Footwear for Hiking in the Tian Shan Mountains

Footwear for Mountain Hiking.

A novice always has questions before their first hike: "What should I wear?", "What hiking shoes should I choose?" and similar ones. If hiking is a rarity for a person, these questions may not arise; they will just wear their old sneakers and not think twice. In a way, they are right. But if you plan to go hiking more than once or twice, you should seriously consider what you will have on your feet.

Experienced hikers know that hiking footwear is not something to skimp on. You can take a cheap tent, a cold sleeping bag, a backpack without a rigid back, but if you have poor footwear for mountain hikes, your hike will end very quickly, and hopefully without consequences.

Hiking shoes should be comfortable and suitable for the conditions of the hike. The best boots are not the most expensive in the store or those that your friend is raving about, but those that fit comfortably on your foot and allow you to complete the specific hike in comfort.

Key Points Differentiating Hiking Footwear.

• 1. First of all, durability is crucial - it is unacceptable for the sole to come off on the second or third day of the hike or for any other mishap to occur with your boots.
• 2. Secondly, the sole of your hiking footwear should have a stiff tread that securely holds you on various surfaces, whether it be rocks or loose gravel.
• 3. Thirdly, the construction of the footwear should be sufficiently rigid to protect your legs from various injuries.

Depending on the conditions in which the hiking footwear is expected to be used, manufacturers produce different types of hiking shoes.

Footwear for Mountain Hiking - The Difficulty of Choice

Many of us, when entering a specialized store, face a difficult choice. The modern assortment is overwhelming, and the options are dizzying - what to choose?

First, let's break down the main types of footwear for traveling through "unexplored places." Usually, the following types of "foot activity" are distinguished:
• hiking (outdoor walks)
• light trekking (short-duration easy hikes)
• trekking (hikes across various terrains, usually multi-day)
• heavy trekking (hikes in hard-to-reach terrains, far from civilization, in difficult weather conditions, often with elements of technical ascents)
• and mountaineering (ascents on mountains with very difficult terrain, in conditions of ice and snow, low temperatures, thin air, with elements of rock climbing and ice climbing, as well as dizzying descents on various surfaces)

Boots or Sneakers

Novices often ask: what is better, boots or sneakers? If you are going on your first hike, be sure to get a gear list from the leader. It will specify what footwear is needed for the specific hike - and you should trust the leader because they have already walked this route and know what to expect from the trails and the weather.

But it is also important to understand for which hikes boots are more suitable and for which sneakers are adequate. Let's figure it out.

When Boots Are Necessary

First hikes for novices with weak physical preparation,
Multi-day hikes with a heavy backpack on poor trails or none at all,
Hikes of any duration in the off-season or winter.

In those hikes where you have a heavy backpack on your back, there is a risk of twisting your ankle. This risk is especially high for novices with minimal physical preparation - the muscles and ligaments are not yet ready for such loads. This is why boots are needed. They stabilize the ankle, making the foot more stable on rocks and loose gravel - on such terrain, it is easiest to twist the ankle. If the terrain is difficult and you are a novice, it is advisable to wear boots even on hikes without a backpack - just choose lighter boots. The same applies to hikes in spring and autumn - boots protect better from mud than sneakers, so they are justified even on day trips without backpacks.

When Sneakers Are Enough

Day hikes light and easy on simple terrain
Hikes with a light backpack on prepared trails
Hikes by experienced tourists with a light backpack

Sneakers are suitable for novice tourists only for hikes without a backpack on uncomplicated terrain. For example, day walks in Crimea, the Caucasus, or Altai, trekking in the Alps with overnight stays in huts. Experienced tourists with prepared ligaments and muscles can hike in sneakers on longer routes with a backpack, but only on good trails. The main principle is that the better the preparation (both of the feet and the tourist), the more situations there are when you can wear sneakers instead of boots.

Each type of footwear has its own hiking conditions.

