Any recommendations for trail hiking shoes suitable for mudd/water?

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willintheweeds

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Aug 1, 2016
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Since I've retired last November I am spending more time day hiking on and off trails, my old leather hiking boots give great support that I really don't need, are heavy and when wet and muddy hard to clean and take 2-3 days to dry out after cleaning.

Anyone have any experience with trail shoes that can stand getting wet and drying out a lot, shoes I could just hose the mud off of? Maybe that could stay wet all day when canoeing and dry out over night? Thanks in advance for any input, Will
 
Thanks for the info, I'll check out both Keen and the Arcteryx, I don't mind spending money on a pair if their durable.
 
I've been wearing Merrell waterproof hiking boots for a number of years with good results, very comfortable footwear.
 
Ive switched to trail runners. Lite and comfortable while still giving good traction and they dry out pretty fast.
 
Trail Running Shoes are what you're after. I have a couple dozen pair, and would never consider boots for hiking in the mountains unless I was bushwhacking or on an alpine excursion.

Good trail running (hiking) shoes have extreme grips for the terrain. These grippy treads wear out quickly on surfaces like pavement and concrete because that's not what they're meant for. Many prefer a drop of 0 to 2 or 4mm when it comes to hiking shoes; with my irregular feet, I go fo whatever happens to be comfortable. I also prefer a shoe with somewhat of a toe shield or rock guard or I'd have endless ouchies. I like hiking in my Saucony Xodus 6.0 and La Sportiva Ultra Raptor due to their extreme treads and toe protection.

From the sound of it you don't want GTX - that is for shelling the elements out. If your hiking is such that mud, water n slush are inside your boots, then you want a breathable fabric (like nylon) upper that will dry out by the fire overnight.

Good luck findin the right kicks.
 
I swear by my New Balance 978's with Gortex. They have great support and they're grippy on wet rocks and trails. Your feet will absolutely stay dry.
 
Salomon make some great hiking boots, recommended by many hikers per my father-in-law. My father-in-law does a lot of 2-3 week solo hikes and it's been his favorite and lasted him the longest. I bought some based on his recommendation after he shared his experiences with his from a few year's use. Usually he gets about a season or two from a pair of hiking boots.

I have the X ultra trek GTX boots which are a lighter weight boot but still have a lot of ankle support. They've been incredibly comfortable and have served me well on several winter hikes and tromps through the woods and frozen bogs. If you're not carrying much weight then the lower top options would be better suited. I paid $150 from an online outdoor retailer that also has a local store or two in my area. They've held out mud and water up to the ankle repeatedly and I haven't treated them with any DWR spray to this point.
 
I've been beating on a pair of Montrail Torre GTX boots for over 14 years of seasonal work and hiking. They are still as waterproof as they were from day one, and they are extremely comfortable and rugged. They are the only pair I can recommend, because they have stood up so well that I have not needed another pair. In fact I wore them today (I keep hem in my truck) for a short muddy hike.
 
I like these

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Salomon Forces XA Pro 3D Mid GTX
 
I have terrible flat feet and overpronation. My Solomon quest 4D and X Ultra Mids have been awesome. The non-GTX boots are super light and cool and dry very fast.

Late 2016 I developed Achilles tendinitis. I had already planned a fall 2017 Colorado hunting/fishing trip with my buddies, so I picked up a pair of Salomon X Ultra GTX lows and wore them with gaiters. No issues with my Achilles and I hiked all over the mountains of southern CO with a 50-70lb pack over the course of 7 days in the field.

In short, I love all my salomons!
 
You all that say Salomon are so great, have you tried Merrill and like them better or just bought the Solomon's without trying Merrills or Keens?
 
I have not tried keens, my father-in-law talked me out of them as their water-proofing were sub-par on the few he tried. I want to say he tried Merrells also and those are some he wore out really quickly. No idea on the models. I do know he has the nicest set of salomon available, the 4D something-something. Keens were the ones I was looking to get as I was familiar with the brand for running but the water-proofing experience he had turned me away pretty quick.
 
Kootaga13 said:
You all that say Salomon are so great, have you tried Merrill and like them better or just bought the Solomon's without trying Merrills or Keens?
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I have Keen and Merrill shoes and boots and the Salomon are head and shoulders above them. The Keen stuff is a kind of weird niche and the Merrill are a lower quality shoe meant to fill a shelf in a mega-mall athletic shop.

The Keen boots I wear in the winter around the yard but they don't have the support for actual hiking past a gravel path. The Merrill get used for mowing the lawn because they can get covered in grass clippings and left on the deck for a week and I don't feel bad about it.
 
Kootaga13 said:
You all that say Salomon are so great, have you tried Merrill and like them better or just bought the Solomon's without trying Merrills or Keens?
Click to expand...

Never tried either. Did research and talked to some guys who had them and went with Salomon.
 
Danke42 said:
I have Keen and Merrill shoes and boots and the Salomon are head and shoulders above them. The Keen stuff is a kind of weird niche and the Merrill are a lower quality shoe meant to fill a shelf in a mega-mall athletic shop.

The Keen boots I wear in the winter around the yard but they don't have the support for actual hiking past a gravel path. The Merrill get used for mowing the lawn because they can get covered in grass clippings and left on the deck for a week and I don't feel bad about it.
Click to expand...

Thanks to BOTH of you. I only have Merrills but I don't do any big hiking....yet. Just urban travel. So this tells me alot.
 
willintheweeds said:
Thanks in advance for any input, Will
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Will,

Could you please explain a bit further which are the scenarios you are looking to get footwear for? I don't think a single pair of shoes is going to cut it for every circumstance.

For instance, for canoeing you are going to be wet no matter what, ankle support is not needed and you will not be hiking miles. Mesh running shoes or water sports specific will do the trick. Regarding overnight drying... is not going to happen unless very windy or in very warm climates. Forget about waterproof membranes because you are going to flood your shoes from the top anyway.

For any other situation where you will be wearing a backpack and/or hiking for hours, ankle support is wellcome and you will be better of staying dry (to prevent cold feet, soft sking and blisters). I would go with boots in this situation, but forget about leather. There are plenty of full syntethic boots out there which are lighter and dry faster than leather.

Trail running is very specific and calls for running shoes.

Sometimes I do wear trail runing shoes with a big backpack when approaching for climbs... but just because i need to carry those shoes in my backpack when climbing (after switching to climbing shoes)... but it takes a toll on the ankles on rough terrain. It's all about compromises.

Mikel
 
Could you please explain a bit further which are the scenarios you are looking to get footwear for? I don't think a single pair of shoes is going to cut it for every circumstance.

Just dayhikes, carrying a small pack with 2-3 bottles of water, a sandwich and some odds and ends, max. of 6 hours duration, this is not for an overnite or thru hike of anysort - I'd like durable, comfortable shoes that can stand up to repeated soakings and drying, something I can just hose off when muddy, drys quick, and doesn't come apart after repeated wet/dry cycles. I'll mosty likely end up with a pair of mesh canoe shoes and some sort of trail shoes, but there are some reviews out there for folks using trail shoes for canoeing and then portages, and I think the Chaco Outcross 2 and Keen Aphlex might have been two that received favorable reviews for that sort of double duty. I also found an article from 2016 that found the best value shoe for thru hiking the often wet Florida trail was the New Balance AT481, drying quick and performing as well as higher priced shoes.

I joined REI and plan on visiting a local store this week, I really want to try on the shoes before buying. I do appreciate all the recommendations.
 
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