HIKING
What is hiking? Hiking is an outdoor activity where people walk in beautiful natural environments on pre-charted paths called hiking trails or in the wilderness. Hikes tend to be completed in less than a day, with hikers returning to permanent shelter at the end.
HIKING SHOES
Hiking shoes are designed for endurance. They are created with fast, demanding terrain in mind and can support hikers with their packs. Look for hiking shoes made with GORE-TEX product technology for a durably waterproof, windproof, and highly breathable experience.
HIKING BOOT COMPONENTS AND MATERIALS
Hiking boots are only as good as the materials they’re made out of. Depending on your adventure, you may want to search out specific materials in your hiking boots. Below are the different components and materials to keep in mind when researching new boots and shoes.
UPPERS
Appropriately named, uppers are the part of the boot intended to support and keep your foot nice and snug. This part of the shoe helps protect the upper surface of your foot. Uppers can be made with a number of materials, including leather, plastics, and fabrics. Look for uppers that are waterproof and breathable.
- Full-grain: This shiny and smooth leather makes an extremely durable and abrasion-resistant hiking boot upper. This type of upper has great waterproofness and is built for extended backpacking trips with rugged terrain.
- Split grain: In combination with nylon or nylon mesh, split-grain leather is lightweight and breathable compared to other leather uppers. Because the fibers are looser than the full-grain leather, the split grain provides a softer feel. This material is often less waterproof and more susceptible to abrasion, though it can be oil, waxed, and buffed to improve its appearance and water resistance.
- Nubuck: This type of full-grain leather has been sanded or buffed to resemble suede, void of any imperfections in the hide. Nubuck is fairly flexible compared to other hiking boot uppers. Waterproof agents can be used on Nubuck, but they may affect the appearance of the leather.
- Vegan: If you’re looking for a material that resembles the water resistance and durability of leather but without using animal products or byproducts, you’re in luck. They do exist; look for hiking boots that offer synthetic leathers.
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