Footwear for Hiking

Hiking involves leisurely walks in low-traffic areas. These can be trails and paths in vast parks, reserves, or urban surroundings. Usually done in favorable weather conditions. Footwear for such places, depending on the temperature, can be trekking sandals or virtually any sneakers. It is better when the sneakers are positioned by the manufacturer as intended for hiking or off-road activities - they are more durable and have soles with developed treads. If you plan to move in areas with frequent rain, sneakers with a membrane or lightweight trekking boots are preferable.

Footwear for Light Trekking

Light trekking is a "transitional link" between hiking and trekking. Essentially, it is the same as hiking, but more extended, and the terrain can be quite rugged, with prolonged ascents and descents. Hiking footwear is suitable, but if you are an inexperienced tourist without the skill to walk a lot and easily, it is advisable to protect your feet with something more serious. Typically, lightweight trekking boots are chosen for these tasks, even if you have to move in a hot climate. Unlike sneakers (and especially sandals), boots provide better ankle support, protect the ankle area from impacts, scratches, and minor sprains, and prevent moisture from entering "from above." Such footwear allows less dirt, sand, and insects to enter. By the way, don't forget about trekking poles, which significantly simplify covering distances and overcoming various obstacles. If there are venomous insects and snakes in your hiking areas, it is advisable to wear more serious and higher footwear. Most lightweight trekking boots are waterproofed with a membrane or, at a minimum, a water-repellent treatment that needs to be frequently renewed - check with the seller!

Hiking and light trekking footwear are poorly suited for use in low temperatures and on snow.

They are either completely incompatible with devices for moving on ice and snow (crampons, snowshoes, touring skis) or are adapted to this with significant limitations.

If you still have to use lightweight trekking footwear in harsh conditions, you can partially compensate for its shortcomings with special water-repellent treatments, gaiters (see below), including those that completely cover the footwear.

For more extreme loads of serious tourism, it is advisable to consider trekking footwear - the most versatile for travel.

Trekking Boots

You will see them on the feet of travelers all over the world - from tropical jungles to polar countries.

Tourist boots of this category are applicable for most types of travel off the asphalt. Their versatility is the main advantage. Yes, they weigh more than hiking boots and are not as technologically advanced as mountaineering boots, BUT they provide the owner with the greatest freedom of movement at a relatively humane price.

Such footwear is produced by almost all outdoor companies, allowing you to choose a design to your taste - from high-tech to classic.

The use of a membrane is still a debated and controversial issue, but manufacturers usually decide for us, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy trekking boots without a membrane. Marketing is a hard-to-overcome obstacle, and footwear with "smart" technologies is easier to advertise and costs more.

A very practical feature is the rubberized perimeter of the footwear. This significantly reduces water ingress in wet weather, in snow, and in high wet grass - conditions where even a membrane does not always provide reliable protection. At the same time, the breathability of the footwear does not suffer significantly.

Trekking footwear, unlike mountaineering and heavy trekking footwear, has a more flexible sole. This allows for better surface feel and covering long distances with less fatigue. The stiffness of the boot as a whole protects the ankle from sprains.

Trekking boots can be used in snow if necessary, although it is difficult to call them full-fledged winter footwear.

Typically, they do not have special insulation, but due to the materials used, they are warm enough. The combination of the outer layer (nubuck, leather, composite materials - artificial leather, Cordura...) with a lining or membrane inside the boot allows for comfortable walking with one pair of warm socks down to -10 degrees.

Many trekking boots can be worn with special accessories - crampons ("soft type," designed for uninsulated footwear), snowshoes, touring skis.

Footwear of this class is a universal compromise that is perfect for novice tourists "for all occasions."

Footwear for Heavy Trekking

This is essentially a transitional step between trekking and specialized footwear for ascents.

They differ from the previous group by a rigid "non-flexible" sole, the presence of a rear rand for crampons (so-called "semi-automatic" boots), and a thicker upper material. The boundary between them and mountaineering footwear is quite conditional. Some types of such boots are equipped with an additional layer of insulation for use in cold conditions. They are especially popular among mountain tourists, who, along with significant daily transitions, have to make quite technically complex ascents.

