footwear.

Footwear.

Above all else, footwear is probably the most important and most overlooked piece of gear for any adventurists. When it comes to boots, the main differentiating factor is the type of activity you will be doing and the support that you will need for it.

For hiking, footwear with good grip is imperative. This mostly comes in the form of hiking boots but there are also other options. Ankle boots sometimes known as trail runners with low tops will suit just fine for many novice hiking trails or well-maintained pathways. These boots have much better grip over standard street shoes but are comfortable enough for infrequent hikers looking for something more suited to terrain without the tradeoff of comfort. The next level up is low top hiking boots, these are the norm for good weather walking with good breathability and comfort whilst still having good enough ankle support to avoid injury on uneven and mountainous terrain. The next level up is where you find the traditional idea of hiking boots, High top sturdy framed boots with an even split in focus between comfort and protection. These boots are catered to rough hiking into unfamiliar terrain. There are also significantly heavier and bulkier that other types of hiking boots and are more likely to stop you from rolling or tweaking your ankle than the other kinds of boots. This is critical in situations in which you may not be near to help and may need to walk out in the event of an emergency.

There isn’t a lack of shoe choices in the outdoor space and selecting the correct one for the activity, climate and even relative difficulty of the day is important to the overall success of the trip. Not only in the style and activity of the shoe, but you can also additionally customize the experience with different features.

Support and breathability are common features of walking-based sports and as previously mentioned, sometimes it can be beneficial to have less support for increased comfort and better breathability. Even in terms of durability, less can be more. For example, some climbing shoes are designed for softer rubber which wears significantly quicker than other shoes, but during its time of use, is much grippier than other styles of rubber.

For all adventure sports, your footwear should have a relatively performance based fit. This is so that the qualities of the footwear like traction and support work as intended. Loose footwear while potentially more comfortable, increased the risk of injury. Thus, there is more to consider for fitting shoes over your normal street sizing. Variables such as the specific materials and inner insulation method and how it effects how the shoe expands thought the day, effecting its overall fit at different points in the day. In some activities like climbing this could be seen as an advantage as it makes the shoe more comfortable for extended use but in hiking, it could be viewed as a hazardous disadvantage as it could potentially increase the risk of ankle injury nearing the end of trips when fatigue and discomfort affect focus levels. Most lacing will allow you to adjust the sizing in the micro sense but are not as extreme as the methods seen on ski boots for example.