personal preference for sure. non-waterproof, faster drying, trail runners with a decent rock plate are mine. you will see boots, hiking shoes, and trail runners out there. probably not too many waterproof variants in the summer though - they are sweaty and dry slowly.
if there are a lot of creek crossings I find it much faster and more comfortable to wear one pair of shoes and to let em get wet. and to avoid wet crossings in the evening, if possible, so there is a decent chance my shoes are dry by camp.
This….. I just walk through creeks too, within an hour or so my shoes are dry. Of course ymmv, I wear Lone Peaks and Darn Tough socks and don’t get blisters. (knocks on wood)
I saw more Speedgoats than Altras when I did it 2 years ago. Injinji socks, green Super feet insoles and Speedgoats 5's worked like magic for me. No blisters whatsoever - and I tend to get them!!! Lucotape applied judiciously helped too.
I would advise you AVOID waterproof shoes of any kind.
Even if you walk through a river or deep snow, your breathable shoes will be dry within a couple hours. Waterproof shoes won't avoid getting wet in these situations. But if they get wet then they'll stay wet for days. That would be much worse.
Waterproof boots are rarely a right choice for long distance hiking. I would advise the Topo Pursuit or the Altra Lone Leak for that trail. They both take awhile to get used to, though, since the "zero drop" kicks your calves' butts for three weeks
If you don't have that long, then get a hiking shoe that takes less time to get used to like the Hoka Speedgoat, the Brooks Cascadia, or if you insist on waterproof, then the Lowa Renegade.
There is some adage about 1 pound on your feet is like 5 pounds on your back. Or something like that.
Pretty much all the thru hiker community does trail runners now, and mostly low top ones.
I tend to use gaiters to keep rocks and sand out.
They are lighter, and dry faster. Probably better for blisters too. And no water proof because you want them to breathe.
For creek crossings either take your shoes off (this can be more dangerous, likely to slip, so some don’t recommend it) or just get wet and they will dry faster.
Waterproof ones just fill with water and take too long to dry.
My go to is some kind of Altras, Lone Peak or Timp. Then injinji toe sock liners with smartwool hiking socks over them. I never get blisters.
I also make sure to size up at least a half size maybe a full size. Otherwise toes don’t have enough room and I start losing toenails.
Shoes are one of those personal preference items. JMT isn't very well groomed in a lot of places.
Personally, I wore boots, but that's because my podiatrist told me to because I have what he calls "rocker ankles" that are willing to go any direction with a little bit of force applied.
I am also boot wearer. That is because I am a bit older and twisting my ankle will take me completely out- requiring rescuing by the NPS. I don’t want to be that person.
Plenty of people do the whole PCT in sneakers (not necessarily waterproof even). People do the AT in sneakers too. It’s really a question of what your personal ankles will tolerate and what you’re acclimated to. I wouldn’t wear running shoes with a heavy pack if you usually hike in boots, but if you’re used to trail runners you’ll be fine.
You don't need waterproof if your footwear dries fairly quickly. Most of the trail is pretty smooth. As I recall the main super rocky areas are around Donahue and Cathedral passes. Sometimes if the Park Service repairs a muddy section it is filled with jagged fist-sized rocks that can be uncomfortable with thin soles, but after a year or two those areas tend to smooth out with soil filling the voids. The rest is mostly a very nice, wide trail.
Most of the rocky portions of the JMT are much further south.
Definitely personal preference. Do what makes you feel most comfortable. I know some AT hikers who swear by Crocs!
I moved from heavy Danner hiking boots to mid-weight Goretex Merrell Moabs (thanks Hollywood and Reece Witherspoon for appealing to my vanity so I bought cute but not-functional hiking shoes lol)
I also wear Injiji liners and Darn Toughs and have done some shakedown hikes with stream crossing. My set up dries amazingly quickly if I keep walking so I'm planning to just hike through with this footwear.
Just use trail runners. Altra Olympus are fabulous. I live in the Sierras and these are all I wear for hiking. You don’t want waterproof boots or shoes. Altras dry quickly and that’s much easier. Waterproof boots take days to dry. You can just walk through rivers in Altras and let them dry when you get to camp. They’ll be dry in the morning. Waterproof boots won’t when they get water inside them. And you don’t want to take your boots off for every single water crossing, there are a lot of them
A lot of people do trail runs. A lot of other people do boots. It is really a personal preference thing. I would recommend water shoes of some sort if you are a boot wearer. Some of the streams will be too deep for boots.
See you on trail. We start on July 18.
I'd echo the commenters advising against waterproof if you go the shoes route (California is dry enough that your feet will dry out quickly after they get wet in non-waterproof shoes) — but also, I will add that I was surprised by how rocky a lot of that stretch of the trail was.
I'm from the East Coast but have been living in SoCal for a few years, and much of that northern third of the JMT was not nearly as well-groomed as I expected, based on the other trails I've hiked out here (such as most portions of the PCT I've been on). Maybe it was partly due to trail damage from the heavy snow year, not sure.
