Hiking Boots:

If you’re planning on getting into hiking as a regular activity, I highly recommend starting with buying a dependable pair of hiking boots. For your foot, you want to have a shoe or boot that is comfortable, light weight, and dependable in the toughest of conditions. When on the trail you’re going to run into dirt, water, and all sorts of decaying vegetation and debris that are going to make your casual shoes very dirty. Depending on the hiking that you’re going to be doing, the type of boot choice can vary. Socks are essential too, sport socks work for some, but I prefer a nice wool sock that breathe really well which means they dry off while I’m still hiking and don’t hold in the sweat too much.

There are a few questions you have to ask yourself:

1. What type of hiking am I going to be doing?
2. How strong are my ankles?
3. How long am I going to be hiking for?

If you’re planning on doing hiking up hilly dirt trails, over roots, and through mud, you will want to get yourself a proper hiking boot with a nice tread that will pull you nicely through all the gnarly stuff terrain. So this means the Ugg boots or cowboy boots should stay at home. If you’re planning on hiking a flat walkway, a light runner will be a good choice. A quality hiking boots, such as a Merrell hiking boot, provides you with a Vibram® sole, which provides a strong layer of protection from rough surfaces like rocks or roots, so that your foot feels like it’s on a flat, smooth surface, rather than bending and twisting to the un-level ground.

You also want to take into account how weak your ankles are. Have you had previous ankle injuries? Are you used to rough terrain? If you are worried about your ankles, a safe bet is to get a nice supportive boot that goes up over your ankle. If you’re planning on doing hikes that will last a few days where you’ll be carrying a big heavy pack you will want a more intense hiking boot with a strong sole and full ankle support. The extra weight on your back transfers to extra weight on your feet and causes extra stress on your feet and knees. Having the extra support there with a strong and sturdy boot really does make a difference. However, if you’re planning on short hikes of a few hours and no heavy pack, I personally prefer to wear lightweight hiking boots that still provide the ruggedness of a hiking shoe, but also allow me to jump around the trail without feeling like I’m walking with cement tied to my ankles.

Technology for hiking boots has progressed to a point where you can get a waterproof gortex shell, steel reinforced sole, with a thick tread and still have a light shoe. I consider the foot to be the most important concern a hiker should have when deciding to start hiking. If your foot is sore, sprained, or hurt it ruins the day of hiking and isn’t fun. If you’re planning to start hiking seriously, start with a good pair of hiking boots.