“If the Shoe Fits”
Now I generally don’t consider myself to be a shoe person. Not in the traditional sense, anyways. Names like Gucci, Prada, and Manolo Blahnik mean nothing to me (I actually had to look them up in order to be able to say that!). Never in my life have I exclaimed “Oh, what a cute shoe!” or willing made a detour to check out a shoe store.
In fact, I really prefer to go barefoot, and have been known to refer to shoes as “feet prisons.” (Although as I get older I’m getting more accepting of giving my feet a little extra protection and support.)
And yet, a close look at my closet revels that I actually own quite a lot of shoes, and not cheap ones either. (Honestly, I think I spend more on shoes than any other part of my wardrobe, with coats and jackets being a close second.)
Sure, I have a handful of professional or dressy shoes that some situations pretty much require you to have. I have one pair of black strappy heels that I only wear once every few years, but I hang on to them so I don’t have to bother finding a new pair the next time I need them.
But most of the shoes I love–and thus spend the most money on–are my practical outdoorsy shoes.
The reasons for this are both practical and sentimental. Our feet carry us miles and miles every day. Starting as soon as we get up, they carry us to our coffee pot, to work, and out on all of our adventures. And since our feet do so much for us, I believe that we should treat them right. Good shoes are important.
Consider one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Now, choosing good shoes is a very personal decision. What makes the best shoe varies wildly from person to person, depending on any given individual’s physical needs, preferences, and lifestyle. So before you decide how seriously to take my recommendations, here is what I look for in a good shoe:
- Comfort is probably my number one priority. I’m looking for a thick, cushy sole to pamper my feet as I spend huge amounts of time on them.
- I also need good arch support. I have very flat arches, which tends to make me somewhat pigeoned toed, so support is a must. Even though I also use Dr. Scholl’s arch orthotics, I prefer my shoes to come with at least some arch support of their own.
- Practicality is also high on my list. My shoes (with the exception of the aforementioned mandatory pair of heels) are made for walking. I look for shoes that can perform in multiple situations, as well as shoes that are easy to clean and ok to get dirty.
- I’m a big believer in finding the right tool for the job, which is part of why I have so many different shoes. A lot changes with the seasons. In the winter, keeping my feet warm and dry is essential, but in the summer breathability becomes important. Good traction is always important, but different surfaces sometimes require different soles.
- Shoes that fit to my heel are a must! No flippy floppies or clogs for me! I need to be able to run, jump, and play at a moment’s notice.
- Finally, I have a personal bias toward shoes that are easy to take on and off. Yes, I’ll admit that laces and straps can be useful in molding a shoe to your feet, but in my day to day life, I need slip-ons. I am constantly running from home to work to other obligations (not to mention more than a few middle of the night fire calls), and honestly anything that takes more than 5 seconds to put on is more of a commitment than I like to make on a regular basis.
So, now you now a little bit about my preferences. On to a few of my favorite shoes!
Starting off with a few Honorable Mentions:
These are not really cut out to be adventure shoes, but I just couldn’t leave them out, because they are the go-tos of my everyday life.
1. Crocs: They look weird. I get it. But their super cushioned sole should not be under appreciated (especially if you happen to work at a pool and walk around on concrete all day).
The regular ones make decent water shoes (better for indoor than for out). Being rubber they dry quickly, and all the holes make them fairly breathable. And the optional heel strap meets requirements of a non-clog. I’ve also never had any issues with odor (common among water shoes), but they do cause squeaky footsteps when wet.
The fleece-lined ones are basically my outdoor slippers. They are a little less secure in the heel, but great for quick trips outside to the garden, the shop, or my truck. And I often wear them to and from work, since I change into my other Crocs when I get there anyway. (Except when there is snow or mud to contend with, in which case I turn to my other go-to, my Muck Boots.)
2. Muck Boots: Just as the Crocs are accused of looking dorky, Muck Boots get a bad rap for being plain and clunky. And yeah, I’ll admit that they definitely aren’t a fashionable shoe, but they are so damn handy I don’t care.
