[at-l] I'm a trail shoe failure

[askowronek@mindspring.com (Amy)]

Jim and/or Ginny Owen wrote:


> REI Spirit's ate my feet on the CDT - the first pair lasted 300 miles, 
> caused multiple constant blisters and ate 8 of the 10 toenails I started 
> with.  They expanded INSIDE when they got wet.  And it was wet all the 
> time - rain, snow, snail, stream fords, bogs .......
> 
> I got the second pair in Colorado where it was relatively dry - back to 
> the blisters after 1000 blister-free miles in Vasques Sundowners 
> (although the lining in the Sundowners was shot after the first 300 miles).
> 
> Found a pair of Lowas (non-Goretex) in Steamboat Springs - kept them 
> until Cuba, NM (800 miles?), changed to a second pair of Lowas which 
> finished the CDT and part of the PCT (1000 miles?).  Still have one pair 
> but don't know whch one - I use them for trail work.  Bought another 
> pair of Lowas a couple months ago.  Ginny also bought a pair - she was a 
> long-time (12-years?) user of Sundowners but they changed the last too.
> 
> You might try Lowas - you can only get the higher priced Goretex version 
> at REI,
> but they're the only boots I've managed to get more than 1000 miles out 
> of without resoling.  Yeah - I walk "funny", but I get where I'm going.


I'll try them out, Jim, but given that Spirits ate your feet whereas
they made my feet very happy, I suspect whatever boots you really
like will kill me.  :)

-amy