Boots or trail shoes or trainers? Not sure what to take please advise.

[Adrian Metcalf]

We are walking from Leon on the 10th April and are interested in the footwear pilgrims wear.

 

[Kiwi-family]

You might want to add sandals to get a more accurate picture.
And if you want to read long discussions about this very topic you can use the search function too!

 

[dougfitz]

You will see all types. I would be surprised if any of us distracted ourselves by actually counting the individual occurrences of each type in any way that would allow us to answer your question with any objectivity. You will get our individual biased observations!

Other than satisfying your curiosity, I wonder if you would mind letting us know how this will help you prepare for your Camino.

 

[Adrian Metcalf]

Doug
We are trying see what most people wore as we would normally wear leather boots but can see there is a lot of Tarmac and very good paths. Therefore should it be trail or trainers? Possibly someone will tell us why one against the other. Is it wet in April and does the paths have areas which need boots.
Thank you.

 

[dougfitz]

This discussion is held frequently with the major protagonists rarely admitting that there is any other choice than the one they made. Some may present their views more eloquently than others, but the points of view rarely change.
As I said, you will see all types when you reach Santiago, so presumably they all worked for their wearers.

It can be wet in Apr, and the trails muddy. Not all the path is sealed!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Leather boots are rare. Your first criterion should be fit. If it fits, wear it. Test any kind of footwear that you may decide to take. Your foot will hit the ground up to 40,000 times per day for a month. If mesh trainers will provide the support you need, and they fit, take them. If low cut boots provide support for the impact and stress, and they fit, take them. Don't wait for Spain to see if they are right. It is the wrong place to be looking for replacement foot wear, particularly if your feet are covered with blisters or you have tendonitis.

Buen camino!

 

[hfenton]

I was asking myself this same question a while back. I'm used to walking rocky/rooty trails through forests and up and down mountains and preferred the protection of high-top boots (although not leather) from twisted ankles. Since the Camino Frances appeared to be not quite that rugged I was considering using trail runners. However, one day upon approaching my house on a paved street after an 8-10 mile walk I stumbled on a rock or something. The boots I was wearing protected my ankle, although it was a little tender for several days. I learned that after hours of walking I was likely to get tired and not so steady on my feet. So, it's high-top boots for me.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Since the Camino Frances appeared to be not quite that rugged I was considering using trail runners.

Parts are neither flat nor smooth. There are cobblestone rock falls and granite canyons that are very challenging, though for limited time.

 

[dougfitz]

We are trying see what most people wore

As a postscript to my earlier remarks, wearing something because they are popular is fashion. Take @falcon269's advice and look for function and fit as your priorities. Further, ask yourself - if your current footwear is functional, do you want to spend more just to be fashionable? I have worn leather boots with Vibram soles. On tarmac, it is not so much the leather uppers as a hard sole that might become an issue. I normally have either gel heel pads, a molded heel pad or a good replacement inner sole to have something that gives a little more compression.

Also be aware that most of the footwear constructed with more compression and a grippy sole are made from softer elastomers, and will wear quickly. I was never at risk of wearing out the sole of my Scarpas on just one camino. The Keens that I used last year, and had been avoiding wearing too much in my preparation, had worn through parts of the outer sole layer by Burgos. They survived to Santiago, but are now destined for casual use.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Do you mean for people to tell you what they wore or what they observed most people wearing? I may have misinterpreted your question.

 

[ouroboros]

I wore Keens and am glad I did on the Frances. I will wear the same pair on the Portugese this year (they seem in good shape and nicely broken in!) but making sure that my insoles are adequate: I am customizing my insoles with additional silicone for additional support as they worked very well for me. Wear silk liners and a pair of hiking socks together to reduce friction. Be sure they are a size or two bigger than your feet and wear lambswool to fill in the gaps before your feet expand. Good, light weight boots with good insoles are my preference for lengthy hiking on varied terrain. There will be mud. There will be hard road, cobblestones and scree.
For rain, I used plastic bags over my socks and over the boots. For the record, I got no blisters, SJPdP to SdC.

 

[SuperPilgrim]

We are walking from Leon on the 10th April and are interested in the footwear pilgrims wear.

This video says it all: http://www.cleverhiker.com/lightweight-gear-basics/episode-8-lightweight-footwear-trekking-poles

 

[dougfitz]

This video says it all: http://www.cleverhiker.com/lightweight-gear-basics/episode-8-lightweight-footwear-trekking-poles

Thanks for sharing that, and Dave Collins makes a number of great points. Unfortunately, he is also pretty selective about some of the 'facts' that he uses, to the point where one might think that he is just another biased ultra-light hiking advocate. Which of course he is - an ultra-light hiking advocate.

