Don't Buy Hiking Shoe Advice



If a website or video tells you that you have to buy a certain hiking shoe, they are full of crap. Every backpacker and every hike is different. That means a one size fits all approach is a lie and what’s good for one person may be a disaster for the next.

Midwest Backpacker Merch:
https://midwest-backpacker.creator-spring.com

Follow Midwest Backpacker on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/MidwestBackpacker

Follow Midwest Backpacker on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/midwest_backpacker/

Gear I frequently Use:
Backpack – Waymark Ultra 38L EVLV and Waymark Framed Thru 40L
https://waymarkgearco.com

Hammock – Warbonnet Ridgerunner –
https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com​

Rain Fly – 13′ Warbonnet Thunder Fly and Mountain Fly-
https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com​

Tent – Zpacks Duplex –
Duplex Tent

Top Quilts-
UGQ Outdoors 20 Degree Bandit –
https://ugqoutdoor.com/top-quilts/ban…

Hammock Gear O, 20, and 40 Degree Burrows-
https://hammockgear.com​

Under Quilts-
Warbonnet Outdoors 40 Degree Lynx Underquilt
https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com​

Loco Libre 20 and -20 Degree Ridge Reapers with 900 – fill power goose down – https://www.locolibregear.com​

Garmin In-Reach Mini Communicator
https://amzn.to/3A29lxJ

MSR Mini Groundhog Stakes –
https://amzn.to/35w1Wwd

Brooks Cascadia 16 Trail Runners –
https://amzn.to/3pKo50A

Anker Power Banks –
https://amzn.to/2Uxx2xv

Nitecore NU25 Headlamp –
https://amzn.to/3vPU9Ao

Hilltop Packs Custom Printed Food Bag and Custom Printed Dual Pocket Gadget Bag –
https://www.hilltoppacks.com/#/

REI Magma 850 Hooded Down Jacket (seasonal) –
https://www.rei.com​

Sea to Summit Compression Dry Sack
https://www.rei.com/product/867058/se…

Cascade Mountain Tech Hiking Poles-
https://amzn.to/35PfrDr

Toaks 550ML Cook Pot-
https://amzn.to/3qycNfb

Fancy Feast Stove-
https://youtu.be/JkgbwOs3oyE​

Toaks Long Handle Spoon
https://amzn.to/3j30HJ8

REI Rainpants –
https://www.rei.com/product/137186/re…

Enlightened Equiptment Visp Rain Jacket –
https://enlightenedequipment.com/mens-visp-rain-jacket-stock/

Sealskinz Waterproof Socks –
https://amzn.to/2PAEEfZ

CNOC 2 Liter Water Bag –
currently unavailable

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter –
https://amzn.to/2TYmPK6

Sit Pad –
https://amzn.to/3hOliz2

Camera- iphone 12 Pro Max

External Microphone – Shure AMV88-
https://amzn.to/38GEuut

Ultrapod Lightweight Camera Tripod-
https://amzn.to/3qm3wq6

Noxgear39g Bluetooth Speaker –

39g

Pump-
https://amzn.to/3HtFzUZ

Peak Refuel Freeze Dried Meals (Used BCE15 Discount Code for 15% off)
https://peakrefuel.com/

Down Socks-
Down Socks by Goosefeet Gear

Water Proof Gloves-
https://www.go2marine.com/showa-282-temres-gloves

Lite AF Fanny Pack-

Feather Weight Fanny Packs

Permethrin-
http://www.thetickterminator.com

#hikingshoes #backpackingshoes #backpackinggear

source

22 Replies to “Don't Buy Hiking Shoe Advice”

  1. Right on. I always wear mid-cut boots when hiking, even on flat trails. I also wear boots with a stiff midsole. Why? Because I have Achilles tendonitis and it will flare up if I wear anything else. I also have boney ankles, so I need boots that don't rub when fully laced (Scarpa Kailash GTX is my home run boot for 3 seasons, and I switch to Danner insulated boots for winter hiking). I've met hikers on the Appalachian Trail who were wearing flip flops! Whatever works for the individual.

