Trail shoes/Runners or Hiking Boots?

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Trail shoes/Runners or Hiking Boots?

Postby WendyC » Sat 08 Jul, 2017 9:29 pm

Hi Everyone
Hubby and I are booked to walk the track in February 2018. Just wondering how many hikers do the track in Trail shoes like Salomon's, or would hiking boots be preferred due to terrain. I walked the last 350km's of the Bibbulmun Track in WA in Salomon trail shoes and also did the Munda Biddi in the trail shoes. So comfy and much lighter. I have just bought some Salomon Quest GTX boots and are still not convinced. Love my trail shoes.
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Re: Trail shoes/Runners or Hiking Boots?

Postby north-north-west » Sun 09 Jul, 2017 9:30 am

Trail shoes are perfectly adequate for the Overland, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Even in the height of summer there are wet or muddy patches. DO NOT try dodging them to keep your shoes/feet dry and clean. For one thing, the dodges are often wetter than the bit you're trying to avoid even if they don't look it and, far more importantly, doing so increases erosion.

Any time of year you can get snow and ice. Don't know how much experience you've had walking in snow in shoes, but they do tend to be a bit cooler in those conditions.

The track is constantly being upgraded but there are still a few rougher, rocky patches. Even more so on the sidetrips. Some of these can take it out of shoes although it's not like you're doing hundred of kms so you should be OK.
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Re: Trail shoes/Runners or Hiking Boots?

Postby Mark F » Sun 09 Jul, 2017 10:28 am

+1 for the trail shoes especially as your feet and ankles are acclimatised. The only issue I have come across with trail shoes is in deep mud where they can get sucked off your feet. I found a pair of dirty girl gaiters solved that problem. For me, I have done the SCT, Frenchmans, WOJ and OLT in low cut Saloman shoes in the past few years and in the late 60's did Federation, Western Arthurs, PB, OLT, WOJ etc in Dunlop Volleys.
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Re: Trail shoes/Runners or Hiking Boots?

Postby WendyC » Sun 16 Jul, 2017 5:31 pm

Thanks for the feedback. I have ordered a pair of S2S Tumbleweed ankle gaiters to go with my Salomon gtx trail shoes. I guess I still have plenty of time to make my mind up.
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