boots. It all comes down to personal preference and what terrain is on the menu for the day. I did a steep winter ascent a few days ago and took my boots as I knew we'd be kicking in a lot of steps all day and most of it was in snow. In general trail runners aren't going to keep feet warm on mountaineering objectives, only Kilian Jornet's double summit of Everest in Salomons is the only time I've seen someone use trail runners on something like that and I'm pretty sure they insulated those shoes as they were custom made for that summit of Everest.
Hi from Port Alberni! The second half of this video is the *best* review of ankle and knee strengthening exercises for hiking that I've ever come across ✅ I currently wear "heavy" hiking boots like the Scarpas in the video; I have been humming and hawing about getting Vivo Barefoot shoes for a while, and now your video has convinced to buy a pair and try that style of shoe for myself on some of my upcoming pre-snowy-season hikes 🥾! One suggestion: check out the Original Strength movement system (lots of TH-cam videos about it) which helps condition the rest of the body for functional strength and mobility which translates nicely to hiking and scrambling.
just be very careful transitioning to barefoot shoes, the zero drop can be an alarming change for people. I'm looking to do the same myself but due to financial devastation in my life (my livelihood, my other channel with quarter million subs being deleted) I've put that on the back burner for now. At some point im do more in depth knee and ankle videos, that was just a toe in the water intro but I'm glad it was helpful.
Aw man, so sorry to hear that 😢 The content you produce on this channel is great, TH-cam ought to have your back you as a content provider. I hope you bounce back soon, and that I'll meet you on a trail one day, maybe I'll be the guy hobbling along on new trendy barefoot shoes 😜
@@goradian2542haha, you can add me on facebook, I'm admin of I'd rather be hiking group on fb, get out for a hike sometime.
Great video. Could you please recommend a trail runner for a trek I am planning to do in Nepal (Langtang Valley) in October? I've been battling Achilles tendonitis, so a zero-drop shoe is probably a bad idea. There is some snow on a couple day hikes to peaks, but for the most part the trail is dry and well-maintained.
Is there probably an extended video on relevant exercises / stretches for trail running shoes?
(Maybe I've missed one in tour channel).
Being a novice in hiking, want to switch from high boots to trail runners, but due to history of ankle sprains would prefer to prepare by training first.
Thank you!
Naa I haven't done one yet but i"ll put it on the list
I just read a study published by the NIH called, "The effect of high-top and low-top shoes on ankle inversion kinematics and muscle activation in landing on a tilted surface." The report seems to support what you said about strengthening muscles and ligaments. My take away (better to read it for oneself) high tops delay the muscles normal tensing in preparation for taking on the load of landing.
High tops espeically tightened down reduce mobility which weakens those muscles. Best to make you feet and ankles ironclad then you don't need to worry about it. I'll be doing more videos on this topic soon as it seems to be one most don't know about.
Hey bud, have you ever tried Altra and Hoka trail runners?
I'm currently using Innov8 and Hoka One One I think they are called.
You left out hiking sandals. Lunas, Cairns. Better tread than trail runners, more breathable, more groundfeel, better balance.
That's getting closer into the barefoot territory with its own benefits for sure.
I'm going to do a hard disagree on this one. People have a preference and it's silly to convince them otherwise. Ankle injuries are a real thing and can haunt people for their entire lives. I had severe ankle injuries from skateboarding in my youth and my ankles just don't have the elasticity they once had. I do see a few hiking channels trying to convince people to use trail runners also. I don't understand why they care what people wear unless they are inexperienced and don't know better.
I'd agree with that, if you or anyone has mobility limitations from broken bones then you are operating out of the norm and just need to find what works for you. That could be a heavy emphasis on knee strengthening to make up for that loss of mobility with a tight boot. The average person though has weak ankles and reduced mobility from sitting all day and wearing shoes with a heel lift which can be solved with some training.
9:24 Where is that at and have you made a video?
Ya that video is here: th-cam.com/video/SWms-Z5d7LI/w-d-xo.html
Merrell trailrunners are so underrated. Love the Agility Peak 4.
Oh, and I wear trailrunners year round in Colorado and I'm def not the only one. An extra pair of dry socks is still lighter than any boot haha
Awesome, ya boots come out rarely. I was slogging through snow all day yesterday so I wore my boots but as soon as it firms up or melts the trail runners come out.
Vey useful, thank you.
cheers, glad it helped Darius
It's a personal choice but trail runners/shoes offer zero ankle support. Yes, those are the same model of Scarpas in my pic.
Haha that's epic, do you know what kind of scarpas they are?
Ouch my Scarpa's are just over 1100 grams!
Very good video ❤️❤️❤️
Pretty narrow view to say the only reason you need ankle support is after spraining your ankle mid-hike. As a person who has had a traumatic ankle break with sub-par surgical reconstruction, I absolutely do need ankle support and all the exercises in the world won’t make me not need a boot with support in order to hike.