Mountaineering Boots in Hiking

The pinnacle of outdoor footwear in terms of both price and applied technologies. They feature complex multi-layer soles, often with steel reinforcements, special rands at the front and back for automatic crampons or ski touring bindings. Often, such footwear has additional insulation, sometimes multi-layered, special protection against snow and moisture entering the interior, and complex lacing systems.

They are characterized by high rubberization and multi-layer constructions, consisting of an inner and outer boot that fit into each other. Sometimes the outer boot is made of frost-resistant plastic, less often it has the form of a high gaiter with a zipper and Velcro (options for height). Such footwear is used for high-altitude ascents in large mountains. It is unlikely that a person not engaged in mountaineering will need such footwear for regular routes. They are very stiff, relatively heavy, excessively durable, and expensive, and they are not very suitable for long transitions on flat terrain.

Special Types of Footwear

Footwear for Water Sports

This will come in handy if you plan multi-day rafting on rivers and lakes in watercraft, canyoning, and other activities in conditions of constant contact with water. Many companies produce quick-drying sandals, sneakers, and boots made from materials that can withstand constant contact with water. In this case, a waterproof membrane is unnecessary. First and foremost, you should consider acquiring neoprene socks - they will keep your feet warm during constant wetness.

Climbing Shoes

The so-called "rock shoes" are highly specialized footwear made from special "sticky" rubber. They should fit the foot as tightly as possible. They allow climbing very difficult rock routes, of course, with special training, but are absolutely unsuitable for moving on flat surfaces. A certain compromise may be special sneakers with long lacing to the toes and a special sole with a climbing section - they are comfortable to walk in and can actually climb on easy rocks. Such footwear is well-suited for challenging "via ferrata" routes, which are very common in the Alps and allow novice climbers to conquer steep rock masses.

The Membrane in Hiking Footwear

For several decades, so-called membrane technologies have been widely used in footwear production, well-known to many from clothing manufacturing. Renowned and expensive brands usually use the GORE-TEX membrane, while others use their own membranes or those from lesser-known brands.

Just in case, let’s remind you that the membrane is applied to an intermediate layer of fabric and forms a kind of "sock" inside the boot - waterproof on the outside but breathable on the inside. Thus, the footwear seems not to get wet, but at the same time, it breathes well.

It seems idyllic. But, unfortunately, it is not quite so. Why?

Firstly, a waterproof membrane does eventually get wet over time, which depends on various factors.

Sometimes just one "very wet" day is enough. Also, water can sometimes enter the boot "from above."

Secondly, the breathability of a boot with a membrane generally still falls short compared to a similar boot without it, which is important in hikes in hot places. Wet membrane footwear is VERY problematic to dry in hiking conditions, and you will have to walk in wet footwear for an indefinite time. Therefore, with some reservations, footwear with a membrane can be recommended to those who move in not very humid conditions or have the opportunity to dry it from time to time in comfortable conditions. For completely "wild" multi-day, or even multi-week hikes, footwear without a membrane is recommended, with a maximum high rubber rand around the perimeter, while protecting the footwear from getting wet can be done with additional creams and treatments. However, such footwear has a chance of being dried in "field conditions." In mountaineering activities in conditions of increased wetness (frequent crossings over water obstacles, moving on very wet snow, etc.), it is advisable to consider double footwear, the upper boot of which is made of plastic.

Another alternative to membrane footwear is membrane socks, recently available on the market. They keep your feet dry and warm in wet footwear. Their downside is the high price and greater weight compared to regular socks.

