My 18 year old nephew is going out to Yellowstone to work for the summer. He has sneakers, good pair that fit him correctly, but I don’t know whether those will serve him well while hiking on his days off. What are the benefits of buying actual hiking footwear? Is it imperative to have them?

2 Comments »

1. 

   A good pair of lightweight sneakers will do the trick for a few day hikes and the odd over-nighter. The benifit to buying specifically made hiking runners are that they will probably last a lot longer. Although you read stories about people hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail with a set of Wal-mart runners. The choice really comes down to how big your wallet is and how much of it you want to fork out. Of course if he intends on scrambling up a mountain or crossing numerous snowfields he may want something like a light pair of hiking boots.

   Comment by the_guy_ — July 31, 2009 @ 2:02 am

2. 

   It is not imperative to have hiking boots, but they do give your feet and ankles support that sneakers don’t. If he will be there all summer, my advise is to get him a pair of hiking boots. There are different price ranges to fit your budget..

   Comment by RR — July 31, 2009 @ 4:09 am

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