What footwear for outdoor activities should I own?
3
440Ṁ128
resolved Jan 1
40%16%
Approach shoes
30%10%
Waterproof hiking boots
15%16%
Microspikes
15%7%
Climbing shoes
26%Other
7%
Timberland boots
8%
Winter boots
0.0%
Trail runners
0.0%
Hiking shoes
10%
Xero barefoot sandals

What footwear for outdoor activities should I own?

I hike 10 to 20 miles in a typical week, backpack a few times a year, camp, and just started climbing. I'm moving toward more technical mountain summits, but nothing intense enough to require mountaineering boots or crampons (yet).

I currently have these:

Timberland boots

Approach shoes

Climbing shoes

Winter boots

Microspikes

I want the right tool for the right job, but I'd like to get away with as few shoes as possible.

Which ones do I need, and which can I live without?

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For outdoor activities, I’d go for sturdy hiking shoes or trail sneakers for grip and comfort. I also like the BetterMe Everyday Zip Jacket it’s light, stylish, and perfect for layering when hiking or jogging outdoors. The jacket keeps you comfortable and matches any active outfit.

Nice recommendation here!

@ian Got it, thanks for the recommendation! I do tend to heel-strike in normal shoes.
@Alice yup the zero drop and relatively small amount of padding that will make it very obvious when you're walking heels first!
@ian I'm out here hiking in nearly 3-pound boots, hahaha.
@ian When you say "walk as our ancestors did," is that specifically about zero drop? They look tempting given how light they are, but the Bay has so much poison oak.
@Alice boots are overrated and so heavy
They're ultralight and they teach you how to walk as our ancestors did! I backpack in them all the time, have done hundreds of miles in them and love em. I use these: https://xeroshoes.com/shop/sandals/ztrail-men/
It seems like all the through hikers are on the Altra Lone Peak team. I love how lightweight they are, but what about rain? If you hike and backpack in trail runners, do you feel more injury-prone without ankle support?
My mountain guide recommended I get approach shoes, which are a hybrid between hiking shoes and climbing shoes. Should I hike in hiking boots (or hiking shoes or trail runners) and switch to climbing shoes when it gets technical? Should I do everything in approach shoes? I'm not doing difficult climbs, so maybe the extra traction from approach shoes is all I need? They're not the best choice for mud and slush though, because the soles lack lugs.
These are just insulated waterproof boots. The tread is fine for city walks but insufficient for backcountry hiking in the winter when trails are icy and steep. Can't I just replace these with waterproof hiking boots and microspikes?
Buying boys' Timberlands was a purely aesthetic decision. I don't do gorpcore and find every other hiking boot to be unacceptably ugly. But the original Timberlands haven't changed much since the Seventies, so they're by far my heaviest gear. They also aren't fully waterproof; the tongue isn't gusseted and rain seeps in. I'm debating whether to replace these with actually waterproof hiking boots, hiking shoes, or trail runners.
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