IN PRAISE OF BIG HIKING BOOTS

story and photos by Murray Selleck​

They're a touch heavy. They're stout and strong and beefy. They have covered some tough terrain over more miles than I can count. They are my full-grain leather, Goretex, durable, rockered, ankle protecting, Vibram soled Scarpa Zanskar* hiking boots.
 
When I hike I don't leave home without them!
 
I've had these boots for years and they show little wear and tear despite the heavy use. Full-grain leather offers a very durable boot construction. Cuts and scrapes into the leather do little to affect the life of the boot. If I relied on lightweight trail shoes these past years, I probably would have bought and replaced at least five or six pairs instead of relying on my single pair of leather boots. The math and money quickly reveal you get what you pay for.
 
The weight of a full-grain leather boot, of course, will ​be more than a trail running shoe or lightweight hiker. Perhaps it is my mindset or that the benefits of this kind of boot are so ingrained into my thinking I don't notice the weight. I haven't felt any more tired at the end of the day than any of my hiking partners due to the weight of my footwear. I do know that often some of my hiking buddies wearing softer footwear are bit slower when the pace when we're navigating a steep boulder field or traversing a slippery angled slope of scree.

“Fast and Light” is the mantra of many a hiker, however, the rest of that story might include “fast to wear out and fast to replace.” I believe there is much to say about sustainability and durability and that includes my choice in footwear.
 
My leather boots are strong torsionally and the sole protects my feet from sharp stones and sharp edged boulders. I can pretty much step anywhere with confidence. I don't feel the boot sole folding over rocks and I can edge into a loose traverse keeping my footing. The boot sole creates a strong platform that supports my foot. The benefit is my feet don't get beat up during big mileage days.
 
An additional benefit to footwear with good torsional sole strength is protecting your ankles from a nasty twist or sprain. Soft trail running shoes or lightweight hikers that can be twisted like a wet sponge offer little in protecting you from a sprained ankle. I like a long, injury-free hiking season! The fact that my boots are waterproof speaks to their multi-seasonal functionality. Early spring hikes when snowdrifts as big as whales attempt to block the trail, I find it easy to stay on route. I can easily kick into drifts and snowfields creating a secure staircase of steps.  When summer monsoons dump not only rain, but also hail and grapple turning dusty trails into liquid channels of water and mush, my feet stay dry. And in the fall, when an early snow tries to cut the hiking season short, a Goretex waterproof boot (or equivalent) extends the hiking season until we happily replace our hiking boots with skis and snowshoes! 

Lightweight, breathable, non-waterproof shoes in any of these situations will have your socks soaked and feet cold and miserable. Long ago I learned hiking when your feet feel like cold stumps and you can no longer feel the trail beneath frozen feet is no way to happily cover distance. In fact, you just can't get home quick enough.

The Vibram soles on my boots have plenty of tread life left and the secure traction the boot sole provides is a wonderful thing. As mentioned above, when your boots have a nice lugged sole with bombproof traction stepping up and on to teeter-tottering boulders is easy. Keeping your footing while on snowfields or tromping along slushy trails is just what you do. No hesitation, no route finding dilemma, just do it!
 
Most leather boots have a rockered sole. That is the sole is pretty flat along the length of your boot but up toward the toes the sole bends upward. This is called rocker. Rocker helps propel you forward. There is a designed mechanical benefit built into the boot sole to roll your stride forward comfortably even in a beefy leather boot. Rocker offers a very natural walking feel to the boots.
 
My Scarpa boots are cut above my ankle bones. Those of you who like to hike in trail running shoes are cringing. However, it has been a very long time since the outside of my ankles have clipped a trailside rock sending me cringing, cursing and hopping up and down the trail with tears in my eyes. Above-the-ankle cut boots offer more ankle bone protection.
 
And when the time comes, my boots will be able to be resoled. New rubber. New tread. New life! Rocky Mountain Resole in Salida, Colorado does a terrific job at extending the life of many kinds of boots. As long as I keep the uppers in reasonable shape, a new Vibram sole can be applied. One small step for man, one giant leap for keeping your favorite boots!
 
I believe most hikers have forgotten how versatile a leather boot can be. The trend in footwear for hiking over the past decade has been to use trail running shoes. I won't argue that point. What I will argue for is that if you are not convinced a leather hiking boot is in your future at the very least make sure your trail running shoes or light hikers are waterproof.
 
Leave No Trace Ethics teach us to stay on the trail. If there is a muddy bog or puddle we should walk right through it splishing and splashing. Leave No trace teaches you to prepare for your hike or backpack trip before you leave. A big part of preparation is proper footwear.
 
Walking around mud puddles only widens the trail. Or worse yet, multiple parallel trails are created as hikers detour farther afield just to keep their shoes from getting wet. Trampling fragile vegetation and creating unintended trails is not good. Think. Plan. Prepare. And hike as if you are the first but not the last!
 
*The Scarpa Zanskar is no longer in production. However, the Scarpa Kinesis Pro GTX, Kailash Plus GTX, and Terra GTX are all great leather boot choices.

Murray Selleck moved to Colorado in 1978. In the early 80s he split his time working winters in a ski shop in Steamboat Springs and his summers guiding on the Arkansas River. His career in the specialty outdoor industry continued for more than 30 years.
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Needless to say, he has witnessed decades of change in outdoor equipment and clothing. Steamboat Springs continues to be his home.
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This piece of original content was sponsored by our Estes Park business partners including Affinity Massage & Wellness Center, The Country Market and Images of RMNP