Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Appropriate footwear for a Whitney day hike

I would like to hear people’s thoughts and suggestions on appropriate footwear for a Whitney day hike (i.e. hiking boots vs. backpacking boots vs. trail runners).

I’m planning for the 22-mile hike in August. I’m 6’2”, 200 lbs, size 11.5, and tend to overpronate, which has resulted in a large callus on the bottom of both big toes. I’m currently battling footwear problems. I bought a new pair of Asolo Fugitive GTX hiking boots and Super Feet insoles from REI. They fit well but really made the bottoms of my big toes sore. After wearing them on a couple hikes I went back to REI and the sales person convinced me to try a pair of Vasque Wasatch GTX backpacking boots instead. I really had to cinch up the laces to make the fit snug enough, but they were comfortable. Two miles into my first hike with them left me with huge blisters on my heels. I guess they don’t fit snug enough, so they’re going back to REI.

I’m really eager to find the perfect shoe so I can have plenty of time to break them in and resolve any problems. I wish I could find a really good boot fitter. Does anyone know of someone near the Los Angeles area?

The key to Mt. Whitney as a day hike is taking care of your feet. This means a pair of comfortable broken-in pair of quality footwear and a pair of high quality socks and liners. It has more to do with what you have confidence in than the type of footwear.

Also, plan to stop at Trailside Meadow for a foot soaking on your way back. These icy waters will reduce the width of your foot by about 2 widths.

Experienced boot fitters are great if they have a boot or shoe for your feet. I am experienced fitter and I still can't get the footwear I really want because of my feet are 12 and 12 1/2 low to medium volume with a Morton's toe. 9 pairs later I got one that I'm semi-confident will work but I don't really want.

Dave, I've done the trail as a day hike several times with either boots or trail shoes. When conditions permit, i.e. there's no snow, I love to wear trail shoes. I'm a real fan of Montrail shoes, specifically the Leone Divide model. I go for an extra half size larger than normal to prevent toe jamming on the descent. Montrail shoes have a much wider and larger than normal toe box than any other shoe I've found - goes for their boots too - and the heel stays stuck where it's supposed to. You may want to try them.

If you're doing the main trail and don't expect on encountering snow.... some people use hiking boots, some (like me) use light hikers, and some use trail runners.

Really, my only sage advice is to use whatever feels most comfortable on your feet, regardless of cut, style, brand...etc. Your feet truly won't be offended if you're wearing vasques instead of asolos.

I agree with whatever is most comfortable, however my personal preference is something that gives SOME ankle support. Coming down when your legs/knees/feet are tired makes you prone to ankle rolls. Everyone's different, though, and if you've got strong ankles (I don't) a lower shoe may work fine.

For dry (no snow/ice)I agree with what's comfortable with your current hiking habits. Though one must consider trail conditions...People are seen wearing all types of shoes/boots/sandles and the rarer naked foot.

This trail is a path for the most part and one doesn't have to bound over boulders/talas or climb or wade through streams. I agree footing is a little more critical coming down, more to fatigue issues. Coming down one will experience some steps and some gravel or dirt here or there. With good soles (and poles) one will have less chances to slip or miss-step. It also depends on if one is jogging or hiking.

I always prefer the ankle and arch support of mid high boots, even for this sub-marathon of a hike. I never know when I want to go a different route when i am hiking. And my feet are nearly always thankful happy feet the next day.

One thing I would not ever ever do, is buy and wear a new pair just for this hike. Break'em in first, carry some mole skin or other tape product just in case.

Ps. bring a second comfortable pair of shoes/sandles with you for wearing after the hike! If nothing else, the car will smell better on the way home.

Adventure 16 has a great reputation for fitting boots, the West LA store at Pico and Sepulveda is excellent. I don't think they have the same return policy as REI but several friends have had success with their fitting system.

I've had several instances where the same combination of shoes and socks started to cause blisters when they never had before. Instead of having to stop to "tape up," I've gotten into the habit of putting a piece of duct tape around my heel on every hike/climb recently and have not had a blister issue since. (An ounce of prevention?)

Hey Dave for me its duct tape, liners, good hiking socks (smartwool). for boots in summer it's my Lowa Tanark (so good)
and LL beans Mountain Treads(my all time favorite.)..But what ever fells good to you have fun...mark

I would have to agree with Tom O and recommend the boot fitters at the West LA Adventure 16. Those folks are awesome.

Go with what makes you and your feet comfortable and always listen to your feet.

Adam

dave, if they were too loose as you stated resulting in heel blisters, then they would also have resulted in black toe syndrome on a long downhill ( like Whitney). I've seen people with all ten toenails with that subungal hemorrhage or bruise.

