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Footwear

Your feet are your body's foundation. Unless your feet are properly protected, injury and sprains can quickly stop you in your tracks. Likewise, unless your feet are properly supported and aligned, painful stress and misalignment can spread up to your knees and back. Thus, selecting the correct footware for your specific needs is crucial.

Also, your feet are one of the most sweaty parts of your body. Unless this sweat is wicked away from your feet, it can lead to soreness, to overheating when active and to coldness when at rest. When you select socks you are actually choosing underwear for your footwear.

Shoes

If your pack is light and your portages are easy and short, you may get adequate support and comfort from a pair of trail-runners.

  • A trail-runner has a narrow sole that matches your foot. A narrow sole means you definitely have to pay attention to small irregularities underfoot.

  • Its design is quite low-cut, offering no side-impact protection for ankles and negligible lateral support for the ankle joint.

  • The sole of a trail-runner typically has moderate tread made from uniformly firm material, with a pronounced rocker (rise to the toe) to help one's stride.

  • A pair of trail-runners weighs from 700 to 900 grams, providing quite a light load.

However, if your pack is heavy or your portages are longer, you'll be better served by a pair of approach-shoes.

  • An approach-shoe has a slightly wider sole which imparts better stability over small irregularities on the ground.

  • Its design offers the lower ankle some protection against side impact from below, as well as some lateral support for the ankle joint.

  • The soles of approach-shoes have lugged tread with "sticky" rubber components around the "outsole" to grip rocks and roots more effectively.

  • As well as having a pronounced rocker, they often come with rubber toe-bumper protection.

  • Since an approach-shoe is intended for greater levels of activity, it often has breathable fabrics in its upper.

  • A pair of approach-shoes weighs from 900 to 1100 grams, providing a marginally heavier load than trail-runners.

Boots

If you're hiking the inland trails, carrying medium packs or into rougher portages, you need at least a pair of day-hikers.

  • A day-hiker is built with a wide sole for stability over small irregularities on the ground.

  • Its 3/4 height offers the ankle full protection from side impacts, as well as substantial joint support.

  • The soles of day-hikers have lugged tread with "sticky" rubber components around the "outsole" to grip rocks and roots more effectively.

  • As well as having a pronounced rocker, they come with rubber toe-bumper protection.

  • Day-hikers are intended for day-long activity, employing breathable fabrics in their uppers.

  • Since they're firmly constructed for greater support and stability, a short break-in period is advised.

  • A pair of day-hikers weighs from 1 to 1.5 kilograms, providing a noticeable presence.

If you're hiking the inland trails, carrying heavy packs, into low maintenance portages or bushwacking, you'll need backpacker boots.

  • A backpacker boot is built with a wide sole and stiff internal construction for stability and support over irregularities on the ground.

  • Its full height offers the ankle full protection from side impacts, as well as substantial joint support.

  • The soles of backpackers have lugged tread with "sticky" rubber components around the "outsole" to grip rocks and roots.

  • Being intended for prolonged, rigorous and varied conditions, they often incorporate hi-tech features for comfort, breathability and waterproofing.

  • Since backpacker boots are firmly constructed for greater support, rigidity and stability, a break-in period is definitely required.

  • A pair of day-hikers weighs from 1.5 to 2 kilograms, providing a definite presence.

Socks

The first choice you have to make is between the single-sock and double-sock approach.

  • The purpose of a sock is to wick away moisture, provide warmth when required, cushion your foot and reduce friction with your shoe or boot.

  • The double-sock method uses a "liner sock" to wick moisture directly from the foot and into the second sock, from where it hopefully passes through the shoe or boot's structure. The equally important second benefit of this method is that the movement between the two socks' touching surfaces reduces friction between the shoe and the foot to a much more effectively than a single sock does.

  • Make sure that your sock(s) have substantial "breathing" components ... polypropylene, Coolmax® polyester, or wool within their blends

  • When trying on new shoes or boots, it's most important that you do so while wearing the pre-determined thickness of the single-sock or combined double-socks that you intend to use.