My mountain goat boots

Oh how I love a good pair of shoes. What woman doesn’t! But an uncomfortable shoe, is a miserable shoe…which leads to miserable feet…which leads to a miserable day!!! I do not wanna go hiking let alone 5 days of backpacking in just any shoe or boot. I have heard and read that some people swear by just a good pair of plain old running shoes. Yes..I love my Mizuno Wave x10’s dearly and have cherished every step, trail, and spin of a bike pedal I have had with them….but they have seen better days and provide little traction for me. And believe me (other group members will back me up), I need all the help staying on two feet that I can get 🙂

So when research to find a good pair of hiking boots started, Slimms (he found these amazing boots) suggested to me the TrekSta Women’s Evolution Mid GTX. These boots won the 2011 Backpacker Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award. Oooo…sounds all spiffy…but I’m not a “hype” follower as much as I am a “fallover” kinda gal. So I read the information and specs and thought they seemed “cool” . Light weight, weighing in at 12.9 oz per shoe so they seemed like they wouldn’t be too bulky and cumbersome. I’ve never owned a pair of hiking boots before but they always seem heavy and look like weights on someone’s feet…I needed something though. And buying them from Altrec.com, they come with 100% satisfaction guarantee so I figured why not…sweet little incentive right there. If I don’t like em, ship em back 🙂

So I ordered them…online…without trying on. I know, I know…possible bad idea but there is that little business of a “guarantee”…I’m only a sorta, kinda risk taker 😉 They shipped to me super quick and I was uber excited when they showed. I opened the box…took em out…and yeay!!! I ordered the brown because they will get dirty…would have rather had the other color but I am happy with the choice. So…these boots definitely do not look like your normal hiking boot. They look and feel almost like my running shoes. The sole is a bit more rigid than a running shoe but that has kept me from hurting the bottoms of my feet on several occasions. The toe area has a foot shape to it…made to fit to your toesies I would guess. 

So I got my liners and socks, and put those bad boys on. The fit was good…maybe a little big up towards the toes but I figured my feet would swell when hiking so a little room wouldn’t be a bad thing. I haven’t had any issues when wearing them, so I think I made the right decision there. They are super light weight which I love. They clean up well. Took me a bit to get used to the rigidness of the soles but the more I wear them, the more I get accustomed to them obviously. The grip they have is amazing!!!! I am truly astonished on how much easier it has been for me to do some of the hikes we normally do. Coming down Camelback was a breeze in comparison to before the boots 🙂  I used to slide around a lot on loose dirt and gravel. Having that extra grip has made me more sure of my footing. This “fall gal” needed it. Slimms informed me they have glass in these little triangle shaped pads on the bottom…supposed to help with grip on ice????? We do not have much of that around here but good to know, just in case. 

My only issue with the shoe is the seam on the inside back…more so on my left foot than my right. It leaves a hot spot but I’m not exactly sure why just yet. It’s not so much of a rubbing against that is causing some friction so hopefully with some more mileage, it will get better. I used a thicker sock the last outing and it helped…didn’t need any moleskin. I had read in one review of someone with a similar issue. They returned their boots and went with another brand. I intend to put a bit more wear on them before I give up on these guys. 

I will call these my “mountain goat” boots because I felt I could bounce around on the boulders of Camelback with the greatest of ease. I am truly impressed so far. Good job TrekSta 🙂 Thanks Slimms for the suggestion.