And for those that do watch the video, not only Dave but everyone else using hiking poles had the straps on the wrong way around. No wonder the person demonstrating how to get at his water bottle had to take the poles off!! That would not have been necessary if the straps had been worn correctly.

So on any reasonable credibility scale, I wouldn't think of this video as up there with the best on any of the matters discussed. As I said, Dave makes some great points, he just spoils it along the way.

 

[Pete Dunn]

There is no right or wrong answer. I wore lightweight boots and got bad blisters, a friend wore trail shoes and also experienced blisters, although not for the first few weeks. As an experienced walker, this was a novel experience as I NEVER get blisters!! My mistakes were: 1) I did not wear the boots in enough - I did 2 days hiking beforehand and they felt fine, but after 4 days on the Camino my feet were suffering. 2) When it rained heavily and my feet got wet, I didn't treat them properly, but waited until the end of the day.. Too late!

The best advice I received was from my lovely podiatrist in Bilbao (yes, my feet were so bad I needed professional assistance!). He said the local shepherds always coat their feet in vaseline before walking into the hills for days at a time, and he recommended rubbing in foot cream before starting each day. This made an amazing difference to my feet and possibly saved my Camino. Apparently the best foot cream (like the best guide books!) is German....

Buen Camino!
Pete

 

[SuperPilgrim]

And for those that do watch the video, not only Dave but everyone else using hiking poles had the straps on the wrong way around. No wonder the person demonstrating how to get at his water bottle had to take the poles off!! That would not have been necessary if the straps had been worn correctly.

For the sake of completeness, I hear your point on the pole straps but don't feel it necessary diminishes his points on shoes vs boots. I have a strong dislike for injuries and find it heartbreaking when I see people end their Camino because of any. I've done multiple Caminos and hike weekly for the past several years. Here are my opinions based upon nothing more than hiking with literally thousands of people over the last 20 years; 1) if you are an experienced boot wearing hiker with a long history of wearing boots you will have no problem on the Camino with boots. 2) If you're inexperienced with boots you still may not have a problem on the Camino but the chance of you having a problem is dramatically higher than if you wear trail runners. 3) if you buy the wrong trail runners you will still get blisters. 4) if you buy the wrong socks you're in real trouble regardless of your footwear. 5) only through personal experimentation can a person find what is right for them. Educated experimentation is even better. With all of that said, I've seen an overwhelming majority of people switch from boots to trail runners along the Camino than I have the other way around, but this is just my opinion.

As to your point about pole strap usage, here is a simple video to show the correct way to adjust the straps on trekking poles for those who care. It does make the poles easier to use and require less strain from the "death grip".

 

[BonitaHolland]

We are walking from Leon on the 10th April and are interested in the footwear pilgrims wear.

I'd advise Boots but only if you get 1.5 sizes bigger than usual as feet will swell and stay swollen.... trail shoes are great but only if dry weather.... sandals are great but rocks will stub your toes. For my next Camino (July) I'm going with trail shoes plus sandals and leaving my boots at home.

 

[dougfitz]

I hear your point on the pole straps but don't feel it necessary diminishes his points on shoes vs boots.

First, thank you for the link the the video. It is a great explanation about, and demonstration of, the correct use of the strap.

My concern about the points on boots and shoes in Dave Collins video is not based on the poor demonstrations of pole usage. The discussion in the video, and in some of his online articles, about boots versus shoes is either incomplete or biased. The two places in the video where this is most obvious are:

1. in discussing blisters, he contrasts his personal experience with boots forming blisters and shoes not forming blisters, and leaves hanging the inference from that singular observation that shoes will not form blisters for anyone (and everyone). This is an error in rhetorical logic that sounds appealing, might be true, but clearly is not in this case.
2. there is also the inference in the discussion that it is okay to walk with wet feet, and he uses this to promote the view that trail runners are a good choice rather than more waterproof footwear. If there is any strong evidence, it is that walking with wet feet will promote the formation of blisters. I draw the conclusion from that that it is not generally okay to walk with wet feet, and that if your socks get soaking wet, change them. On the conclusion that trail runners might be better, that argument probably could be made without attempting this dodgy bit of advice.

So while I think Dave Collins makes some very good points, his overall argument is marred by what I think might be his bias to ultra-light techniques. He doesn't have to clutch at every possible straw in making the argument, but he has, and some elements of it just don't stand up to scrutiny.

 

[jsalt]

This video says it all: http://www.cleverhiker.com/lightweight-gear-basics/episode-8-lightweight-footwear-trekking-poles

Hmm, I’m a boot person. Not big leather mountaineering-type boots, but modern waterproof over the ankle lightweight sturdy ones. I looked at the article and couldn’t disagree more with his comments.

