Choosing the Right Footwear for Hiking

Any hiking enthusiast knows the importance of choosing the right outdoor footwear before heading out on an exciting adventure. With the proper hiking boots, you can easily traverse any rough roads and steep mountains. The great outdoors can be very unpredictable. Even if you start your trip on a sunny weather, there is still a big chance that it might rain. This sudden change can greatly affect your trip.

When it comes to choosing the right boots, it is highly recommended if you start by determining what kind of hiker you really are. Will you be crossing a terrain that is light and has less vegetation? Will you be taking your trip on a summer day? Are you climbing rocky and steep mountain rangers? These are just some of the questions that you need to consider when choosing the right shoes.

Check out this short post to learn more about the choosing your next hiking boots.

Selecting the cut and weight
Hiking boots are usually categorized based on their cuts. The rule of thumb is that the higher the boot cut, the heavier the footwear.

Low-cut
As a lightweight boot, this one is perfect for casual strolls on your local woods during a dry weather. Its main characteristics are soft, flexible, and breathable. These boots only reach slightly above the ankle, so it offers great support to your feet.

Mid-cut
These are medium weight shoes that are ideal for longer hikes on tough terrain with higher vegetation. It has a higher level of ankle support, and most products are water-proof to help hikers survive sudden weather changes.

High-cut
This is the heaviest boot among the three categories. Commonly known as mountaineering boots, these are specially designed for extremely difficult terrain and tough weather conditions. They offer great protection to your feet, but they are not as breathable as low-cut shoes.

Choosing the Fabric
These are commonly made from leather or synthetic fabric.

Of course, leather is more expensive than its other counterpart. They are also more durable and well-suited for longer trips across tough terrain. Unfortunately, they are not that breathable. You might feel some discomfort while wearing it on a hot summer day.

Synthetic shoes, meanwhile, are lighter and cheaper compared to the former. These are ideal to wear during casual day trips.

These are just some of the factors that you need to consider when choosing the right hiking footwear. If you know other useful tips, feel free to share them in the comments section!

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Columbia Hiking Boots: Ideal for Tropical Treks

For an adventure traveler, his boots or shoes are possibly one of his most important accessories. And especially for people who head for holidays towards forests and mountains. A good pair of shoes make a huge difference for me, which is why I do a lot of research before investing in one. Some months back, I bought a pair of hiking boots (Champex OutDry) from Columbia Sportswear. And I ended up using them in my travels, treks, backpacking expeditions and much more. These shoes are very comfortable, especially while trekking in the tropical forests and mountains of India. They sport a low profile, no nonsense build, with a grip that won’t quit and with awesome cushioning. Below is a detailed review of these hiking boots.

 
1) Completely Waterproof: I used these hiking boots while trekking the forests in the monsoons and have to say that they always kept my feet dry. This is due to the OutDry feature of the boots.

2) Stunning Grip: While trekking, it is imperative that we trust our shoes, else, we will always grapple in fear. I used these boots in slippery terrain, in slush, on slippery rocky surfaces and have to say that it has left me seriously impressed. It’s Omni-Grip Outsole non-marking traction rubber does its job exceedingly well.

3) Great Cushioning: On treks and especially when you carry weight on your shoulders, it is essential that your boots come with great cushioning else, either your boots wear out very quickly or your feet tire out quickly. With these boots, I jumped rocks, carried heavy packs and basically used it very roughly and in spite of it, neither my feet or my boots suffered. This is because the boots come with Techlite Fluidframe Footbed/Midsole Techlite technology that provides sensational cushioning and stress distribution.

4) Lightweight Construction: Generally, most of the boots are of pretty beefy construction. But, this one is surprisingly lightweight and this ensures that my feet are not much tired at the end of the trek.


5) Stylish Looking: While these boots are perfectly at home in the forests and mountains, they are also great for informal hangouts, city walks and motorcycle rides as they look stylish and cool.

6) Protective Toe Cap and Mud Guard: For clumsy walkers like me who bang into stones and rocks, such protective features always come in handy. Else, I would have broken some toes of mine by now.

7) Great Ankle Support: If you are doing tough treks or if have a clumsy style of trekking, then an ankle support always come in handy. Personally, I have always preferred tall boots with ankle support to normal sized boots with no or limited ankle support. To me, this feature makes a huge difference at the end of a trek as my ankle hardly sees any suffering.

8) Great Value for Money: At a time when most good quality running shoes from reputed brands in India cost upwards of INR 15,000, these great quality international hiking boots from Columbia Sportswear cost me INR 10,000. And for the quality they provide, I feel that they are a great value for money.

If you are an adventure traveler or a trekker who is looking at active, rugged, waterproof, lightweight, comfortable and reliable hiking boots, then this one might be for you.

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