UKC

Hi all, 

I would like to start doing some long distance hiking, 100 miles+ (e.g. West Highland Way, Tour de Mont Blanc etc), and as my current - Berghaus - walking boots are not specifically designed for long distance trekking, I thought I might need a new pair that is suited for the job, as I’ve never hiked more than 40 miles in one go. For now, I’m probably looking for more of a 3-season boot.

I wasn’t sure on what features I would need on these boots e.g. do I need to get a boot with more ankle support?

Does anyone have any recommendations for women’s long distance hiking boots or any advice on how to pick which ones? It would be greatly appreciated! 

Many thanks

personally find boots uncomfortable over long distance as too heavy and feet get too hot, especially in summer. I wear trail shoes - my feet love the salomon sense 6 SG at the moment. light, grippy, comfy. Wear them on multiple long days in the hills and easy scrambles/via ferrata etc.

Agree with bedrock. I also use lightweight shoes not boots for long distance walking. For the WHW trail shoes or trail running shoes would be appropriate (I wear Asics Sonomas). The problem with 3-season boots is that your feet will hurt doing long days on relatively flat trails and are more likely to blister. With any shoe or boot though its good to try them out for a few days before going on your long hike.

Brian

Well i would say you don't need a special long distance boot, if such a thing exists. Just a comfortable pair of well fitting hiking boots (if your hike involves snow or crossing glaciers prob get boots that can take crampons, but the guide centre in Zermatt just gave us some plastic thing with studs for the front of the boot when crossing the glacier on the TMR) . I have seen people do long hikes in trail shoes/ runners. 

Running shoes / trainers all the way. I use Nike Zoom Wildhorse and they are brilliant, light and grippy across all terrain. 

Check out blog posts from the pct and the like, they have loads of info on such things. 

Safe travels ,

S

I thoroughly recommend Meindl Bhutan 3 season walking boots. I have had 2 pairs over the last few years and they are the most comfortable and most robust boots I've ever owned. They also really are waterproof yet breathable being leather with a gortex lining.

They do a Ladies version:

https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/meindl-womens-bhutan-mfs-boot-B2122367.ht...

They are not cheap at just over £200, but Cotswold Outdoors will give a 15% BMC member's discount. They are robust hard wearing and suitable for most conditions. I've worn mine for long distance walks from mountains to desert, and they are equally fine on roads to scrambling. I have never got a blister wearing them.

I am in the minority on this thread so far, in that I can't walk far in walking shoes or trainers, and much prefer walking in boots. I don't find them too heavy or too hot, but I accept that it is a personal thing. I find one pair of good quality walking socks is enough. You can also adjust the foot bed insole to suit yourself, your own foot shape and the amount of arch support you like. I have flat feet, and I replace manufacturers insoles with Ortho-soles which are really comfortable - they cost about £25 for a pair.

Because footwear is such a personal thing you may find that it will take trial and error to find the sort of boot or trail shoe and/or insole, or whatever that really suits you, which I appreciate can prove expensive, but one thing I have learned over the years is don't persevere with footwear which continues to be uncomfortable.' or you will suffer.

Good luck.

If your current boots fit well and are comfortable I'd stick with them. I've walked 200 miles in a pair of lightweight fabric boots. My current boots that I will be doing the Southern Upland Way in are a lightweight leather pair, probably very similar to your Berghaus 

Thank you very much, I haven’t actually done any long distance walks in shoes, only boots. I’ll take a look at the ones you recommend! 

Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the advice, I’ll look into some trails shoes and I’ll check out the ones you recommend. Thanks again!

Thanks a lot for the advice. As some one who struggles with blisters, I will definitely be checking out some trail shoes. I think they are probably the best option. Would trail shoes still be appropriate for March/May season (Scotland)??

The right boot is the one that fits you best and is the most comfortable to walk in.  Specific model reccomendations from me would be meaningless.  Other than needing a reliable build quality, there is no specific requirements for multi day use.

Personally I have always used boots rather than lighter shoes for multiday, partly because I prefer ankle protection and partly because I don't like getting bog and gravel in my shoes.  I'm sure the boots I did most of my distance walking would count as B2 leather boots in modern terminology.

I'm not sure there's such a thing as 'long distance hiking boot' - just boots of various weights and stiffnesses that will make them more or less suitable for a particular long distance walk at a particular time of year.

As is already clear from this thread, the debate re shoes versus boots has arguments in favour on either side. Fundamentally it's a personal choice based on what works for you in a given situation. There's no one answer, you have to expect some trial and error in pursuit of your own opinion.

As others have said (but it bears repetition) - more important than anything else is footwear that fits you comfortably. If you're coming at this from scratch then you may have to try more or less every shoe/boot in the shops on before deciding on a particular model. And whatever you do, don't set out on a big walk in a boot/shoe that you haven't already got some decent mileage in!

For what it's worth (no more than anyone else's), my own preference is for trail shoes on predominantly hard, well drained surfaces and in dry above-zero weather. However if it's cold, wet, boggy, if there's a lot of rough off-trail ground, or if there's a fair bit of snow on the ground, then I would be inclined to opt for boots. Carrying heavy packs puts a lot of strain on feet/ankles, so if you're new to that then something more supportive may be good at least initially.

The precise distance would be secondary for me to all of the above considerations, though all else being equal I do find shoes more comfy for multi-day walking.

On the WHW it'd be shoes every time for me, even in winter. It's mostly gravel bashing on very easy surfaces, and I'd always prefer the lightness and cushioning of a sturdy trail running shoe for that sort of thing. I'd just accept wet feet as the tradeoff and bring enough socks.

On something much tougher and wetter like the Cape Wrath Trail - especially in spring with snowmelt and the possibly a lot of snow patches to cross, and the likelihood I'd climb mountains along the way - then the choice would be a lot harder for me and I can see myself going for boots. 

For the TMB I can't say. I guess it'd depend how early in summer I was doing it, and thus how much snow I could reasonably expect to be walking on over the high passes. If you are kicking steps or need crampons then as a rule you've exceeded the remit of a shoe (there's always someone who'll disagree of course).

In terms of choosing trail shoes, this group test from last year could be a good place to start: https://www.ukhillwalking.com/gear/reviews/mountain_footwear/trail_running_...

And while I'm recommending material from the archives, there's this article on how to walk the TMB which could be useful: https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/destinations/how_to_walk_the_tour_du...

That pretty much summarises my current thinking, a month ahead of walking the Pennine Way again. When I last walked it, 7 years ago, I opted for a pair of Inov-8 trail shoes. This time, I'm probably going to opt for a pair of Scarpa Delta boots instead.

I was blessed with good weather, and fairly dry conditions, on the  previous trip. However, there are certainly sections of the PW that would be fairly miserable to walk in trail shoes if the weather wasn't so kind and the ground saturated.