Warm, waterproof, slip-ones, easy to clean, and virtually indestructible, these are my everyday shoes for the cold and messy times of year. The Chores (the taller pair) are perfect for this time of year, when you have to start prepping your yard and garden for summer, but the melting snow and frequent rain have turned all of outside into one giant mud puddle.
The Arctics (the shorter pair with the turquoise) are rated for a little colder weather, and are easy to throw on when you need to shovel your walk or dig out your car in the morning. (They are also great for winter camping, when you have to go outside to pee in the middle of the night.) I had hoped to make these my all around winter boots, but unfortunately their slip-on quality makes it easy to rub blisters (as I learned in White Sulphur Springs).
Ok, now that I’ve shown a little love to a couple of my less adventure-ready favorites, we can move on to the promised list:
My Top 5 Shoes for Outdoor Adventures
**Please Note: All of the shoes shown below are made for women; however, all of the brands have a similar counterpart in men’s shoes.
5. Merrell Trail Runners
These get the lowest ranking on my list largely because I am still trying to find a home for them in my life. I bought them because I wanted to give trail running a try. After all, it seemed like something I would like. I enjoy running and I enjoy hiking trails, so why not save some time and do both things together.
But alas, it turns out that I don’t really enjoy trail running. I found that trying to workout and enjoy nature at the same time wound up detracting from my favorite parts of both, and I prefer to keep them separate.
Because they are comfortable, lightweight shoes with decent support, I hate to waste them, so I have played around with different uses for them. Unfortunately, the thin lightweight sole that makes these perfect for running trails doesn’t really offer enough cushion for walking or running around town, or for other types of workouts. Nor does it provide enough protection or grip to do any sort of rugged or off trail hiking.
They do well enough for hiking on maintained dirt trails in the summer, so they get a little use there, although not a lot, as they have to compete with some of my other shoes. The best use I have found for them is playing running field games like tag or ultimate frisbee (happily I worked for years at a summer camp, where such games were a fairly frequent occurrence).
And obviously, if you are someone who DOES enjoy trail running, these may be the perfect shoe for you. I suppose the moral of the story here is to actually try an activity before I buy the equipment for it.
4. Merrell Moab Hiking Boots
These were a gift just this last Christmas, and are part of an ongoing effort to fill a gap in my collection: a suitable boot for winter outdoor adventures. For most of my life, I’ve used your basic slip on snow boot. My last set was a pair of Columbias that worked pretty well until Rocky apparently took offense to them and chewed them up one night when I was in the shower.
About that time I discovered Muck Boots, which seemed much more durable (and for some reason Rocky doesn’t seem interested in them), and as I mentioned above, I briefly hoped that they would become my next winter boot, but as I began to hike more and more, they just didn’t cut it.
So here we are at my Merrell’s, and they are almost a perfect fit. Almost.
They have a lot of great features, such as a Gortex waterproof liner that keeps my toes warm and dry–priority number one in a winter shoe! They also have a Vibram sole which provides excellent traction on most surfaces (with the exception of pure ice, as I learned in Lolo, but I think that is true of most shoes, and is something that can be easily remedied with a decent pair of ice cleats).
Plus, they offer a comfortable fit with lots of cushion and decent arch support (although I still use an insert), and so far have not rubbed a blister.
The only problem I have with them is that their stiff construction somehow seems to exacerbate my feet’s tendency to roll in (even with the arch support) and the snug support around my ankle–a perk for almost everyone else I know–causes my ankles to consistently hurt after a hike.
I am going to continue to play around with them in the hopes of correcting this flaw, because they are such good shoes otherwise (and any wisdom you might have to offer on the topic would be much appreciated). But I may also look into some taller boots, as I think they may help keep my feet and ankles in line.
For anyone who doesn’t have issues with flat arches or pigeon-toed tendencies, I would definitely recommend these boots.
**A Note Before I Continue: The fact that the two lowest ranked shoes on this list happen to be Merrells does not at all reflect my opinion of the company. I love Merrell and consistently buy their shoes, including some of my more professional work shoes shown here. Their shoes are always comfortable and durable, and I would always recommend them.
