Footwear
Buying hiking shoes. The choices to make.
For every type of terrain, there is a hiking shoe that performs optimally there. But there is no single hiking shoe that is perfect for all types of terrain. For an alpine tour or a heavy backpacking trek, you will choose a different shoe than for a light forest walk or a hike where you want to walk at pace. Choosing a hiking shoe means making choices. Choices in stiffness, waterproofness, stability and gait. There are hiking shoes that are lighter in weight and have more on focus a light, smooth rolling of the foot. There are also hiking boots, that provide more stability. Which ratio of stability and settlement best suits you depends on the terrain, your fitness level and, of course, what you yourself find comfortable walking.
Above all, make a realistic choice. Don't choose a very light, easy-walking shoe for a challenging trip in difficult terrain if your ankle and legs don't have the fitness to handle it. And a heavy mountain boot can make an everyday hike in easy terrain, feel more strenuous than necessary. The shoe must fit you and what you will be doing. What is true for any choice anyway is that a hiking shoe should fit well and wear comfortably.