More backpacking trips are ruined by sore feet than by all other causes combined. Feet need care and protection if they are to carry you and your load mile after mile through the wilderness in comfort. Pounded by the ground below and the weight of you and your pack above, your feet receive harsher treatment than any other part of your body.Purpose of hiking boots.

The main purposes of backpacking footwear are to protect your feet and ankles against bruising and abrasion from rough wilderness terrain, to cushion the soles of your feet from the constant hammering of miles of walking, and to provide good grip on slippery, steep, and wet terrain.

Protection for the sole of the foot comes from layers of cushioning; these must be thick enough to prevent stones from bruising the feet, but soft enough to allow a natural toe-to-heel flex. Thick soles also insulate against snow and cold ground, and the heat of desert sand and rock. The tread cut out of the outer sole offers grip; the best grips not only give security on rough terrain bit also minimize damage to the ground.

Footwear should also provide support for your foot and ankle, though this is less important than some people think. Support comes from a fit that is snug enough to stop the foot from slipping around inside the shoe, bit not so tight that it prevents the foot from expanding as it swells.Types and recommended uses.

1. Lightweight boots (2-3 pounds)
   • This is the most popular footwear category. Includes most synthetic/suede boots and a few leather ones.
   • Uses: Day hikes, and short backpacking trips.
   • Advantages/disadvantages: The advantages of lightweights are comfort and weight. However, they are not very waterproof (except, for a while, those with sock liners), and the seams are vulnerable.
   • Construction: They have many of the design features of running shoes, along with a higher ankle, rands (either full or just at the toe and heel), cushioned linings, sewn-in tongues, and, on some models, graded flexible mid-soles and half-length shanks.
2. Medium-weight boots (2-4 pounds)
   • Uses: Medium-weight boots are good for mountain and winter back-packing where cold, wet weather is expected and crampons may be needed. Generally, these boots are designed to cope with rugged, off-trail terrain in any weather.
   • Advantages/disadvantages: The best models combine the durability and support of traditional boots with the long-term comfort of the new designs. The proper fitting of medium-weight boots is critical, and a short break-in period is advisable.
   • Construction: Although many have one-piece leather constrictions, some models are fabric/leather combinations. Most medium-weight boots incorporate a sole-stiffener - either graded nylon midsoles or half-length shanks, or both - and can be fitted with crampons for hard snow and ice. The best ones are made on curved lasts and feature one-piece top-grain leather, synthetic linings, padded sewn-in tongues, heel counters, toe boxes, footbeds, and shock-absorbing midsoles or dual-density outsoles. Many also include waterproof/breathable sock liners.
3. Heavyweight and traditional boots (4 pounds and up)
   • Having almost disappeared in the early 1980s with the success of the new lightweights for walking and plastic footwear for mountaineering, heavyweight boots (4 pounds and up) have enjoyed something of a comeback for general mountaineering.
   • Uses: Wear these boots for mountaineering - trips that combine hiking with scrambling or easy rock climbing, and the need to wear crampons for long periods - the type carried out on easy Alpine snow ascents in summer. In these situations or when traversing narrow rock ledges, light- and medium-weight footwear is too soft and flexible, while plastic boots are too rigid on easier terrain.
   • Advantages/disadvantages: Heavyweights require a considerable breaking in period. They can be uncomfortable and tiring to walk in. However, they provide the needed durability for rugged terrain and extended crampon use. For these reasons, they are only really appropriate for serious mountaineering.
   • Construction: Traditional heavyweight designs with leather midsoles, full- or three-quarter-length steel shanks, thick one-piece uppers, Vibram Montagna soles, and Norwegian welts are still available. These designs have been improved, however, by including lighter-weight features such as graded nylon midsoles, footbeds, synthetic lining, curved soles, and shock-absorbing heel inserts.

Boots: Caring for Your Boots

Boots: Which Boots to Buy?