Hiking footwear…which one is best?

Seeking Advice
1

Here’s a lineup of hiking shoes from left to right:
image

  • La Sportiva Ultra Raptor, UK 9 (wide)
  • Salewa Alp Trainer 2, UK 9
  • Altberg Micro Lite, UK 9
  • Altra Torin 6, UK 8.5
  • Asics Novablast 3, UK 9

I noticed that my feet spread out more in the Altras and Asics. From the imprint, I think I should actually be a size 9 in the Altras.

What surprised me is that the La Sportiva, even in the wide version, is narrower than the Salewa, especially around the midfoot area.

I don’t really feel much difference between the Salewa and La Sportiva in terms of comfort. Both are great.

I ended up buying Salewa Ortles for winter hikes and scrambles (these can handle crampons). I also got the Salewa MTN Trainers for regular hikes.

The Meindl boots recommended to me were about £100 more than the Salewa and lacked a key feature for me: a rubber rand. I’m always kicking rocks, and leather boots without that extra protection get torn up pretty quickly.

I’m thinking of returning the Ultra Raptors because I don’t like the toe area. The rubber seems like it’ll peel off quickly, and again, no rand.

The only downside with Salewa is the color options, but I plan on dyeing them black with some leather dye to make them look better.

Thanks for reading!

2

Nice comparison and thanks for sharing the photo! Do the colors really matter if they’re just hiking shoes though?

3

Murphy said:
Nice comparison and thanks for sharing the photo! Do the colors really matter if they’re just hiking shoes though?

Haha, I meant the color of the shoes, not the insoles.

4

@Finley
Ohh! My bad, I misunderstood.

5

Altra shoes are the best, no doubt. Your toes don’t even look fully spread out in them yet. It might take time, especially if you’ve been wearing more restrictive shoes for years. After wearing Altras for a while, I can barely stand anything else.

6

@Indigo
Totally agree, but the durability of the uppers is terrible.

7

Finley said:
@Indigo
Totally agree, but the durability of the uppers is terrible.

They’re super comfy, but mine only last about a year before they start falling apart. Not the best value for money.

8

@Blake
I love my Altras for trail running, but I also use HOKA SpeedGoats. I can run more miles in the SpeedGoats before they wear out, but my body (knees, feet, ankles) feels better in Altras. Altra’s Experience series with a bit of drop is great because the 0-drop used to wreck my calves on long runs.

I rotate between different shoes to let the foam recover. If anyone’s looking for HOKA SpeedGoat 5s, I just found some at Ross for $50!

9

@Hart
Thanks! That’s an amazing deal, even if they’re an older version.

10

Hadi said:
@Hart
Thanks! That’s an amazing deal, even if they’re an older version.

I actually prefer the 5s over the 6s. I think the tongue on the 6s is worse.

11

Finley said:
@Indigo
Totally agree, but the durability of the uppers is terrible.

Yeah, the quality has really gone downhill. I switched to Topo and have been much happier.

12

@Indigo
Exactly this! I bought Altras for hiking and ended up getting another pair for everyday wear. I can’t stand my old Sauconys anymore.

13

From my experience with thousands of miles hiking, I recommend skipping all of those brands and going for Lowa, Scarpa, or Asolo. First thing to do is throw out the insoles and replace them with Superfeet.

14

@Winslow
Scarpa doesn’t fit my heel properly, and I have the same issue with Aku. Asolo is hard to find, and I do like Lowa and Meindl.

But Salewa has been the most comfortable so far, giving the best mix of comfort and durability.

15

@Finley
What about Zamberlan?

16

From my experience, you should size up.

17

Reagan said:
From my experience, you should size up.

Do you think I should go for size 10s? I was measured as a 9.

18

Finley said:

Reagan said:
From my experience, you should size up.

Do you think I should go for size 10s? I was measured as a 9.

It’s common to size up a half-size from your measured size in many brands, except for certain models. For example, Meindl and Zamberlan sometimes require you to size down.

19

@Linden
I’ve been fine in size 9s—never lost a toenail after a long hike, though I do have a hammer toe, probably because my feet get squished in my Asics.

20

Finley said:
@Linden
I’ve been fine in size 9s—never lost a toenail after a long hike, though I do have a hammer toe, probably because my feet get squished in my Asics.

Hammer toe is only going to get worse with time and tight shoes. It’s a miracle you haven’t lost any toenails yet!