Steel Shanked Boots?

So I am in need of some mid-weight hiking/packing shoes/boots. I can not seem to find what I like. I stopped in at REI yesterday and they had pack specific boots that had a shank in the sole. Is this really needed?

I am 250lbs and am planning on a 35+- pack. I have some heavy gortex Danners for the nasty weather. What I am after is something breathable and sturdy enough to hold up. My new Ozarks felt good on the start of my last pack but were shot by the end, only a one nighter. Any suggestions?

Thanks...

PS, I forgot to mention that something without a vulcanized sole would be nice. I would like to be able to add a lift to one of them.

reply

Steel shanks are your best friend if you're going to be doing any amount of hiking on rocky terrain. The only really annoying thing about steel shanks is their tendancy for the shank to delaminate from its anchors inside the sole. (Crinka-Squeeka, Crinka-Squeeka, Crinka-Poinka, Pinka Screenka) At least bears can hear you coming. :) Peace!

reply

Steel shanks have the big disadvantage of being really cold when you have to cross snow or in winter (steel conducts the heat away fairly efficiently). Modern plastic shanks are just as durable and serve the purpose. However, I have never really found this to be a serious question for top-quality boots.

As for the non-vulcanized sole and lifts, a good insert will take care of that. If the standard Superfeet versions don't do it, custom orthotics are not all that expensive, especially if you have a serious foot problem. In which case, you should probably be looking at custom-made boots.

Also, I (and a number of others on this site) find Goretex lined boots to be problematic. They really do not breathe all that well (you get sweaty feet very quickly), and the gtx deteriorates fairly rapidly, so that it isn't all that waterproof after a fairly short amount of hiking. Some people swear by them, though, while those of us with lots of miles on our boots tend to swear AT gtx boots.

reply

Hi Latestarters, Bill S. is correct about steel shanks they transfer both heat and cold, ask any Marine who has been to Paris Island in the summer with steel shanks.
Nylon shanks are very important to good foot health especially on longer trips, and / or in rough terrain.
The shank lends a good bit of rigidity to the boot so that it does not flex to the point of doing damage to your foot on uneven ground, especially with the added weight of a pack.
Repeated over flexing of your foot will at a minimum make your feet sore, and can lead to serious foot problems down the road. ( sorry for the pun)
When placing the toe or side of your foot on a rock, or when driving the toe into a soft hillside to make a step, a good boot should not flex very much.
The boot should act as a solid platform, and you should feel the boot lift/support the rest of your foot as you press down to follow through with your stride, even if your whole foot is not on anything solid.
This will cut way down on fatigue and greatly reduce your chances of spraining an ankle.

As far as gore-tex goes, I personally don't like it, It's too hot and stuffy. I also think it tends to lead to crappy craftsmanship if the manufacturer can rely on the membrane to waterproof the boot.

I have always found it hard to recommend a boot for someone else, I would suggest you be patient, shop around,familiarize yourself with the different brands, and read reviews of buyers, (not just sellers). There are a lot of decent boots out there, many tend to run narrow, so beware if you have wide feet.
Make sure you wear a heavy sock when trying on boots, buy them a little big (at least 1/2 size bigger than you are used to a regular shoe fitting). You can't really go by the size printed on the boot as they vary a good deal, you will have to try the boot on to get a good fit. Leather boots tend to loose a little length as they break in, and your feet will swell just a little after a day on the trail.
You can always add (to some degree) to the inside of a boot with thicker socks, insoles or other padding, but a boot that is too little, is just too little.
Lots of reviews on this site, but maybe you already know that.
Good luck.

reply

Guys, thank you for the great input! I too have found Goretex to make my feet sweat rapidly which defeats the purpose. I am off to another shop to try on some more boots.

Bill, my left leg is just over an inch short from a femur fracture in my youth yet I still ride motorcycles :-)
I have just started using a 1/2" lift and probably could use a 3/4".

Thanks again!,
Dennis

reply

Barb has forbidden me from riding motorcycles (despite, or maybe because of, my having raced back in my invulnerable youth). In my more "adult" moments (such as when looking at the current statistics on motorcycle accident, injury, and death rates, many of which are not the biker's fault), I do realize that she is really looking out for my interests. Remember the general rule - there are two types of motorcyclists: those who have laid it down and those who will. Mine was demonstrating how you can do a wheelie, even with a 150cc bike (ok, it was a Husqy).

A good custom orthotic can provide the lift you need. However, you can also get a resole done with a lift and still have the proper soles. Depending on where you hike, the proper sole pattern in a sticky rubber can make a lot of difference in your comfort and "surefootedness" on rough trails and in inclement weather. There was a woman in my university hiking club who had one leg shorter due to polio in her youth (hmmm, giving away some clues to my age - way too many kids had polio as I was growing up, pre-vaccine days). She had tried several approaches to getting boots that worked, and finally ended up getting Peter Limmer (New Hampshire) to make a custom pair. Limmer's company is still in the family (I forget whether it is the son or now the grandson who is the CEO these days) and still does custom boots. I had a pair for many years, and Barb has a pair now that is her favorite pair of boots. There are other custom boot makers (kutenay is acquainted with one or two and will chime in here) that will do the same quality of work. Custom boots are expensive, but well worth it, even for "normal" feet, and I would say requisite for special needs.

reply

If you haven't wrecked a bike you don't know how to ride!

I swore them off years ago, still paying for it though.

reply

Hello Latestarters

There is this company in the UK, if it is any help:

http://www.altberg.co.uk/

All the best.

reply