Question:

Going on a Hike up Mt. Mitchell next month in N.C. Pretty warm that time of year and just curious how you feel about hiking shoes vs. boots. This trail is steep, 11.4 miles and up to just shy of 3700′ of Elev gain. I’ve hiked it before but it was cold and wet.

I have Vasque hiking boots and wondering if a hike in the summer is better w/a trail shoe, like the Salomon XT Wings.

Hello Lee,

Thanks so much for your question, glad to hear you are going to be able to enjoy the wonderful hike that Mt. Mitchell has to offer. We had an opportunity just last year to hike to the top of Mt. Mitchell ourselves. Hopefully the observation tower on the summit will be reopened for you, it was unfortunately under construction when we reached the summit. To answer your question concerning boots versus shoes we must first say that we truly believe that Happy Feet directly leads to Happy Hiking and what makes our feet happy might not necessairly be what makes your feet happy. A lot of factors go into making the correct footwear choices and we always suggest that you find a sock and shoe combination that work well together because simply changing your socks can have an enormous impact on the comfort and fit of your shoes and boots. Our advice as to whether a shoe or a boot will work best for you comes down to the amount of support your hiking will require of you. Support in your shoe will come from the thickness of the sole, the flex of the midsole and the cut and the material of the upper. That being said, it’s important to consider the amount of weight you will be carrying and the trail conditions you may encounter and allow those factors to guide your decision as to whether or not your ankles will benefit from the additional support of the high cut upper in your boot. We have covered many trail miles in both boots and trail shoes and have come to prefer carrying a lighter overall pack weight and therefore have found trail shoes like the Montrail Hard Rock we are both currently hiking in to be our personal preference. Hopefully this information will be useful to you, just remember there’s not one right answer, find a system that makes your feet happy and stick with it. Happy Trails!

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