Questions tagged [footwear]
Questions about selection of footwear for a specific type of an expedition, terrain, situation, general advises about maintenance and/or repair of footwear should be tagged with question. Kindly note that recommendation for Brands for a footwear is not on-topic on The Great Outdoors.
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Why go without socks with climbing shoes?
I've been going climbing (indoor bouldering) for about six months, using shoes I rented at the gym, and wearing socks (and everything was fine). I've recently got a pair of climbing shoes, and want to ...
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Why do so many people hike with such light footwear?
More and more, I see people hiking with very light-weight shoes. To me, they look like regular sport shoes and they look to be lacking thick soles, waterproofness, or ankle support. I thought this ...
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12
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FiveFingers or hiking boots?
I have been wearing Vibram FiveFingers exclusively for three years now. I day hike in them, I exercise in them, I go to to work with them, I hit the beach and swim in them. I have tried wearing "...
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What is the point of hiking boots, versus any comfortable walking shoes?
I've always used any old shoes for hiking. Are there any real benefits to using specially made boots?
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What is the fastest method to 'break in' full leather boots?
After purchasing full leather boots (similar to these boots) I had many blisters for the first few hikes until I broke in my boots.
What are the fastest ways to age the boot so that when my foot won'...
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Hiking: How to start?
I would like to get into hiking, and would like some ideas on gear.training to start. I have always enjoyed nature walks and even did some hiking when I was a kid in boy scouts, but that was years ago ...
- 403
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6
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Climbing barefoot/in toe-shoes?
I recently went bouldering for the first time and liked it a lot. One thing I wondered about are the climbing shoes. The mostly form your feet to a very firm, compact package. So the following ...
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6
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Should one buy a higher shoe size while buying hiking shoes?
I've heard this multiple times from different people that while buying a hiking shoe, always go for one size larger than what fits you perfectly. The most recent one being a local store where I went ...
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Does packing boots with newspaper make them dry faster?
In one of the trail journals I read, the author mentions packing her boots with newspaper to dry them out. On the one hand I can see perhaps some wicking action, but this would greatly reduce airflow....
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Am I likely to need multiple pairs of boots on the Appalachian Trail?
Reading up on a hiking boot size question, I came across this review from Silver Spring, Maryland for a wide hiking boot.
This boot has a "lifespan" of 400 miles. Is that typical of a hiking boot? ...
- 1,404
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4
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How to keep small rocks and stones out of hiking boots?
I keep encountering this issue during summer, when wearing short trousers or a skirt while hiking: my boots get filled up with small rocks and stones, and I must stop from time to time to empty them. ...
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2
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What types of boots are good for caving?
Considering the following options:
watertight: because caves are often wet or muddy
stiff sole: to provide more grip and protection from the rocky bottom.
durability
What is better, a rubber boot or ...
- 413
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10
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What is the best type of shoe to wear for crossing deep rivers?
I'm heading up for some walking to Scotland soon. I will need to cross multiple rivers.
I have no interest in crossing wearing my walking boots as so many people like to do as wet feet are the worst ...
- 399
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What is the difference between men's and women's hiking boots?
When I bought my current pair of hiking boots, the brand/style I tried on and liked was out of stock in the womens version, so the storeperson offered me the mens ones instead. I tried them, liked ...
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What shoes keep me warm in the cold?
One of the biggest problems I have keeping warm in the cold are my shoes. When I'm out cycling in temperatures below -20°C, ordinary sport-shoes or hiking boots fail to keep me warm
Cycling to work ...
- 27.1k
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4
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Technique for swimming with fins?
I recently bought some fins... Short, much stiffer than some fins used by divers these are more aimed at surfing.
I can feel they make me faster but am struggling with technique. I feel I'm fighting ...
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Is there anything that can be done to stop my insoles sliding?
About 3/4 weeks ago I bought some Karrimor Traveller Supa Men's Walking Shoes and I've noticed that the insoles are starting to move around inside the the shoe. After a few hours of wearing them, the ...
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How can I tell a “trail shoe” from a regular sport shoe?
On a day-to-day basis, I wear regular light-weight sport shoes, such as these:
The footwear I saw people using in serious terrain in the USA looked similar, but this answer to my related question ...
- 27.1k
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3
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How do you tie your shoes one handed?
My arm is currently in a sling with a separated shoulder from a mountain bike accident, so I'm trying to learn how to do everyday tasks one handed. Shoelaces are proving annoyingly difficult. What's a ...
- 53.5k
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Running shoes for asphalt + winter conditions?
What is the good choice for the running shoes for winter conditions in city (mostly running on asphalt)? When the snow is shoveld, normal running shoes would be no problem, but when the snow falling, ...
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Are there boots made for a longer 2nd toe?
I have a longer 2nd toe than the big toe (Morton's toe or royal toe). The major problem is finding boots or sports shoes that fit properly. If I didn't have this longer toe I would wear a 9 or 9.5 (...
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Does a pound on your foot equal 5 pounds on your back?
I have heard a number of people say that a pound on your foot equals 5 pounds on your back. Is there any hard evidence to support this claim and how does the terrain affect it?
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Are used climbing shoes safe?
We have several used gear shops locally, which also sell climbing shoes. I'm looking to start climbing and I am considering buying used shoes to save cost. Is it ever safe to buy used shoes, and if ...
- 32.1k
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How to walk on the hot beach or rather hot sand?
Last time I was on vacation in Italy, I decided to go barefooted for a run on the beach in the evening. Lovely idea, wasn't it? It was not! The beach felt like a volcano!
Which gear or techniques ...