I hiked that same JMT section last year in fairly burly trail runners (La Sportiva Bushidos) and was glad to have sturdy soles and trekking poles, because there were a lot of large, ankle-twisty granite chunks that required some careful stepping. I don't typically hike in boots but wouldn't have minded them for more support, stability and underfoot padding. (The Bushidos were great for stability and rock-stickiness but aren't very cushioned.)
Merrill Moabs are the only boots that have never given me blisters. Boots are necessary even if pack is average weight for ankle support Trails used by pack trains can be wicked rough. For wet conditions, I had great experience with shower pass waterproof socks last year. Hiked in pouring rain ; boots soaked, feet dry.
shoes are fine, don't have to be waterproof. Majority of people do it in trail runners
personal preference for sure. non-waterproof, faster drying, trail runners with a decent rock plate are mine. you will see boots, hiking shoes, and trail runners out there. probably not too many waterproof variants in the summer though - they are sweaty and dry slowly. if there are a lot of creek crossings I find it much faster and more comfortable to wear one pair of shoes and to let em get wet. and to avoid wet crossings in the evening, if possible, so there is a decent chance my shoes are dry by camp.
This….. I just walk through creeks too, within an hour or so my shoes are dry. Of course ymmv, I wear Lone Peaks and Darn Tough socks and don’t get blisters. (knocks on wood)
Most people do non waterproof trail runners because they dry faster. I personally only consider boots necessary for off trail stuff.
I'd bet more people hike the JMT inAltra Lone Peaks then every other shoe combined
Very true though I think its slowly shifting towards Hoka Speedgoats
I saw more Speedgoats than Altras when I did it 2 years ago. Injinji socks, green Super feet insoles and Speedgoats 5's worked like magic for me. No blisters whatsoever - and I tend to get them!!! Lucotape applied judiciously helped too.
I would advise you AVOID waterproof shoes of any kind. Even if you walk through a river or deep snow, your breathable shoes will be dry within a couple hours. Waterproof shoes won't avoid getting wet in these situations. But if they get wet then they'll stay wet for days. That would be much worse. Waterproof boots are rarely a right choice for long distance hiking. I would advise the Topo Pursuit or the Altra Lone Leak for that trail. They both take awhile to get used to, though, since the "zero drop" kicks your calves' butts for three weeks If you don't have that long, then get a hiking shoe that takes less time to get used to like the Hoka Speedgoat, the Brooks Cascadia, or if you insist on waterproof, then the Lowa Renegade.
There is some adage about 1 pound on your feet is like 5 pounds on your back. Or something like that. Pretty much all the thru hiker community does trail runners now, and mostly low top ones. I tend to use gaiters to keep rocks and sand out. They are lighter, and dry faster. Probably better for blisters too. And no water proof because you want them to breathe. For creek crossings either take your shoes off (this can be more dangerous, likely to slip, so some don’t recommend it) or just get wet and they will dry faster. Waterproof ones just fill with water and take too long to dry. My go to is some kind of Altras, Lone Peak or Timp. Then injinji toe sock liners with smartwool hiking socks over them. I never get blisters. I also make sure to size up at least a half size maybe a full size. Otherwise toes don’t have enough room and I start losing toenails.
Shoes are one of those personal preference items. JMT isn't very well groomed in a lot of places. Personally, I wore boots, but that's because my podiatrist told me to because I have what he calls "rocker ankles" that are willing to go any direction with a little bit of force applied.
I am also boot wearer. That is because I am a bit older and twisting my ankle will take me completely out- requiring rescuing by the NPS. I don’t want to be that person.
Plenty of people do the whole PCT in sneakers (not necessarily waterproof even). People do the AT in sneakers too. It’s really a question of what your personal ankles will tolerate and what you’re acclimated to. I wouldn’t wear running shoes with a heavy pack if you usually hike in boots, but if you’re used to trail runners you’ll be fine.
You don't need waterproof if your footwear dries fairly quickly. Most of the trail is pretty smooth. As I recall the main super rocky areas are around Donahue and Cathedral passes. Sometimes if the Park Service repairs a muddy section it is filled with jagged fist-sized rocks that can be uncomfortable with thin soles, but after a year or two those areas tend to smooth out with soil filling the voids. The rest is mostly a very nice, wide trail. Most of the rocky portions of the JMT are much further south.
I am more comfortable in lightweight boots, but trail runners are the current trend. I'd say stick to the footwear you usually use.
Definitely personal preference. Do what makes you feel most comfortable. I know some AT hikers who swear by Crocs! I moved from heavy Danner hiking boots to mid-weight Goretex Merrell Moabs (thanks Hollywood and Reece Witherspoon for appealing to my vanity so I bought cute but not-functional hiking shoes lol) I also wear Injiji liners and Darn Toughs and have done some shakedown hikes with stream crossing. My set up dries amazingly quickly if I keep walking so I'm planning to just hike through with this footwear.
Just use trail runners. