Light hikers for travel

[rian90]

Hubby and I are going to Europe in a few months. After the cruise, we want to do a bit of hiking in the Dolomites. I am taking a good pair of walking sandals and a shoes but I don't want to wear those on hiking paths. I have hiking boots at home but they are very heavy and I don't really want to wear them on the plane.

 

I am trying to find some light, easily packable hiking shoes. Does anyone have any recommendations? I found some shoes called Kuru but not sure about those..and then I found Golite shoes that look rather nice. I will probably wear them on the plane as well since my feet do tend to swell a bit.

 

I figured someone here might have an idea. Thanks!

 

Oh, forgot to say we are going only carry-ons, no checked baggage, which is why the packing is important.

[Bookish Angel]

You can see multi-view pix of the shoes and see reviews. Free, fast shipping to you AND if you have to return anything.

 

I totally understand the need for "light" hikers! I took a heavy pair of Timberland to Antarctica and boy, were those puppies a boulder in my suitcase!

[cruise kitty]

ecco yarrah, fine for trail hiking, not off trail though, if you have strong feet, they're a great shoe, if you have foot problems, maybe not.

[rian90]

Thanks!

 

I actually have a pair of Ecco sandals but since we will be in the mountains I am not sure they would be appropriate. I love Eccos though!

 

I think I will go with the Golites. They look nice and if nothing else, they will make nice casual shoes with jeans.

[cruise kitty]

Since you're doing mountain hiking, I'd say you're right, go with the golites, I did the nietzsche trail in my yarrahs & they were fine, but it was only about an hour from top to bottom, & they ( the shoes) don't have the greatest traction, but they were a good compromise for me, becasue I wore them every day, & they went with all my stuff.

[GeneHunter]

Look for Lite (Light) Hikers or Trail Running Shoes. Zappos.com has a good selection.

[rian90]

I love Zappos and get a lot of shoes there. BUT sometimes I can find them cheaper elsewhere. I found the Golites $40 less on Amazon and since I am a Prime member, I ordered them yesterday and they are on their way now! I suspect they will be here later today...and free shipping! I have a lovely pair of Born shoes I found for $60 less at the local Dillards than I found at Zappos. I use Zappos to find the shoes and if there is any question they may not fit, such as dressy high heels, I get them from Zappos because I know I can return them with free shipping.

 

But otherwise, the $10 return shipping to Amazon or a trip to the store to return shoes is much less.

 

I still love Zappos though, especially the reviews. I have a couple of dress shoes with lower heels than I could find in the store and very comfortable. I doubt I would have bought them without the Zappo reviews.

 

I really love those Yarrah's though, CruiseKitty. I have a ganglion on my foot where my Privo elastic straps cut into my high arch. The podiatrist says I need new shoes so I might look for those when out shopping this weekend. I want something less sandal. I really hate it when I go to places here in Florida with all the mulch and get it caught under my feet! These would do the trick and without the straps across the top.

[rian90]

My shoes came and they are really cute!

 

http://www.amazon.com/GoLite-Trail-Lite-Multi-Purpose-Utility/dp/B002KT2QMO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=shoes&qid=1276284662&sr=1-2

 

They have different inserts so you can change them if your feet swell or if the shoe is too snug or too loose. Also, they have nice cushy lugs on the bottom of the shoe and are nice to walk in. I have a feeling I will be wearing these a lot on my trip.

 

They are light weight, smaller in volume than my athletic shoes and look pretty packable. Just wanted to let folks know in case they are looking for something similar.

[slidergirl]

They look like sturdy hikers. Be sure to let us know how they work out - break-in, packability, usage, etc. I might be in the market for a new pair of trail shoes for my yet-to-be-decided Fall vacation.

[rian90]

I will do that. Its hot here and a recent discovery of carpenter ant infestation in our house might derail our trip up north so may not get a chance to do much hiking before October but I will make sure I wear them shopping and on our evening walks to see how they work. So far, they are very comfortable!

[Hoyaheel]

I know you already have your shoes and like them (I was out of town for a long weekend so I missed all the discussion:o) My husband and I like to hike in goretex shoes. We both have hiking boots we'll use for dedicated hiking trips, but for combo travel, where we likely won't be hiking too much, we bring our goretex hiking shoes. He has a pair of Merrells and I have a pair from Lowa. We both bought from Sierra Trading Post for great prices. I love mine! And goretex is the best fabric in the world:p