My boots are not expensive
My boots do not take a long time to break in
I do not get blisters
My feet do not get wet from sweat
My boots do not stay wet for a very long time.

I am not impressed with this article, sorry

 

[formerly multipurpose]

We are walking from Leon on the 10th April and are interested in the footwear pilgrims wear.

With any footwear, boots or trail runners, fit is the most important thing. I wear trail runners here in Northern California while hiking and backpacking over trails much rockier than anything on the El Camino with no problem and don't seem to need the ankle support of a heavy boot as I have strong ankles. If you don't walk much and haven't built up your ankles a boot may be better for you due to the greater ankle support. I plan to wear trail runners on my April 2018 El Camino and I don't like the Gore-Tex ones. Some good trail runners that I have used are new Balance Leadville and Vasque Trailbender. Get shoes fitted in person at a good outdoor store, don't order then from a place like Amazon unless you are 100% sure of the fit.

 

[nichollsb]

I wore ankle-high boots on the Primitivo in 2013. I didn't get a blister until 2/3 of the way through the hike. I think it's because my Super Feet insoles got flattened into thin strips. On my next Camino (same route, April 2017), I'm bringing a back-up pair of insoles. I also use moleskin and tape for certain toes. My boots also have a big toe box; they're 7 1/2's while I usually wear a 6 1/2 to a 7 in a regular shoe.

 

[fenix]

I'd advise Boots but only if you get 1.5 sizes bigger than usual as feet will swell and stay swollen.... trail shoes are great but only if dry weather.... sandals are great but rocks will stub your toes. For my next Camino (July) I'm going with trail shoes plus sandals and leaving my boots at home.

I have to disagree on a couple important points here. Buying any shoes or boots 1.5 sizes bigger is way overkill. Yes you want roomy, not cramped, and some room for swelling, but generally .5 to 1 size bigger is adequate. Too roomy, and you won't get your heel locked down, or your arch in right place...... asking for bigger problems.

And trail shoes excel in wet conditions. That's part of the point of them. They drain and walk dry fast. They are lower profile and more breathable, so even when wet, they aren't as humid. Wet isn't the big problem. Warm & wet (humid) is.

 

[dougfitz]

I have to disagree on a couple important points here. Buying any shoes or boots 1.5 sizes bigger is way overkill.

I would prefer to see us advising people that they should get their boots properly fitted than suggesting a particular size increase. It is just as wrong to suggest that it only be 1 size as 1.5. In my case, my Scarpa walking boots have increased from size 42 to size 45. I still use a size 44 training shoe on days when I don't expect my feet to swell too much, but otherwise I need the larger size by the end of the day. So your suggestion to only increase o.5 to 1 size would have been particularly bad advice, and nor really been enough.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

So your suggestion to only increase o.5 to 1 size would have been particularly bad advice, and nor really been enough.

I buy my regular size! I have a narrow foot, so socks simply use up extra shoelace length. I agree that a rote rule may not work. Fit the footwear with the socks you plan to use, and buy boots/shoes that fit properly. I have never heard anyone suggest buying a smaller boot than normal, so we probably can toss out that option! Everything else is up for testing.

 

[fenix]

I would prefer to see us advising people that they should get their boots properly fitted than suggesting a particular size increase. It is just as wrong to suggest that it only be 1 size as 1.5. In my case, my Scarpa walking boots have increased from size 42 to size 45. I still use a size 44 training shoe on days when I don't expect my feet to swell too much, but otherwise I need the larger size by the end of the day. So your suggestion to only increase o.5 to 1 size would have been particularly bad advice, and nor really been enough.

I actually don't disagree with you - I think my above wording was just a little clumsy. I was arguing against a prescribed 1.5 size increase, in the sense of newbie hikers going in and automatically buying something that much larger than their regular size. I think it is true that, as I stated, in general, a .5 to 1 size increase ends up being adequate for most hikers.
But you are correct, and I'll second this information:

• Get fitted by a professional if possible
• Don't assume your required size based on your street shoe size OR on a prescribed formula you read on a message board
• Wear your hiking socks when you get fitted or whenever trying on new shoes
• Also, walk a lot, in various conditions, with a loaded pack, to test your shoes (Buying from REI helps this process, due to their liberal return policy for members.)

Part of the confusion with sizing that doesn't get mentioned much as well is that sizing is not reliably standard across brands. I range across 3 sizes in both street shoes and hiking shoes, in both American and European charts.

Also, other elements in the characteristics of a shoe that affect sizing but are not reflected in the basic size number are things like width, size/shape of toebox, flexibility/rigidity of upper, heel drop, etc.....

And if your left and right feet are also different sizes from each other, like mine, well.....