  2. I'm searching for the perfect boot for all terrains and all conditions for backpacking/hiking/camping/survival/shtf/end-of-the-world and everyday urban use. Budget is up to around £350. Any suggestions?

  3. Did you just plug a rapper? 😂

  4. kjh lk says:

    I am looking for sandals to wear and sneakers after ankle surgery.

  5. Great video! I work at REI (not in the footwear section though), and you are 100% correct. Everyone's feet are different and unique.

  6. Redorable says:

    damn when you said pronate i remembered kevin hart 😭

  7. Rodc says:

    Only three, I'm impressed! I think the two most important points are, everyone's feet are different so you have to make sure whatever you get they fit your feet. And, think about the type of hiking you want to do, different shoes/boots excel at different things. But in the end, if you become even half serious, you are going to end up with more than one pair (more than one pack too!)

  8. Great Video. Thank Yuo!. New Subscriber!

  9. D Johnson says:

    Thanks! Direct and to the point!

  10. DON'T BUY THE NORTH FACE BOOTS!!! they r totally garbage.
    And I'm writing that from experience.

  11. Antonio says:

    Thank you amazing thoughtful suggestion

  12. Wear shoes / boots whatever your preference is but always make sure you feel like Rambo/ badass when questing and hiking up them trails

  13. bleedingfly says:

    Shoes are for pussies.

  14. You are so right! Everybody should listen to the reaction of the own feet on a particular shoe. If your feet are weak, you need stable hiking boots, but the main reason for weak feet is wearing too stable and too tight shoes for a too long time. In my case, I make dayhikes with a heavy photo-backpack every weekend since 30 years and have strong feet. I always found stiff hiking boots as strongly recommended by outdoor shops by far too stiff and uncomfortable. At the beginning, I once badly twisted my ankle while wearing stiff hiking boots, and it lasted a few years to fully recover. Then I made a lot of training to get strong and flexible feet, walk barefoot at home, and changed to trail-running shoes. What a great improvement! Now my feet are stronger and more flexible than ever before, and all foot issues which I had when I was young went away. I wear hiking boots only in winter time with a lot of snow and at very challenging high-mountain hikes.

  15. I do watch shoe review videos before buying however I only follow/subscribe to channels where reviewers are of the same build, pronation, running distance, skill level, terrain types and have the same preference for running shoe comfort as me. Sounds like a needle in a haystack but it is so worth the search because they tend to compare with their favorite pairs and it is a good yardstick. My husband swears by the Cascadia too and finds my shoes too soft 😂 then I realized the weight and build of the wearer matters most. He said in mine, his feet tend to get lazy.

  16. M. Monta says:

    It looks weird when you don’t look into the camera. 😅

  17. Maochan81 says:

    Finally a good advice. It took me a while to settle on hiking specific hiking shoes. What also might happen is that you like a shoe, but the durability sucks. Inov-8 parkclaw was my 1st hiking shoe but they fell apart after two month. Even though i liked them, i'm not buying another inov-8 shoes. Then i was searching for the wide toe box (but not barefoot minimalist) and there's not much to choose from. Ended up with Altra lone peak which i wear like 80% of the time, they're not perfect but to closest to what i like. Still…when i want to go longer distances or plan to run a bit more, i take the Olympus for more cushioning. Although i don't like how "tanky" they are, i need the cushion.
    I also realized very quickly that i hate gore-tex shoes. I feel like i have a foil wrapped around my feet and get sweaty very quickly. But I definitely see how others would love gore-tex or hate the wide toe box/zero drop of the altras.

  18. ogarza3 says:

    So much click bait, trail runners are good for long walks on easy terrain, the moment you are hitting rocky, uneven terrain then the hiking boot is king.

  19. Joseph Juno says:

    I had narrow size 12 in USMC Boot Camp. Over the years my Arches collapsed? Now I have Flat feet Wide 14! I nant wear Vasque ! I need Wide arch it's instep is far too narrow! I have to try Alot of shoes or boots to find a comfortable pair, even from the same brand?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

scroll to top