3. Keen’s Whisper Sandals
As someone who loves the freedom of being barefoot, it makes sense that sandals would be my preferred type of shoe. And generally speaking, I tend to think less is more in a sandal; the fewer straps, the better. The one exception to that theory is boating.
I love to kayak and paddle board, and living next to a lake, I am lucky enough to be able to do both often. However, most of the beaches in my area are gravel or rock, which can be problematic in sandals. It only takes a few times carrying a boat with a rock in your sandal or catching your unprotected foot on a sharp rock or fin before some sort of more close-toed option starts to become appealing.
Enter my Keens.
Compared to my other shoes, they are definitely lacking in sole cushion and arch support, but they are still way ahead of the curve. And that’s ok, because I never walk long distances in them anyway. They are pretty much exclusively for walking across the beach with a boat to the water, and my feet sure do appreciate the extra protection.
So if you have ever found yourself wishing there was a little more to your sandal, consider giving these a try.
2. Columbia Redmond Low Hiking Shoe
These are my go-to summer hiking shoe. In fact, these are my second pair of this type of shoe from Columbia, which I recently bought when my first pair finally started falling apart after years and years of faithful service.
My Columbia’s are sturdy and thick-soled enough to protect my feet in all terrains from battling through brush to scrambling over rocks. Also equipped with Vibram soles, they have great traction. The arch support is good, although again, I still wear inserts.
The best part for summer is that they are fairly breathable, which keeps my feet from getting uncomfortably hot and sweaty on hot days. And in all these years, I have never rubbed a blister.
The low tops also seem to prevent the ankle problems that I have with the boots, but unfortunately that combined with the breathability make these shoes a poor choice for wading through snow drifts, at least if you were hoping to keep your feet dry. Thus, I cannot hike in these bad boys year round.
But I do frequently also use these shoes for traveling in the spring and fall as their thick soles and nice support make them a great (if somewhat untrendy) walking shoe for exploring cities, like Seattle. I wear these whenever it is a little too chilly to wear my favorite shoe.
And what shoe is that, you may ask?
1. Chaco Sandals!
I love my Chacos! Love, love, love them! They have just about everything.
They have thick comfortable soles that can stand up to the abuse of miles of trail or hours of walking around a city. And they are easy to pack! (They came in handy on our Las Vegas trip.)
Chaco’s arch support is excellent, better than all my other shoes, so I don’t have to worry about the fact that inserts don’t always work great in sandals.
They are nearly as quick and easy to put on as any slip-on, and they have easily adjustable straps that gives them a fit secure enough to play a quick game of frisbee without changing shoes.
Plus, they come in a wide variety of cute stylish patterns that can be adapted to a wide range of social situations (in Montana, at least; we do run a bit on the casual side here).
If I thought I could get away with wearing these year round without getting frostbite, I totally would.
Still, there are a few places where Chacos are just not quite the right shoe. Winter is obviously one of them. Boating is another (see above). And because their wonderful soles can become compacted if you only walk around on hard surfaces, combined with their tendency to smell a little funky when wet, my Crocs got the nod as my preferred pool shoe.
I have also noticed that my Chacos frequently split midway across the sole (always after several years of extreme wear). But I don’t know anyone else who has had that problem. My best guess as to the reason is that I have a tendency to squat rather than lean down when I need to get low, due to some personal back issues. I don’t think this is likely to happen to anyone else, but I’d love to compare notes with anyone else who has experienced it.
Also, Chacos are expensive. They run $90-120 for a sandal. But they are worth it. I promise they are.
They last forever. Even with my weird splitting fluke and considering the fact that I wear mine nearly every day from April to October, I still get about three years 9and hundreds of miles) out of them. I know of other people whose have lasted eight-ten years. Plus Chaco makes it easy to send them back for repairs.
Obviously, I would still prefer to go barefoot, but Chacos are the next best thing.
In Conclusion:
Well, there you have it. All my thoughts on shoes. If you know of any other good shoes that might be a good fit in my practical largely outdoor life style, please let me know below. I look forward to hearing from you.