Last updated on April 13th, 2021 at 10:35 pm
Hikers looking for the best footwear often find themselves comparing trail running shoes to hiking boots. This might seem counter-intuitive to find the best hiking footwear, but trail running shoes can actually do a great job on many types of trails. We know… it can be confusing. In this post, we tackle the hiking boots vs trail running shoes dilemma to ensure you find footwear ideal for YOUR type of hiking.
Hiking boots and trail running shoes can both be used successfully on hikes. Terrain, distance, and speed of your hike should all be factors when deciding on footwear. Hiking boots are heavier but provide more durability and foot protection, while trail running shoes provide less foot protection but are lightweight and comfortable.
Both Work for Different Hikes
There is a time and place for both types of footwear. We cover this in more detail further in this post, but the duration of your hike and the terrain of your hike should be considered.
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These two factors go a long way in helping you determine whether you should hike in boots or trail running shoes.
Main Differences Between Boots and Trail Runners
As you might imagine there are many differences between hiking boots and trail running shoes. Some of them are obvious (like their weight), and others not so obvious (like durability). Below we go through the main differences between the two types of footwear.
Weight of Footwear
Boots are going to be heavier than almost all trail running shoes. This has to do with the material used, but also the general design of hiking boots.
Expect each of your hiking boots to be between 1 and 2 lb, easily.
Trail running shoes aren’t necessarily light when compared with road running shoes, but they are usually when compared to hiking boots.
Expect each of your trail running shoes to weigh between 9 oz and 19 oz.
While you might occasionally find a pair of trail runners that are over 1 lb per shoe, it will be difficult to find a pair that are heavier than even the lightest hiking boots.
If you don’t want your footwear to be heavy, lightweight hiking shoes or trail running shoes might be better for your needs.
Durability of Footwear
With weight often comes durability. For anyone looking to hike through extremely difficult terrain (that changes consistently) hiking boots might be the best footwear.
Hiking Boots have the following durability features:
- Thicker upper material: Hiking boot, whether leather or synthetic, protects the forefoot from injury.
- Thicker sole and cushion: A thicker, often harder, cushioning is usually located on the bottom of hiking boots.
- Mid-Ankle Protection: Most hiking boots provide added ankle protection, but extending up the ankle 3″ or 6″. This reduces the risk of rolling your ankle.
- Toe protection: Most all hiking boots have a synthetic material over their toes to protect from stubbing them on rocks, rocks, and more.
While boots are more durable than trail running shoes, it should be noted that trail running shoes often come with a surprising amount of protection.
Trail running shoes have the following durability features:
- Toe Guard: Just like hiking boots, almost all decent trail running shoes have a synthetic material that covers the toes to protect against stubbing.
- Thick cushioning: While the cushioning is usually softer than hiking boots, trail running shoes often have super thick cushions as their soles. This increases distance between your foot and danger.
- Rock plate: It is not uncommon for some trail running shoes to have a solid plate as added protection in the sole – this prevents puncturing through the cushioning.
Break-in Period
In my experience, it takes a bit more time to break in hiking boots, than it does to break in trail running shoes.
This is to be expected, since hiking boots are comprised of more material and are more rigid. That rigidness isn’t bad though… it is what helps protect your foot.
If you are buying footwear last minute and need to get something you can wear right out of the box, I have found the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor to fit VERY comfortably with a minimal (if any) break in period.
Don’t let the break-in period of a hiking boot prevent you from getting a pair though. Again, having solid footwear is super important for certain types of hiking. Just keep in mind that you won’t likely be able to use hiking boots right out of the box.
How Fast You Can Go
If speed hiking is your thing, or you want to move fast comfortably, trail running shoes are a better choice. After all… they are primarily made for running.
The Type of Terrain You Will Be Hiking Matters
The places you hike should impact the type of footwear you wear. If you’re doing true mountaineering, where you plan to take on more extreme mountainous terrains, you are going to want specific mountaineering boots. The stakes are too high in those scenarios to even consider trail running shoes or even entry-level hiking boots.
For extremely soggy, and wet conditions, a more durable (and possibly waterproof) hiking boot might make the most sense. With an ankle cuff that can help prevent water from entering the footwear, a hiking boot might be ideal in these scenarios.
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For most other terrains though, you can likely get away with wearing either type of footwear. It will come to personal preference. Many trail running shoes are designed to grip rock, even when smooth and flat, and many are also waterproof.
If you think your foot will be amply protected in the trail running shoe, and you don’t expect to mushy wet trails, the trail running shoe will likely be a more agile (and comfortable) option.
Your Intended Speed and Distance are Important
Since most hiking boots are much heavier than trail running shoes they will certainly impact how fast you move.
If you are more concerned with foot protection than speed, this shouldn’t be a problem. But if you are hiking with others and concerned you’ll slow everyone else down, you might want to consider trail running shoes.
While slightly heavier footwear won’t likely slow you down too much on a short hike, you will be able to notice the pace change on longer hikes of five or more miles.
The speed you move is tied to how comfortable and heavy your footwear is, no matter how strong of a hiker you are.
There’s a Time and a Place for Both Types of Footwear
If your budget allows it is ideal to have both types of footwear available to select for any given hike.
Not all trails are the same, and it’s unfair to our footwear to expect them to take on anything and everything.
Whether you plan to go on a multi-day hiking trip, or a short hike with a loved one, being able to select the best footwear for your hike will result in comfortable happier feet.
Image Credit: Victor Vorobev |(https://www.flickr.com/photos/148456610@N03/) | Public Domain Mark 1.0 –reduced file size and image
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