Trail Runners or Light Hikers?

[Bozone]

Who out there uses trail running shoes for early season hunts? Types? Gore Tex or not?

 

[BMB]

Who out there uses trail running shoes for early season hunts? Types? Gore Tex or not?

it would depend on the amount of weight i'm carrying and if i'm far from the truck to carry an animal out. trail shoes aren't made to bear 80-100lbs of gear and deer. i wouldn't go goretex, personally, it really makes my feet sweat.

 

[Lawnboi]

Lowa zephyrs are my favorite shoes to stalk in, you can really feel the ground with those things and they have a super quiet sole.

That being said, i usually am wearing my stiff mountaineering boots, my body dosnt work good with weight on my back, and low support.

The zephyrs do give some good support though for thier weight and size, and they are very very light. I am acutally thinking of bringing them along for warm weather hunts on the prarie. Then once i set up, ill just ditch the boots and go with the zephyrs for thier stalking ability, and all around comfort.

 

[luke moffat]

Solomon 3d XA pros all summer scouting. Hope to use Hanwag mnt liters early season hunts this year but we,ll see

 

[rebecca francis]

In August I wear my very light weight hikers with no gortex. By mid september I am in my kenetreks.

 

[Evan Williams]

I am a light hiker guy WITH Gore-tex. They have just a little more support than a trail runner. If I were going to run with a trail runner I would lean towards the Solomons. If Randy Ulmer uses them I can follow in those foot steps.

 

[phil]

I have been using the Inov8's. No complaints yet. phil

 

[Backpack Hunter]

If I don't have the Five Fingers on its pretty much guaranteed I am using some hiking shoe or another. I have used everything from Asolo, Lowa, Zephyr, Merrell, Timberland, Keen, The North Face, Salomon, Vasque, and probably a few others that I can't think of right now.
The important thing is getting the right fit, from there everything else is cake.

 

[BackcountryBull]

I love the lightweight feel of Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra, the mid height version. I feel I can grab the terrain better and hunt harder. All summer long I hike in a heavier "boot" and come hunting season I am really fast on my feet when I switch back to my Salomons.

 

[rpoutside]

Being a fishing guide, I abuse my feet all summer. I mainly wear sandals all day, every day and my feet are always wet and beat up. When it September comes, I have a hard time getting heavier boots to agree with my feet.

In 2011, I started using light hikers - Treksta Evolution Mid GTX http://www.trekstausa.com/p-31-treksta-mens-evolution-mid-gtx.aspx These things are great. No break in period, lightweight, comfortable and able to handle a pack up to 50lbs. Unfortunately, I did not have to carry a animal out with them, so I cannot give an honest opinion on heavier weights.

I will be using these boots in future as the make me feel lighter and faster, plus my feet are much happier.

 

[luke moffat]

I love the lightweight feel of Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra, the mid height version. I feel I can grab the terrain better and hunt harder. All summer long I hike in a heavier "boot" and come hunting season I am really fast on my feet when I switch back to my Salomons.

I am the exact opposite I scout/hike all summer in my Salomons and then switch to real boots for hunting as I want he extra support of full shank boots in the mountains once I start hauling animals off the hill.

 

[RosinBag]

The Salomons 3d XA Pros are perfect if you are not packing any heavy weight. Light, comfortable, Gore Tex, but if more than about 40 to 50 pounds on your back and you are off trail, I would go with a regular boot. I used the Salomons all of last year and had about 100 pounds in Kifaru for five miles. I stayed on a trail coming out of some wilderness so they were fine, but off trail I would have been much more cautious.

 

[BackcountryBull]

I guess I should have noted that my hiking in the summer is for work in the backcountry. As we go out for 8 days at a time and we backpack 40-50 miles with all our gear on our back. So by the time fall hits, my feet and ankles are strengthened to handle the weight with Salomons.

 

[bearguide]

sounds like the soloman's are worth a try

 

[luke moffat]

After 2 hard seasons and over 500 miles of just backcountry hiking alone not counting the everday use, the soles on my Solomons are giving up the ghost. But they fit my feet so well I am going for a slightly lighter shoe, but it is slightly stiffer with a bit more agressive tread this go round, but still keeping it in the Solomon family as I know they fit my feet well and I really dig the lacing system.

http://www.backcountry.com/salomon-...EB8&mr:referralID=NA&origin=pla&mr:adType=pla

 

[Mike P]

I typically use my New Balance Trail runners for the summer and then switch to my North Face Rundle Peak light hikers for sept/oct then switch to my Danner Canadians for the lates season stuff.

Personally i will not use boots with Goretex in them or any other type of "waterproof" membrane...I have found for me that all the waterproof membrane does is keep my boots wet for days on end once they get wet...and they almost always do get wet at some point. At least if they are just straight leather they will dry out over night. My thought on it anyway

 

[SOIL hunter]

I am a light hiker guy WITH Gore-tex. They have just a little more support than a trail runner. If I were going to run with a trail runner I would lean towards the Solomons. If Randy Ulmer uses them I can follow in those foot steps.

I would like to point out that Randy Ulmer wears trail runners when he's doing day hunts from the truck. He is only packing his bow and what supplies fit in his cargo pants. Footwear needs to match the demand.

 

[robby denning]

SOIL
yes, I've noticed in his pics that he's usually wearing very lightweight shoes.

If I'm hunting somewhere near the truck, I love to archery hunt in the lightest weight shoe, even moccasin, that I can. It does make a difference once in close. It's just hard to bring them on a backcountry hunt.

 

[Salmo-Priest]

I guess I should have noted that my hiking in the summer is for work in the backcountry. As we go out for 8 days at a time and we backpack 40-50 miles with all our gear on our back. So by the time fall hits, my feet and ankles are strengthened to handle the weight with Salomons.

Great post! Getting your feet and ankles/calves/knees make all the difference in the world. IME

 

[justinspicher]

I tend to use trail shoes for short hunts, like after work in the local woods that are relatively flat. For the longer hunts and if I am carrying anything over about 40#, I will switch to my Asolos. Unless of course it is the late season, November to March, in which it is usually raining daily here in Washington, then the boots are utilized for everything except daily wear.