Footwear Comes First

Concerning Footwear

Have you ever found yourself staring at a wall of footwear wondering “what in the world am I going to do about finding the right pair?” “What are the differences?” “Why do I need hiking boots/shoes?” “Can’t I just take runners?”

The truth, is that there are many differences between types of hiking footwear, you cannot take your runners, and you need hiking boots/shoes because they are going to help make your journey possible by giving you the proper comfort & support to sustain your feet through the many possible harsh times you may encounter.

Your footwear is perhaps the most important piece of gear in your pack or suitcase. Every day you will be on your feet, whether touring through beautiful cities or hiking on tracks to small villages in the jungle. Proper footwear will make the difference between enjoying the sites and sounds of the urban and wild jungles and being miserable.

The differences between types of footwear can be understood by putting shoes/boots into categories such as trail running, light hiking, trekking, mountaineering and so on. At every level, a person will require something different to aid in their overall performance. For example, you shouldn’t take a trail running shoe to go trekking because it simply does not have the support or the tread to adapt and perform in drastically changing environments. A really good trail runner will be flexible, good gripping on those smoother surfaces, and will be extremely light in weight with the ability to dry quickly. The support in a trail runner may not be fantastic but that often depends on how much you are willing to spend. Usually, the more you spend, the better the shoe’s construction, breathability, weatherproof quality, and supportiveness. This can be applied to all areas of footwear.

The above example is indicative of why you shouldn’t bring runners on a hike or even use them for trail running. The simple reason is due to the fact that shoes/boots have allocated categories for a reason. Runners are for running or walking on smooth, flat surfaces like asphalt, whereas trail runners are for trail running. Standard running shoes have fantastic support in most cases, but they do not have the type of outer sole, which is conducive to trail-like environments.

Defining Footwear

So in determining that footwear is separated into various categories, the main differences between pieces of footwear in their respective categories will come down to the construction factors, which give a shoe/boot its performance capabilities. The more basic a shoe is the less you can expect to pay. For kids and their camps, you can usually get away with something fairly basic, especially with footwear, as children usually grow out of their shoes/boots very quickly. The exception to the rule, is when parents can find footwear that they themselves can inherit once their kids grow out of them. In that case, it is well worth the investment for a great piece of foot gear.

So how shoes/boots differ in their construction will come down to three main factors and several little ones. The three main factors are concerning the outer sole, mid-sole & what lies between.

Outer Sole

The outer sole is what actually makes contact with the ground. It’s the rubber compound that can either make or break a shoe in terms of performance on the trail. Usually, the cheaper the shoe, the lesser the quality of the rubber compound that makes up the outer sole. Quality of rubber will make a massive difference in the longevity of the outer sole, and once the outer sole has been worn down and compromised, there is no adequate way of replacing it. You simply need to find yourself a new pair.

Depending on the category of shoe/boot, the outer sole will either be made of a soft carbon rubber, or a dense carbon rubber. Softer carbon rubbers will generally wear away more quickly, but are better for grip as their softness allows the rubber to mould around the objects being stepped on. Denser rubbers tend to be more aggressive and have the tread to reflect this. They may not have the gripping qualities on those smoother surfaces, but on the trail, they have better traction and really dig into their environments.

The lugs which make up the tread on the bottom of boots are equally as important as the compound from which the rubber is made. The lugs should be deep, multi-directional and should be designed in such a way as to allow dirt and mud to fall free from the outer sole instead of collecting and congesting it. If lugs are designed improperly, they can become clogged with grime causing poor surface area contact and thus drastically reducing grip.

Mid-Sole

The mid-sole generally determines the level of comfort a shoe will present to the wearer. There are three general types of mid-soles: Cup sole, EVA, & PU.

A cup sole is the most basic construction a shoe/boot can have. Basically, shoes/boots with cup soles tend to be much heavier in general and are created for more short term journeys that require less support. Cup soles are not made for long term comfort. They consist of extended bits of the rubber outer sole that rise up through the middle of the shoe/boot and form empty square grooves that look like a grid should you view this mid-sole from above. This provides the structure and surface area for their next component, EVA. EVA, another material used as a mid-sole, is then placed in pad form over the heel and forefoot areas of the empty grid-like mid-sole to provide comfort. This construction does actually give a reasonable amount of comfort, and is more than suitable for once-off long journeys or multiple short trips. The reason for this is that EVA, although an amazing material, has a certain amount of durability, which dissipates with time. A complete EVA Mould would have a much greater capacity for durability, but in a cup sole construction, the EVA pads are only slight in their make up and lack the overall density to stand the test of time and long wear.

EVA is the next material and is perhaps the most widely used in all areas of footwear related or unrelated to hiking and the outdoors. It is a very soft, pliable and moulded foam that gives instant comfort to most people and requires little breaking in. EVA will generally be integrated into all levels and qualities of footwear. One really fantastic benefit of EVA is that it can be made in different densities, giving the wearer a dual density mid-sole. Having a dual density mid-sole can do wonders for impact resistance and further support around the arch and heel areas.

