Hi - The first time I started out with well worn in Vasque hiking boots, medium weight I would say, as that was all I'd ever hiked in (not those particular boots, but others like them), in New England, Colorado, California, BC, France, Switzerland and Ireland. They fell apart coming into Molinaseca, were hot glued by a camino angel in the cafe on the left, and got me into Ponferrada where I bought new ones. Talk about stress. They were black, Gortex, heavy, but comfortable. Not one blister the rest of the trip. Now I shovel snow in them. But I just felt both boots were a bit overkill for the Frances. Hence the Adidas trail runners. I talked my husband into that too. No regrets as they were cooler, more lightweight, and frankly, other than a very few sections, more than adequate. We both wore sandals a lot too. Looking at a lot of videos on the Norte it seems the terrain is more consistenly rugged than on the CF, that is why I'm thinking about boots again. I have a pair of Merrill Moabs which I wear daily this time of year, but they're a little too small for the camino with an extra sock liner and better innersole. They are just below my ankle, but my old ones were a couple of inches above it. My daughter-in-law's sister is Spanish, she and her husband have walked lots and lots of sections/caminos, and she said boots because of the rain and wet. I don't like "waterproof" because of how hot they can get, but am considering them, and planning on using my new hiking sandals (purchased only a couple of days before we decided to actually go) whenever the weather or trails are warm/dry. My preference is always minimal footware, etc, and I am very comfortable hiking in sandals. I also used to work in a rock climbing/mountaineering shop for many years, so know most of the pros and cons. As usual, equipment is fun to ponder, the decisions reached can make or break your comfort level and camino. Good to hear from you - Cherry
