Looking for nonslip hiking shoes

January 1, 2011 7:34 AM

Nonslip hiking shoes recommendations?

I don't have the greatest sense of balance in the world, and my feet tend to slide out from under me with little provocation. The last time I did some hiking I wore sneakers, and slipped and slithered all over the place. It was unnerving. I think it's time to get serious and invest in some footware that will anchor me firmly to whatever I step on. Any recommendations? Money is, unfortunately, an object, but I'm still interested in seeing the state-of-the-art stickiest shoes out there.

I do prefer shoes to boots because I have a plate in my ankle (from slipping and falling, naturally) that is sometimes a problem with boots.

posted by JanetLand to Shopping (11 answers total)

When you go shopping for hiking boots, flip them over and check whether the soles are Vibram. (Yes, the same company that makes the silly-looking "barefoot" running shoes with toes.) If they have Vibram soles, there will be a little yellow triangle in the rubber of the sole with their name; there are a ton of different hiking boot companies that use them. Vibram soles are really, really, really grippy; when I bought a pair of low-ankle trail-runner type hiking boots with Vibram soles, I couldn't believe how much more traction I got compared to my first pair of hiking boots. All of a sudden, I could walk on rocks tilted at 45 degrees without slipping! I didn't have to worry about falling into a stream when I was crossing on rocks!

Also: Make sure your boots actually fit, both length-wise and width-wise. If you're slipping all over the place, it sounds like maybe you have narrow feet in a regular-width boot? If that's the case, and your foot is sliding around inside your shoe, a grippy sole will only help so much. Going to a place like REI or EMS to get fitted will help a lot if you're not sure how the boot should feel.
posted by iminurmefi at 7:48 AM on January 1, 2011

You can get Vibram or similar soles in sneakers, like these from North Face (they have the Vibram sole, but the uppers are mesh so your feet get wet) or these (different sole, possibly even more grippy, and water proof).
posted by anaelith at 9:16 AM on January 1, 2011

I love my Vasque Mantra hiking shoes. They have a Vibram sole and I've abused the heck out of them and they are still in perfect shape.

It's hard to tell if these are out of your price range though, at about $90-100. You can easily spend $150+ on hiking shoes though.

No shoes are really going to be great on actual slippery stuff like ice though. For that something studded/spiked like YakTrax makes a big difference no matter what the shoe is. Wet mossy rocks are also pretty much inherently slippery, so you just don't step on them.
posted by smackfu at 9:27 AM on January 1, 2011

I had Vasque boots with Vibram soles and found them to be very slippy. Mind you, I live on the west coast of Canada so conditions are often wet and slippery. My latest boots are a huge improvement - they're Salomons (these are high on the ankle but they come lower, and cheaper). I can confidently walk on slippery areas with these new boots. The Vasques were more comfortable but I just got tired of not being able to trust that my feet wouldn't fly out from beneath me. When I bought the Salomons, I made sure I could return them if they didn't meet expectations.

Now when I hike, unless I'm carrying a big pack, I wear runners. Maybe check out some trail runners? They give me the best combination of comfort and grip. My favorite are La Sportiva.
posted by nelvana at 10:08 AM on January 1, 2011

I used to have a pair of hiking boots made by FiveTen, which is primarily a rock-climbing company. Those were the grippiest shoes I have ever worn. They use the same rubber for their other shoes as for their climbing shoes, so they feel like you could walk straight up a wall in them. I believe they make a few different styles, so they've probably got a low-top hiking shoe.
posted by duien at 10:32 AM on January 1, 2011

Response by poster: These are all good answers, thank you. Yeah, I know nothing's going to help on ice or slimy wet rock -- my problem is I slip and slide on dry rock, (when I broke my ankle I slipped and fell on bare floor) but it looks like there's a good solution out there.
posted by JanetLand at 12:36 PM on January 1, 2011

There are definitely shoes that are better than others on dry rock, it has to do with the treads. I have two pairs of hiking sneakers with Vibram soles and one pair try to kill me every time I wear them on a steep slope.. Look for "approach shoes" that are designed for hiking over scree slopes to get to climbing spots and make sure they fit really well. If your foot is sliding around inside the shoe you'll be much more likely to fall over.
posted by fshgrl at 1:13 PM on January 1, 2011

So, I'm not very graceful, and I have an awful ankle (no plate but three sprains and a break). What has made the biggest difference for me is poles. Seriously, they'll change your hiking life (if they haven't already). Having at least two points of contact on the ground has done wonders for me with hiking. I tend to not mind the uphills, but dread the downhills - both for my knees and ankles. I have some cheapo Klomperdells that I got at REI outlet (online). I think that they cost around $45.
posted by shrabster at 3:50 PM on January 1, 2011

Also, the previously mentioned Vasques with Vibram soles are great too...but seriously, poles.
posted by shrabster at 3:51 PM on January 1, 2011

If you're hiking on rock, and want sticky soles. Big hiking boots with vibram may not be it. (Mine slide like all hell on anything but dirt trail). Look for River shoes or canyoneering shoes. La Sportiva (mentioned above) makes two styles (or at least used to) called Exum River and Exum Ridge (Amazon seems to have the Ridge still) - made for walking in streams and walking on rocks, respectively. They were like slightly beefier running shoes. They didn't fit my feet (dammit!) but maybe you'll fit you. Unfortunately, they're pretty pricey.

When I go hiking on rock, I just wear regular cheap running shoes or trail runners or something like that. Plenty sticky enough, if sticky is your only criteria. I think the sole and foot being flexible is also somewhat important, so your foot can wrap somewhat naturally over the contours of the rock.

Apologies to the Vibram fans -- my only experience with Vibram soles has been big lug soles - they may make different types.
posted by bluesky78987 at 10:55 PM on January 4, 2011

Apologies to the Vibram fans -- my only experience with Vibram soles has been big lug soles - they may make different types.

They do, actually, so it kind of feels wrong to just recommend Vibram soles in general. For instance, Chaco uses Vibram soles on their river sandals and they are completely different designs than what other comapanies use on their hiking shoes.
posted by smackfu at 5:58 AM on January 5, 2011