Boots, trail shoes, and wet feet
- Walked in boots
- 2013–2024
- Walked in shoes
- 2024–now
- Verdict
- Depends on the bog
The argument is not waterproofing. It is what happens after the waterproofing fails.
Both get wet. On any multi-day walk in the north, water eventually comes in over the top, and after that the only question is how long the footwear stays wet. Boots hold it for days. Trail shoes are unpleasant for an afternoon and dry overnight in a tent porch.
Where boots still win
Loose scree with a heavy pack, and anywhere ankle-deep in cold water for hours at a time — the insulation of a wet leather boot beats the nothing of a wet mesh shoe when it is near freezing.
Where they lose
Everything else, for me. Lighter feet at the end of the day is a bigger difference than I expected; it shows up in the last hour of walking, not the first.
Blisters did not change either way. What changed blisters was sock liners and
stopping to fix a hot spot the minute I notice it, instead of at the next break.