Gaiters and Gaiters in Mountain Hiking

A special piece of clothing designed to prevent water, dust, and dirt from entering the top of the boot. They also serve as additional protection against moisture for the upper part of the footwear. Sometimes made from membrane materials, more often simply from wear-resistant fabrics. In many trips, gaiters will become an indispensable part of your clothing. Typically, on specialized sites, gaiters are referred to as items that cover only the upper part of the boot, while gaiters cover the entire boot or a large part of it. In "everyday" language, all of this is usually referred to by the general term "gaiters," so there may be some confusion. Clarify terminology-related moments with the seller. Generally, gaiters are used in most trips, while gaiters are only needed for winter expeditions.

Budget Option for Hiking Boots, or Improving Combat Boots

One of the most budget-friendly options for hiking footwear is leather (military) boots with high tops or simply combat boots. It is no coincidence that combat boots have long been used by the armed forces of most countries. Such boots have a thick non-slip sole, keep the ankle maximally mobile while stabilizing it, and reduce the risk of tendon strains. In natural leather footwear, the feet breathe well. The question is how to make them as waterproof as possible.

For additional sealing, it is necessary to thoroughly rub a lot of shoe cream into the joints of the leather, seams, and gaps. This can be done with a finger while wearing a rubber glove. For example, black Kiwi shoe polish (thick shoe cream) in a tin can is suitable.

The next step is to treat and lubricate the leather of the boots with the prepared water-repellent mixture "hot." The goal of deeply soaking the leather is to restore its original properties (elasticity) and increase its hydrophobicity. If the leather is not cared for for a long time, it dries out, shrinks, and eventually starts tearing at the seams. While the leather is on the animal, a "lubricant" from the animal's body restores the properties of this leather and protects it from drying out, mechanical damage, etc. When the leather is separated from the "owner-animal," this does not happen - in hiking conditions, the leather on the boots suffers much more than during the same time on the animal, not only due to mechanical damage but primarily due to the leaching of certain elements from it that do not return, as the leather is no longer nourished by the animal's body.

Prepare the following mixture for soaking the leather (the ratios are approximate):
• the remainder after rubbing into the seams of half a can of black Kiwi shoe polish (black dye plus contains wax, restoring elasticity and giving the leather hydrophobic properties) - 25 grams,
• melted unsalted pork lard - 25 grams (to fill the pores of the leather so that water does not pass through),
• half a jar of castor oil from the pharmacy (also has hydrophobic properties, softens the leather, plus has a bactericidal effect) - 15 grams.

Place the mixture, for example, in an empty tin can and, stirring thoroughly with a stick, heat it in a water bath until a homogeneous liquid consistency is obtained. Then, heating the area of the leather with hot air from a hairdryer or positioning yourself near an open stove so that the leather warms up to a temperature of 40-45 degrees, sequentially treat the heated areas of the footwear with the hot mixture, including seams and the connection of the sole with the upper, applying the mixture with a brush. Heating the leather is necessary for the pores of the leather to open. After the leather absorbs the mixture, dry the boots and repeat the procedure several more times (at least 2-3 times). This depends on the leather of your boots. The remaining mixture can be used like regular shoe polish in its cold form or reheated in a water bath and used to treat the footwear "hot."

IMPORTANT! Don't overdo it! You cannot soak the leather all the way through; the pores will become completely clogged, and it will not breathe, becoming too elastic, and the boot will lose its stiffness. Do not overheat the leather excessively; you can ruin it.

There are many variations of the water-repellent mixture; you can search for them online or in books.

IMPORTANT! Before the hike, new footwear must be broken in. Usually, it is enough to walk in them around the city a few times for 2-5 km. As soon as you feel that there is no discomfort, the boots are fully ready for combat trials. If you want to check how well the footwear now holds water, test the "upgraded" combat boots by submerging them in water, say, wear them and stand in a bathtub filled with water up to the level of the tongue for a few minutes. To enhance the water-repellent effect, you can additionally apply the remaining mixture (in its cooled form, it resembles regular shoe cream).