PU is another material commonly used in footwear, although generally found in shoes/boots utilized for more aggressive hikes due to the material’s tendency to give more rigidity and support.

PU is an abbreviation for Polyurethane, which is a material much denser than EVA, and while not always as comfortable from the get go, PU delivers increasing comfort as time wears on and has also a much greater longevity than EVA. PU tends to wear in gradually and in time moulds to the foot of the wearer and will continue in holding its shape.

Everything In Between

While the outer sole gives the grip, the mid-sole the comfort, it’s what’s in between that gives the real structure and support. Most shoes/boots of basic construction may have a small nylon shank embedded just under the heel, ending at the arch. Other more sophisticated pieces of footwear will have full shanks or plates made of either nylon or plastics called TPU. These full length shanks or plates will greatly enhance torsional stability and impact resistance from rough terrain such as rounded rocks and fallen debris. Torsional stability is incredibly important because that is what keeps a person stable on the track. Wearing a heavy rucksack can put unbelievable strain on the feet and will often cause inferior or less supportive footwear to twist out of shape while walking, thereby drastically increasing the risk of injury.

So depending on what type of footwear you will require, as you progress up the scale of activities such as walking, hiking, trekking and mountaineering, the construction of the different respective footwear will become increasingly complex and rigid.

The Other Bits & Pieces

In terms of support, a shoe or a boot will roughly be the same, assuming of course that they are being compared within the same class and quality range. The main difference is that a boot has that extra bit of ankle wrapping which protects against nature and braces the ankle should you topple over. However, nothing is full proof, and more often than not, when you go on a hike a shoe will be just as effective as a boot.

Let’s go back to that daunting wall of footwear that brings on so much confusion and makes you want to run home for your runners. What really gets to people is the vast cost differences between the shoes, even those which are within the same range in terms of quality and support. It can be very frustrating and intimidating, looking at a wall covered in choice. So it’s our job to explain the little differences that make one shoe/boot more superior than another.

The Upper

In terms of materials other than what has previously been discussed, the upper areas of the shoe/boot can and usually do have a strong influence on the overall comfort, durability, and therefore cost. Shoes/Boots with proper leather uppers break in and breathe much better than those with synthetic uppers. Even when comparing leather shoes/boots, there can be differences. More upscale footwear will generally have one-piece leather uppers, which are usually of higher grades and will tend to break in far better than those shoes/boots with three or four piece leather uppers. The longevity of these types of shoes/boots will also be far greater in terms of their durability and appearance. There is also the question of waterproof quality.

Usually footwear requires some sort of membrane or waterproof layer to maintain that quality, especially in concerns with synthetics. Leather, however, will generally be waterproof by the nature of the leather itself. It can saturate, becoming heavy and spotted, but usually with minimal effort, leather boots will require little waterproofing treatment to perform in the same way synthetics do with a waterproof membrane.

The Waterproofing

Besides the upper portion of a shoe making a difference in longevity, comfort, and cost there is the weatherproof layer, which in today’s world, tends to add a lot to the shoe, especially on the price tag.

Usually the less expensive shoes/boots that are waterproof will have a basic membrane that separates the inner from the outer and keeps the water out. The outside of the shoe/boot will also be treated with a DWR (durable water repellant) for added effectiveness. This DWR will be found on footwear across all ranges of quality. Where it differs is on the inside. Anything that breathes is going to be more expensive. The most common in breathable waterproof membranes is of course Gore-Tex.

Gore-Tex is the most waterproof and up till now the most breathable membrane in existence. Gore-Tex will come in two forms when applied to footwear. It is either going to be Gore-Tex Classic, or XCR, XCR being 25% more breathable than Classic. The way Gore-Tex works is by allowing your body’s moisture vapor to pass through the membrane without allowing any water to penetrate. It also allows moisture inside the shoe/boot to evaporate and escape leaving the foot dry and comfortable. Gore-Tex has 9 billion pores per square inch, with each pore being 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water and 700 times larger than moisture vapor. This technology has been at the forefront of outdoor gear performance since its conception. The only other fabric to challenge Gore-Tex breathability in recent days is eVENT. eVENT is an entirely new fabric supposedly more breathable than Gore-Tex, but not as waterproof. One facet of Gore-Tex, which no doubt surpasses any other membrane is that it exists as a bootie within every shoe/boot. This means that Gore-Tex completely lines the internal area of the shoe/boot ensuring performance is at a constant 100%.

What’s Good About Great Footwear

The fact is people want great footwear for the more active times in their life. It’s a common misconception however, that footwear normally found in shops like ours is only for hiking, bushwalking and heavy trekking. What makes footwear like this so purposeful is the amount of support it gives to the wearer. It doesn’t matter if a person wears a shoe/boot to walk their dog, go to work, hike up a mountain, or to do gardening. What it comes down to is that your footwear should support you in general. The more sophisticated the piece of footwear, the more versatile it becomes. So when looking to buy a shoe/boot look for something that can be used more often than just the occasional hike or trail run. Look for that support and extra comfort.