Hiking gear part 3: Hiking shoes, slippers & clothing

Hi. As mentioned in our videos and in previous blogs, going light weight is very important in (long distance) hiking. You can do more miles and be more happy on the trail :-) Just by choosing clothing that is really lite but still excellent .

Here is our selection and why we have chosen it! May it help you in making good choices.

Hiking Shoes

100 gram on your foot equals 1 kilo (2 pounds) in your pack… That is the golden rule. And that's why you see so many light weight hikers on trail runners. So no leather boots or anything like that. They are like bricks on your feet. We only use those of the beaten track, like in tundra or on Via Ferrata adventure hikes. On regular hikes and well maintained trails: trailrunners or hybrid boots (see below).

To avoid blisters and fractures we need to have shoes with a wide toe box (front part of the foot). Your feet will swell during longer hikes. So give them room. Make sure the shoes are also not too tight (at least 1,5 size larger than your regular shoes) and that they are reallly breathable. Most blisters come from moisture build-up and/or friction.

Also, change your shoes every 400 - 500 miles. Although the profile might still be okay, the inner layers will be worn out. Which may give you injuries, micro fractures or blisters.

During a long hike we often change the type of the shoes according to the expected terrain.

In most areas

André: trail runners from Saucony or the Merrel Moab (low). The Moab is heavy in comparison and only used in rougher terrain (tougher sole).

He is now testing the trail runners Synthesis Mid GTX from La Sportiva

Lian: Trailrunners Altra Lone Peak 2.0. Always!

In colder, wet-rainy, snowy and/or mountainous terrain

We both use lightweight hybrid boots from Lowa: the Ferrox or Innox

Slippers / wading shoes

We only take them if we know that there will be a lot of wading, like in Iceland. Otherwise never. We usually wade through a river with our shoes off and socks on. Socks take away the sharp feeling of the river bed. Works quite well actually.

Our hiking clothing

We selected all our clothing for their performance versus weight. It’s ultra-light and really good.

André