The treatment will need to be repeated before the new hike. It is not advisable to carry out such a hot soaking procedure with expensive trekking boots with a membrane (you will clog its pores); at most, you can apply a thin layer of shoe wax and dry it with a hairdryer.

Advantages. Combat boots are quite suitable for use in hiking, with or without treatment. The feet are relatively comfortable since natural leather breathes well, and the thick sole absorbs shock loads. Even if moisture gets inside the boots, they are much easier to dry than multi-layer membrane footwear. Combat boots cost several times less than trekking boots. Additionally, with active use, the membrane lining inside the boot can wear out in a couple of seasons, and expensive footwear will start to leak. In the case of combat boots, if they do wear out, it is not a pity to repurpose them for other uses (to the dacha, for mushroom picking in the forest, etc.).

Disadvantages. Combat boots are certainly not as comfortable as trekking footwear; they take a long time to lace up, and they wear out much faster.

Conclusion: if funds allow, it is better to buy good trekking boots and care for them according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

General Rules for Choosing Footwear

How to Choose Footwear in a Store

Never buy footwear in an online store. Even if you already have boots from that brand, a new model may differ significantly in last or size range. Footwear must be tried on!

Come to the store in the evening - the foot swells a little by evening, which will happen regularly on hikes, so it’s better to be prepared for this right away.

Try on as many pairs of footwear as possible - everyone has different lasts, and there will surely be one that fits your foot perfectly.

Try on the footwear with two pairs of socks - your feet should not feel cramped; if you get cold on the hike and put on another pair of socks, it should still be comfortable.

Check that your toes do not touch the end of the toe box. There should be about 0.5-1 cm of free space left; otherwise, you will stub your toes on descents.

If you are in doubt between two sizes, choose the larger one - it is better to add another insole or wear another sock than to suffer in a tight boot.

Do not make a decision immediately. If you like a certain model, walk around the store, if possible, up and down the stairs to understand how it will feel in the mountains.

Choose According to the Conditions of the Hike

First of all, the footwear should be intended for hiking. Urban boots, running sneakers - a poor option. Hiking footwear is designed to provide comfort and safety on specific terrain that is not found in the city: to protect the foot from twisting, impacts against rocks, getting wet, and so on.

Secondly, the footwear should match the conditions of the specific hike. Different footwear is needed for summer in Crimea and autumn in the Elbrus region. Different footwear is needed for trekking around Mont Blanc and hiking in the Khibiny. Therefore, the first thing to do before choosing footwear is to learn the conditions of the hike.

Novices should choose footwear "with a margin" - not by size but by characteristics. Due to insufficient experience and weak muscle preparation for mountain terrain, the feet require better protection. That is, where an experienced tourist can manage with sneakers, a novice is better off with boots. Where an experienced person will suffice with lightweight boots, a novice should opt for stiffer ones. Additionally, if you plan to continue hiking, consider that these same boots should serve you in future travels. But extremes should also be avoided. Novices often choose the heaviest mountain boots for their first hike. If it is not a fourth-category hike, where such footwear is genuinely needed, it will be heavy and uncomfortable.

Try on Different Footwear

Don't hesitate to take the time to try on everything that is offered in the store for your hiking conditions. Footwear comes with wide and narrow lasts, for high and low arches - each manufacturer has its own features, and this needs to be understood while still in the store. Walk around the store in the boots - the footwear should not "pinch a little" or be "a little uncomfortable" - in a hike, this will lead to complete misery. Don’t rely on the idea that the boots will stretch - modern footwear either fits the foot right away or does not fit at all.

Bring a Spare Pair of Footwear on the Hike

This can be lightweight sneakers or sandals, or even rubber flip-flops. Spare footwear is primarily needed for the camp - to come back, take off your boots, and let your feet rest. You can use them to cross streams to avoid wetting your main boots or to stroll around the city after the hike. Spare footwear is also necessary in case something happens to your boots - for example, you accidentally burn them on the fire while trying to dry them; this can happen too. In sneakers or sandals, you can at least get somewhere.