Best hiking shoes/boots/whatever for women?

I%26#039;m moving to a mountain area pretty soon and want to spend a lot of time hiking...I%26#039;ve never done more than a few hours though and always in sneakers. I want to invest in some good footwear for this but I%26#039;ve no idea what to get. I%26#039;ve heard trail running shoes are more comfortable than boots but that the latter have better ankle support. So any advice (especially from those with size 9 1/2 W feet) would be greatly appreciated!

Best hiking shoes/boots/whatever for women?
footwear is always tricky. i would suggest waiting until you move, then check out the outdoors-type stores in the area. ask local hikers, store employees, etc., what they use. it%26#039;s going to depend heavily on the type of trails (rocky, well-maintained, overgrown, sandy?), how wet the area is, and the quirks of your own feet. for just day-hiking you really don%26#039;t need boots (and i don%26#039;t even wear boots for multi-day backpacking trips). see if you can find a shop with employees who have been trained in how to actually fit a shoe properly, and make sure they will accept returns on used footwear, in case they sell you a pair that make you bust out in blisters. the problem with most sneakers is that the the treads on the shoe tend to be very shallow, which doesn%26#039;t give them much grip on mountain trails. good luck!
Reply:First check to see if there is an REI store near by. that is rei.com their sales people are very good and really know there stuff. Go to the store and try on lots and lots of boots, walk on the treadmill and try them on the fake rocks to make sure the bottoms are stiff enough to not bruise your feet on sharp rocks. Almost all of the boots that REI sells are Gortex, allowing your feet to breath while keeping them absolutely dry. They also have a very good return policy. The boots at REI usually range between $100 to $200 but they are worth it. I hiked for years in regular shoes and in boots that didn%26#039;t fit well, I was amazed at the difference a really great pair of boots makes.
Reply:I highly recommend gortex...or is it cortex...anyways anything with that will keeps your feel warm, comfortable and dry.
Reply:Don%26#039;t know if you%26#039;ve ever worn Crocs or the knock offs but with a pair of socks (heavy if hiking rough terrain) these can be a god send. They are lightweight and if they get wet, no problem and your feet can breathe too. They don%26#039;t offer the rugged support of a hiking boot but if your ankles are not weak you might want to try this.
Reply:I have been wearing Ecco hiking boots for the past couple of years for up to week-long hiking trips. I LOVE them and my dad has even switched and wears them for work too. As mentioned, goretex is really nice to have. Ecco has short and tall boots depending on what you need-I usually wear short, but my friend has bad ankles so he has the same model in talls. Ecco is really good, as a company, about making sure you%26#039;re happy with their product.



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