Walking/trail shoes?

[326MOD10]

As stated many times above Merrells are wonderful! And they last.

If looking at a walking shoe I would take a look at Brooks, but those are more just for walking and not necessarily for trails, etc...

My recent experience with New Balance has been they aren't holding up like they used to. I am on my feet a bunch at work and the last ones I had didn't make it long. Although I used to swear by them.

 

[snubbyfan]

Back in my backpacking days the best boot was the Vasque Clarion 5 Goretex lined mid weight hiker. I wore the outsole down, had them resoled and hiked in them until they literally fell apart.
Great all weather boot.


They might be a bit much for a 3-7 mile trail hike but they should fall within your budget. Dunno if they're made anymore.

My wife and I hike the local mountain trails and we both find that Timberland mid rise boots give us good ankle support and sufficient traction when the trails go up or down.

5-11 boots are pretty good for hiking or trail walking but I like to keep the leather shiny so I don't wear them on the trail very often.


My advice it to try a few on and see how they feel. I would suggest some ankle support. A rolled ankle really sucks.

 

[snubbyfan]

Shoot snubbyfan a PM. I'll bet Wayne has done the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe by hiking the hills of WV. I know he doesn't do it barefooted.

At least that far. I started hiking and backpacking way back when I was in the Boy Scouts over 45 years ago.
I've gone many miles on the Appalachian Trail. Sometimes for a week at a time.

 

[CH4]

Another fan of Keens. I am an avid backpacker/trekker - been all over the world. They're my first choice for comfort and durability.

 

[KalamazooKid]

I think by far the best advice is take the 3-4 popular brands mentioned here and go try some on. That's how I settled on Merrell many years ago - but something else might strike your fancy. There's a LOT of shoes/boots in your price range.

I have these mid height hikers on today -very light weight and incredibly comfortable.

 

[somorris]

Contrary to a lot of folks here, I am not a fan of Moab's. I bought a "waterproof" pair. My feet got wet once the shoes were broken in pretty good and they wore out fairly quickly. No more Moab's for me. I won't buy anything that doesn't have "Goretex" in the description.

 

[tomhenry]

I wear Lowa Renegades. I have numerous other brands, but these are far and away the best.

 

[Bald1]

Contrary to a lot of folks here, I am not a fan of Moab's. I bought a "waterproof" pair. My feet got wet once the shoes were broken in pretty good and they wore out fairly quickly. No more Moab's for me. I won't buy anything that doesn't have "Goretex" in the description.

Not sure what model Moab's I have. I know there are a few. But mine were never advertised as waterproof. But for $70 you can't have it all. That being said , I did spray mine with plain old Walmart silicone and other than submerging foot in water , they don't leak.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Not sure what model Moab's I have. I know there are a few. But mine were never advertised as waterproof. But for $70 you can't have it all. That being said , I did spray mine with plain old Walmart silicone and other than submerging foot in water , they don't leak.

As with many brands, Merrell has both Gore-Tex and non. Mine pictured above are Gore-Tex and therefore cost about $130-$140 ($170 on their website).

Men - Moab Speed Mid GORE-TEX(R) - Boots | Merrell

 

[islamoradamark]

i like zamberlan they are still made in Italy good quality. used to wear some other boots that were bran name but once they got bought out by a big country in the far east the quality went down hill. If you are patient you can get a good deal on flea bay

 

[BAM-BAM]

Merrell Moab's, best thing you can put on your feet. I love mine and I'm hard to fit . The Moab's come in a lot of different width's, sizes, and styles.

using them for the past 6 or 7 years....GTG

 

[prairieviper]

I found that for me, Merrell Jungle Moc's is a good, all-around shoe for everyday wear. I would want something else for seriously rough terrain but for casual trails like you commonly see in city and state parks, they work fine.

 

[cmj8591]

Merrell Chameleon's are my go to, day to day, trail walking shoe. Once you try Merreell's, you won't want anything else. For hunting and rough terrain, cold weather woods walking I use a pair of well worn, Danner Powderhorn's. When the hunt gets wet and swampy, Muck Woody Max are the most comfortable boots I've used. When I'm sitting on the couch on a cold day looking out the window thinking about hunting, it's a pair of Sorell sheep skin slippers.

 

[JJEH]

Having worn high top leather construction boots for work and hunting for over 50 years,,And cheap tennis shoes for everything else except when dressing up,,
I am now looking for a good pair of walking / hiking shoe or boot, walking the trails and paths (3-7) miles with the wife
So any of you do any walking on trails ,,and if so what are your favorite shoe or boot?
Trying to keep price south of $150
Thanks for any opinions

I can highly recommend the Salomon QUEST 4D GORE-TEX FORCES 2 boots. They are very comfortable and keep your feet protected.

They start out stiff and it took me about 2 weeks (or 15-20 miles) to break them in, but now they are with one of the most comfortable boots I ever had.

Cost a tad more than you want to spend but it's worth it. I got them in the same size as my athletic shoes and I have zero complaints!

Quest 4d Gore-Tex Forces 2 - Unisex Forces Shoes | Salomon

They come in different colors and cost a bit less without the gore tex.