- 23.5k
12
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3
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De-stinking my water shoes
I have a pair of water shoes with a thick rubber sole and a neoprene upper. They provide good protection from coral cuts, stonefish etc.
In the past I've used these in the Ontario wilderness (fresh ...
- 12.1k
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5
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Which brands make wider hiking boot sizes?
My old boots are dying. Sadly it took me quite some time to find them, and the particular brand is not made anymore. I have wide feet, like 4E wide, but some 2E boots will fit fine. Unfortunately ...
- 32.1k
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3
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What makes shoelaces so special?
The laces on my hiking boots broke years ago, and instead of going out of my way to buy a replacement pair, I replaced them with some lengths of paracord I had kicking around, albeit with the intent ...
- 53.5k
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2
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How tight should I tie hiking boot laces?
I was reading another post about properly lacing hiking boots, and while it talks about methods for tying the laces, it doesn't address how tight the laces should be on properly tied hiking boots.
So ...
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What shoes to wear while climbing monolithic granite rocks?
There are a few monolithic granite rocks around my city. These are rocks with gradient of around 30 - 40 degrees. None of these offer a technical rock climbing opportunity. It's mostly about hiking up ...
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How do I get mold off my sandals?
I took my sandals out of storage in the basement today because it's two-hobbits-just-threw-a-ring-into-my-room kind of hot in here and outside, too.
The problem is that they have mold on them. How do ...
10
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5
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Restoring water repellency in leather hiking boots
I have a pair of leather boots that are a couple of years old. They were fairly expensive and I'm not a big fan of discarding and replacing things so I'm hoping they can still be of use to me. The ...
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What can be done to eliminate heel lift?
The obvious answer is find a proper fitting boot, but what about those of us that are unfortunate enough to have improper fitting feet? I feel like a mutant sometimes because I have wide feet, huge ...
- 53.5k
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2
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Do I need to break in double plastic mountaineering boots?
I just bought my first pair of mountaineering boots. I know hiking boots need to be properly broken in before taking them on the trail, but what about plastic mountaineering boots?
These are ...
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What footwear did mountaineers wear in the 19th century?
I'm particularly curious about their footwear.
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Lacing materials for huaraches
I have been walking/running/hiking in my huaraches for about half a year now and have worn through 3 pairs of laces. I have been using accessory cord used in climbing as lacing material, since it has ...
- 7,491
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3
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What are differences between higher and lower shoes other than ankle support?
In this question with good answers, we can read that while being significantly effective for some cases, ankle support from boots/higher shoes does not have an important effect when hiking.
I was ...
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How to prevent metal eyelets from rusting?
I have these hiking shoes that have metal hook type of eyelets. Since I frequently go to the leech infested areas of the western ghats in India, I'm forced to use salt on my shoes to prevent leeches ...
- 7,815
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What are the options for stopping wetsuit booties becoming water logged?
Whenever I surf with wetsuit booties on, either the boots themselves become waterlogged or the leg of the wetsuit fills with water. I've seen people use tape. Is this an effective method? What tape ...
- 288
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Which is the best clothing in extreme heat?
If you are in a survival situation in extreme heat (i. e. in the desert), which is the best clothing and footwear to use? It's better to cover yourself up entirely, like the tuaregs, or to go about ...
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Footwear for one month in wet climate
Are there any suggestions on what footwear to wear in a wet climate (specific: Vietnam in September)?
The use case would be mostly walking on streets, with occasional hikes in easy but slippery ...
- 590
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3
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Prevent athlete´s foot (re)infection in barefoot shoes?
How can I prevent (re-)infecting myself from my barefoot shoes? The obvious answer would be not to wear them while I am infected, but taken that aside, are there possibilities to clean/disinfect the ...
- 4,329
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How can a walking style be changed?
The title may itself sound a little weird, indeed it does. But this I have observed over the time, when I take a look at my shoes. I think I have a strange walking style, in which I probably land a ...
- 31.7k
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1
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Should I use my cold weather boots in 40-80°F weather?
I need to select a pair of shoes for when I go out to Yosemite this weekend. The weather has been fluctuating like crazy - last we checked, there was a foot of snow on the ground, but now the ...
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4
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Winter boots for -40°C that are snowshoe and crampon compatible?
One should never let middle age men sit around drinking and reliving the glory days of their youth on a holiday weekend. I think I may have agreed to a mid January Presidential traverse in the White ...
- 10.7k
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6
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Chacos: Toe strap or no toe strap?
I'm looking into buying some chaco sandals and tried on pairs with the extra toe strap and without. I've heard chacos can be uncomfortable to wear in and I'm wondering if the extra security provided ...
- 139
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1
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What is bog shoeing?
This question asks about bog-crossing grades of difficulty, and special equipment like bog shoes. What are bog shoes?
- 53.5k
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Sneaker Sole Replacement
For the last 4 years or so, my day to day walking/hiking shoes have been a pair of Tevas that I picked up from REI (Riva Event Model: 4103). I'm on my second pair now and they've both lasted about 2 ...
- 241
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How to get rid of the smell from indoor climbing shoes? [duplicate]
When I go climbing indoors I typically wear my climbing shoes without socks because this gives me slightly better control over my feet while climbing which I particularly need in overhangs.
The ...
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Yellow Overboot Repair
I have a cut in the ankle of my boot (see pic). I'm concerned that any glueing/patching will not hold due to movement and flexing while walking.
What is the proper method of gluing and patching that ...
- 1,857
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2
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What are "minimalist shoes"?
There are some questions regarding "minimalist shoes" on the site.
By looking at those with the tag, it seems that the term relates to shoes that have thin soles without much spring to them, and ...
