[at-l] I appreciate any and all advice....:)

[charles@uswnet.com (Charles Copeland)]

I bought my first pair of hiking boots a couple of years ago.  I had always
hiked in tennis shoes or running shoes.  I switched to boots because of the
thicker soles and used them for a few months.  Sloetoe told me about his
trail running shoes so I bought a pair of NB 803s.  They are great.  They
are comfortable and the bottom of my feet aren't sore from the rocks.

Now I alternate between boots and trail shoes.  Maybe someday I'll stick to
one or the other.  I like the high tops on the boots (and the boots are
warmer) and I like the light weight and quick drying of the trail running
shoes.

Charles


> From: "Linda Benschop" <lvb@mindspring.com>
> Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 06:31:05 -0400
> To: "Carol Benel" <artduck@yahoo.com>, <KarenS62@aol.com>,
> <LaRue816@excite.com>
> Cc: <at-l@backcountry.net>
> Subject: Re: [at-l] I appreciate any and all advice....:)
> 
> You are right about not skimping on the footwear.  But I have found that
> sometimes the best things are not the most expensive.  I have worn $300
> boots and a couple of other $200 plus ones and was never really comfortable.
> They were okay, but not REALLY comfortable, especially after a few hours on
> rough terraine.  Recently, I paid $62 for a pair of New Balance 804's at
> Galyan's and they are better than any boots I ever had. (They also come in
> several different widths and I needed the wide ones.)  I feel like I can
> almost run down the trail with them!  After a history black toenails, lost
> toenails and blisters, I can honestly say that I wouldn't trade these in for
> anything!  I am definitely planning on weraing them on my 2003 thru hike  I
> have found that they are mush better when you use a skater's lace.  With
> that my toes never even slide down going downhill.
> 
> At Traildays, I met a couple who were hiking together.  They were already in
> Damascus and I happened to be near by when they took off the 804's they had
> worn from the start.  We chatted for a while and I was amazed to see and
> hear that they had not had a single blister since the start of their hike.
> Their feet didn't even look like hiker's feet.  I was sold!
> 
> Hummingbird
> 
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