Anhu shoes

[peregrina2000]

I wonder if anyone has any information or opinions about this brand. My small local hiking/outdoor store just started to carry them and says they are very popular. Since everything comes to my town years after it arrives in other places, I'm hoping some of you have already walked in these shoes and can give me some idea why they are popular. I am now on my second pair of a Salomon model I like a lot, and before that I wore a North Face model for about 8 caminos till they discontinued it, so I tend to stay with the same shoe for a while. But I wouldn't mind something a bit higher than what I've got now, and I've seen a couple of Anhu boots that might be good candidates.

Thanks! Laurie

 

[DesertRain]

Hi Laurie. I got a pair of Ahnu trail shoes about a month ago and I really like them. I tried several shoes on at REI and these felt great in the store and have continued to work for me on my 5 mile daily walks over the last month. They are a good balance of support, light weight, breathability and stability. Of course, everyone's feet are so different that it is hard to make specific recommendations. That said, I personally prefer a boot on the Camino, for all of the reasons discussed by others in other threads. I got my Ahnu shoes for pack-free walks at home during the hot Arizona summer when my Gore-Tex Salomon Quest 4D GTX Hiking Boots are overkill.

Since you are in the U.S., I am a big advocate of ordering from REI. They have excellent mail order service and will take anything back at any time for a full refund. You can walk in shoes for a week or more if you need to seen how they work for you and still send them back. Before my getting my beloved Salomon boots, I bought an expensive/high quality pair of Asolo boots. On my first walk, they began to shred my heal. I figured that I needed to just break them in more. After a week of walks (40+ miles), my feet were blistered all over. I went to REI and despite the fact that they had clearly been used on trails, the only question they had was "Would you like a refund or to exchange them for something else." That said, we all need to not abuse this wonderful customer service..... I once went to an REI sale where they sell all of the items that have been returned. There was a pair of used boots that I swear had circumnavigated the globe; the tread on the soles was worn to almost nothing and the leather uppers looked as though they had seen 20 years of service in the Roman legions. On the tag it listed the reason for the return as "Gave customer a blister." No other company I know would take back any shoes with even minor wear; REI is the wonderful exception.

As a side note, I noticed that Salomon were by far the most popular choice on the Camino when I walked last year. Might just be that they are easily available in the EU, but I can personally vouch for them.

 

[GreatDane]

Due to years of people abusing REI's generous return policy, they recently changed it. "If you are not satisfied with your REI purchase, you can return it for a replacement or refund. Items must be returned within a year of purchase, except items purchased from REI-OUTLET which must be returned within 30 days of purchase. REI’s guarantee doesn’t cover ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by improper use or accidents."

 

[egar]

My wife bought Ahnu Montaras at REI and loved then. She was so pleased with her's I found Ahnu Mendicinos for me. I'm really happy with mine as well.

We've been training for the Camino for a few months and have been done many long hikes in our Ahnus.

As another poster said, everyone is different, but I'd suggest you give them a try.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, everyone, I am going to have to go try them out. What type of feet would you say they are most ideal for? (e.g., wide toe box, narrow heel, etc.). Buen camino, Laurie

 

[egar]

Personally, I find the men's Mendicino to be of average width in toe box and heel. I frequently wear Keen's with the wider toe box and find the Ahnu's to be just a bit narrower. For my wife's Montara's, they seem to run average to slightly narrow. She has a narrow heel and finds they fit just right for her with a hiking sock and liner. There is a lot of lacing flexibility and I find I adjust the lacing to match my socks and temperature. Regardless of whether I lace tighter or looser, the fit remains comfortable with no slippage.

 

[mla1]

Thanks, everyone, I am going to have to go try them out. What type of feet would you say they are most ideal for? (e.g., wide toe box, narrow heel, etc.). Buen camino, Laurie

Hi Laurie,
After years of using boots, I've switched to shoes. Last spring I brought a pair of Ahnu shoes home from MEC (the closest Canadian equivalent to REI). I wore them around inside the house for weeks before finally taking them back and getting yet another pair of Solomons. I felt like the Ahnu really needed breaking in -- and you never know if a shoe or boot will break in the way you want it to. It seemed like too much of a risk with only about a month before we left for France. The Solomons were perfect right from the box. (At first I thought the Salomon laces with the little slider on them were a bit gimmicky. But I'm a convert now. ) A friend has a a pair of the Ahnu shoes and swears by them, but she mostly wears them around town and on shorter hikes. I would think in terms of width, like egar says, they would be average. I had very good luck with a light pair of leather (wasn't my first choice) Scarpa boots that I used walking in the UK. They were also good to go right out of the box. Super comfortable.
Mary Louise