 

[trecile]

And if your left and right feet are also different sizes from each other, like mine, well.....

I walked with a woman last year that bought two pairs of shoes in different sizes so that she could fit each foot properly. She had tried extra socks on the smaller foot, but her size difference was so great that two different sized shoes worked best.

I buy my regular size! I have a narrow foot, so socks simply use up extra shoelace length. I agree that a rote rule may not work. Fit the footwear with the socks you plan to use, and buy boots/shoes that fit properly. I have never heard anyone suggest buying a smaller boot than normal, so we probably can toss out that option! Everything else is up for testing.

I'm with you with the narrow feet. I have found that shoes that are too wide can also be a problem when your feet are sliding around in them. Or if you have to tighten the laces so much that you create creases and bumps in the shoe.

 

[fenix]

I walked with a woman last year that bought two pairs of shoes in different sizes so that she could fit each foot properly. She had tried extra socks on the smaller foot, but her size difference was so great that two different sized shoes worked best.

Yipes! Mine are a half size apart. Close enough that I can somewhat split the difference in the right shoe, but still limiting. Never had to resort to 2 pairs of shoes - hers must have been significantly different!

 

[C clearly]

When people say "buy X sizes bigger than normal," I am pretty confident that they do not walk regularly and/or are "normally" wearing too-small shoes. If I weren't planning caminos, I could go 1/2 size smaller, but now my normal shoes are plenty big enough for the camino.

 

[Glenn Rowe]

Buying any shoes or boots 1.5 sizes bigger is way overkill. Yes you want roomy, not cramped, and some room for swelling, but generally .5 to 1 size bigger is adequate. Too roomy, and you won't get your heel locked down, or your arch in right place...... asking for bigger problems.

Because there are so many individual differences among feet, playing a "guessing game" on footwear sizing is extremely risky as is any "universal assumption." In my case, the big toe on my right foot was once broken, and now it sticks slightly up and out from its 'proper' position. I have to buy footwear with enough room in the toe box to accommodate this. [Note that it's not front-to-back room, but side-to-side room.]

Depending on the specific footwear, and the natural variations that occur even within the same model of shoe/boot, the "right" footwear can vary a full size (e.g. 12 to 13 US). Adding the socks increases the variability even more.

Do yourself a big favor. Go to an outdoor-products store like REI and get an expert fitting. You don't have to buy from there, of course; just use the information.

And then try-try-try the footwear. First, in the house and on the carpet so that if something is wrong you can take them back. And then... well you get the idea.

 

[ouroboros]

This is very good advice.
I first tried a pair of women's boots, my size, or half size up.
I hiked in them for several weeks and they began to be very uncomfortable.
I took them back to REI, and God Bless em, they took 'em back no questions asked, even though I had
hiked in them for a month. The salesman at REI then measured my feet, and determined that my right foot was a half size longer than my left, and that my left foot was a size wider than my right in the toe box area. Wow! Also, I could not fit any women's sized boots and moved up to a men's sized boot. ( I wear womens size 10) Got Keene's with a wide toe box for that left foot and my feet looked like I was wearing two SUV's! But at last, my feet were happy and I still wear that pair. My feet expanded a full size, and I was really glad to have those big boots. Always wore two pairs of socks with them (liner and sock) and avoided blisters.

It was crucial that I get measured properly....so glad I did and ditched the other boots because they would have crippled me!
Point is, treat your feet as uniquely shaped individuals. You might be able to wear a suit "off the rack" and be comfortable for a day wearing it, but shoes "off the rack" which you need to perform over 500 miles for days on end, on your uniquely shaped feet, maybe not so much!!

 

[vegoodrich]

My advice: wear what you wear while you walk at home. There is not a lot of mud but a fair amount of pavement.

I saw a decent amount of boots tied to backpacks on my walk .

 

[Kanga]

Or we could all follow Sue Kenney's advice, and go barefoot....

 

[Deleted member 12253]

We are walking from Leon on the 10th April and are interested in the footwear pilgrims wear.

Light weight boots for me and never got blisters. If you are training whatever you have broken. NOT NEW.

 

[Adrian Metcalf]

I set the question a couple of months ago. Since then having read the many posts we started out from Leon on Tuesday morning 10th April and have walked for 6 days. We will climb the mountain to O Cebreiro tomorrow morning.
The weather has been dry and hot all week. We decided to buy Salomon trail running shoes which we have used as runners in the past. They have been very good so far with a blister under my toes on the right foot but nothing else.
The lightness certainly has gone down well and we are pleased we left the leather boots at home.
We are certainly enjoying the experience and the Holy Week processions along the way. It is great walking and meeting lots of like minded people who are all on the Camino for their own reason.
Thank you. Hopefully this helped others.
Buen Camino