Here is the boot fit tip that most shoe/boot places don't know:

(A) lace up wearing what you would wear on the trail (thin liners plus thick wool socks - I know, this is subject to interpretation)
(B) stand on one foot
(C) lift your free foot up behind you (knee bent)
(D) now with your toes pointed straight down, whack the toe sole edge onto the floor or pavement several times. If the shoe fits, then the toes inside the boot will NOT strike the inside of the boot. The key is that the lacing around the ankle holds the foot in position. If not then the boot is too small or the ankle is not laced tight enough. You want the ankle to do the work of stopping your foot from sliding forward in the boot, not the toes.
(E) to reinforce this action on the trail, be sure to re-tighten your laces before a long descent. Just the top two crisscrosses is okay. That tightens up the ankle and not the foot itself. Many boots have different eye hooks there to facilitate this.
Harvey

I went up the main trail the first week of Sep last year and used Brooks Cascadia (trail running) shoes. They are super comfortable, have great traction, but still are firm enough so you dont feel rocks punch through your feet.

Make sure you have a nice pair of moisture wicking socks, COTTON IS BAD. www.brooksrunning.com

You guys are awesome! Thanks everyone for your responses. You have given me some great advice.

I think I was in the mindset of having to wear a boot. But the more I read I’m seeing a trend of people wearing light/mid hikers and trail runners when conditions permit. I’ve never had any problems with my ankles, so I think I may explore this option. Plus I heard someone once say saving a pound on your feet is like saving five on your back, so I can see one of the advantages of a lighter shoe.

I think I’ll try to head over to Adventure 16 and see what they have to offer. Thanks for the tip.

Best regards,
Dave

Don't bother buying these hiking boots:

http://www.summitpostgear.com/reviews/3280/Asolo-Stynger-GTX-Hiking-Boots.html

REI has a horrible selection IMO. Errr, guess I'll go to A16. At least I have some Adventure dollars from Kurt (he'll give 'em to ya if u sign up for one of his courses).

Hey, T. Those are the same boots I use, and while they haven't caused that sort of severe foot problem, I was actually more disappointed in how fast the Asolo soles wore out (one year!). I didn't think it would make a diff until this past weekend on Willie and I needed some decent traction!

I think they learned their lesson, though, as most of this year's models are a combo Asolo-Vibram sole.

Heading to A16 myself, but I'm not that hopeful. They just don't carry a whole lot in my size (11!). Hmmm...

-Laura

I guess the trade-off in sole rubber is durability vs. traction.
Stickier rubber wears fast, but hard rubber has poor grip. There always seems to be a trade-off.

For those who have chronic problems with their feet, one really needs to take a look at the book "Fixing your Feet", by John Vonhof, who I think has posted here. He has an amazing array of tricks and techniques for preventing and addressing various problems. Just the amazing things you can do with lacing is worth reading the book.

I love my Asolo AFS 8000 plastics (the Vibram sole)! They're great for keeping feet warm (MT Washington, most recently) and ice climbing (rigid sole).

I read your post and realized I was having the same problem. (Thanks for the explaination) I am a new hiker and purchased a pair of Merrell Pulse II back in January and my left foot was in pain on every hike, especially going down hill. I tried insoles, lacing techniques, and different sock combinations but nothing worked. I finally returned them today and now I'm trying a pair of Keen Targhee II, they seem to have a narrow heel and a wider footbed so we will see how they do this Friday, hope they work. I went to the Adventure 16 store and they were quite knowledgeable but had nothing in my size so I ended up at REI.

Hey,

So I didn't read every response, but thought I would add a bit of my experience on the issue too. For me it's all about weight ratio for which shoes to wear. Just cause I'm hiking or backpacking doesn't mean I wear hiking shoes or backpacking shoes! If I am carrying about 20% or less of my weight on my back, I always wear trail runners providing teh conditions are not winter of course (currently New balance 807) If the weight is over that mark upwards to 50% of my weight, I wear gortex lined Merril hikers. waterproof up to the top, and they feel like pillows around my feet. Never had a blister or anything bad. On an extended Whitney trip, I will be proactive to stop along the decent and put on some blister patch along the area that gets the most sore to prevent. By the time the flip flops are broken out in the car, I am good to go! If my pack weighs more than 50% of my weight, I stay home

Also get your foot pressure measured by a running store or a podiatrist for making custom soles. They should cost around $200 and worth every penny. It will severely cut down on the pronating, rubbing, and any fallen arches if that is an issue too.

Enjoy the trail!

Several years ago, after badly straining my knee carrying too heavy a pack, I got the ultra-light religion.
Since then I have done all of my hiking in a very light pair of Nike running shoes. They have fairly thick soles and leather/mesh uppers. I have logged an incredible number of miles in them over several years including Whitney, Half Dome, Yosemite falls, Mt. Thielsen, etc.
The ultra-light guru Ray Jardine claims that while heavy high top boots will support your ankles better, the awkwardness of trying to walk with heavy, stiff footware causes more balance and footing issues. He uses the following example of extremes to demonstrate his point: Take lightness to it's extreme and you have a bare foot, now expand on the idea of a heavy, stiff sole and imagine strapping an 18" 2 X 4 to your foot. Now imagine the agility, balance and required energy associated with each option.
I have never had a problem with my running shoes.
Good luck and have fun!