Hot / warm weather boots options?

[Mabouya]

Summer's here, and I think I need something a bit cooler than the various other boots I use during cooler temps. This wouldn't be for any serious pack hiking, but outdoor walking comfort in hot & humid conditions over non-paved terrain. Somewhere around 6" high is probably my sweet spot for this.

What do you use in warmer weather?

TIA

[vertical_doug]

If it is mostly for walking and light loads, why not just use an approach shoe? It should give you enough protection in the sole, and unless your ankles are really weak, I don't worry about twists.

If you need a little more, go to a mid-height like the arcteryx aerios mid-GTX. Although, the GTX fabric for waterproofing makes it warmer than I like...

[j44ke]

I wear a pair of Scarpa Zen Pros. If it is really hot, I wear some On Cloudventures. The Scarpas have excellent structure - really a low top hiking boot. The On shoes are more of a trail running shoe with an excellent tread pattern and ventilation. If I am working in the woods during the summer, I wear 10” LL Bean Boots. That’s the lightest thing I’ve found with good leg/ankle protection from pointy thorny rocky stuff. I put Superfeet insoles in them to give them arch support. I really need something like a Powerweave (durably ventilated mesh) hiking boot.

[Paul Jacobs]

Shoes, as both the previous two posts say, more or less. I (used to) use boots for skiing and winter mountaineering but for covering terrain I use fell shoes or something similar. I find going downhill quickly, which is the reward for going uphill, much easier in shoes than boots.



The camera person is clearly not a bad descender too.

[spopepro]

Yeah, today’s answer to this is trail runners. It wouldn’t have to be that way, but folks are putting goretex into anything resembling a boot and makes them wholly unsuited for most summer endeavors. The only suggestion I can make is the Solomon x ultra 3 aero. My wife really liked the GTX version of this, but be forewarned, they are comfy, light, and great boots with a limited lifespan.

[guido]

These things are rocking my hiking world...



Great grip and support, light and fast. I haven't done a stream crossing but they handle rain, deep puddles and mud just fine...

[j44ke]

I just looked at the On website, and it appears they have a new (to me at least) pair of lightweight, non-Gortex hiking shoes for warm weather. If they are like other On shoes, they'll look a bit dorky but be very comfortable. Their sizing is highly variable (like 1/2 to full size,) so be sure to check the sizing recommendations for each model before ordering.

https://www.on-running.com/en-us/pro.../eclipse-black

[Mabouya]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

I decided to compromise on the ankle support and go with something lower, the Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator.

https://www.merrell.com/US/en/moab-2...or/27947M.html

I already have a Moab 2 Mid Tactical (waterproof), so I'm somewhat familiar with the Merrell sizing (not that it's necessarily uniform across the entire line) so that provided some motivation to try this one.

If that doesn't work I'll come back to this thread and check out some of the suggestions.