Hiking shoes

Andrewf20

Hi folks,

Im hiking to the summit of Kilimanjaro later this year. Any recommendations for hiking shoes + where to get them in Leinster if possible. Im looking for something light, so Ill try to avoid hiking boots.

I hear Ecco are quite good.

All help appreciated.:)

Prenderb

You might need something a little more serious than Ecco....no disrespect to Ecco but you'll want boots made for the mountains.

As you say Leinster, the obvious first call will be to the Great Outdoors in Dublin, they'll give you the time and advice you need for the gear.

Have you started hiking yet? :eek:

dogmatix

Kili is a serious hike so get the best possible boots you can - and make sure there boots and not shoes and fully waterproof. As Prenderb says, Great Outdoors in Chatham street is your best bet and tell them what and where the boots are for.

Oh and another vital thing - make sure the boots are well and truly "broken in" before you go!

Andrewf20

Cheers guys. A guy I know did a 7 hike in the mountains in Morocco with his Dad a few years back. They were the only folks on the tour who wore Ecco boots, and the only ones not to get blisters.

Evil Phil

Andrewf20 wrote: »

Cheers guys. A guy I know did a 7 hike in the mountains in Morocco with his Dad a few years back. They were the only folks on the tour who wore Ecco boots, and the only ones not to get blisters.

Which means they're the only ones who had boots that fitted them properly. It also doesn't mean they were going for summits.

Go with ecco if you want to but I woulnd't venture out on a serious hike like that without a pair of proper 3 season hiking boots, if not 4 season. Get your boots fitted in Great Outdoors and tell them what you want them for - you won't regret it.

Do you know what the temperature ranges are on Kilimanjaro?

dogmatix

Evil Phil wrote: »

Do you know what the temperature ranges are on Kilimanjaro?

Big temp range i'd say - from the hot plains to the frozen top. Kili has a permanent snow cap even though it is at the equater. Or did before global warming started to drastically shrink it. And it's an old volcano so the underfoot will be very rugged - volcanic ash and scree is certain to remove any shine off a boot. I know this because i've gone trekking on Etna, Vulcano, Stromboli, Azores etc - it's like taking a brillo pad to your new boots shiny new leather coating. It wont affect the boot - its just that they will look about 3 years old even if they are only a few weeks old.

Andrewf20

The guys I know who went to Morocco with the Ecco shoes hiked to 11,000 feet up.

Temperature range is from around 30oC to - 15oC. What a bummer.:( Ill defo take the advice to visit the great outdoors shop and get them fitted. The Sherpas will carry most of our load, so I probably wont have a huge amount on my back. I wonder of an old pair of runners would do for comfort at the lower levels. Id say boots that are designed for rain and cold might be too hot in the lower regions of the mountain.

chae1809

Hey friend,

Yes, hiking shoes are the best option when you want to comfort and light weighted shoes. I also went for trekking with a friend and my shoes punctured there and then one of my friends gave me hiking shoes, he has an extra pair of shoes. And I wore them for 3 days and I felt very much comfortable in those hiking shoes. I think you should go for hiking shoes, they are the best, comfortable and lightweight.
Thanks!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

IF you are serious about getting good footwear for a hike of that magnitude, I would suggest going with a boot and not a shoe. Boots are more stable, have ankle support and are generally more durable than shoes. If weight is your main priority (and I don't think weight should be a major consideration for footwear these days), then you can find some very light weight boots too. There's 300g in the difference between my Berghaus boots and Lowa shoes. If you can notice that difference you may need to do a lot more training

I cannot comment on Ecco as I have never worn them. There's no point in anybody here saying X is the best boot if it doesn't fit you well. I have my favorites because they work for me.

The best advice I can give you is to go and try on as many pairs as you can, and don't settle for "ok", make sure they are perfect on your feet. I tend to go with Berghaus, Meindl and Lowa as they are wider fitting. Saloman are another fantastic boot, but I find them to be a little narrow for me unfortunately. Break them in at home, then outside before going on a decent hike. No matter how great the boot is, you will need to break them in.

Below are the weights of the footwear I have.

Berghaus Explorer Ridge - 1.36Kg (Boot)
Meindl Meran - 1.48Kg (Boot)
Lowa Sirkos GTX - 1.05Kg (Shoe)

As for blisters, it could have been anything. It has nothing to do with wearing a boot or shoe. It could be the fit, the socks, are they right for the weather, are they wet, the age of the boot (are they broken in), how it was laced and tied, is there any dirt in the boot? I think these are the main culprits for blisters. Anyway, even seasoned walkers in top of the range boots can get blisters from time to time, just take some blister plasters with you

Jewelers

thread is from 2008

py2006

Jewelers wrote: »

thread is from 2008

And yet people still walk!!

Good advice here. Im in the market for hiking boots and decent walking shoes for hot climates.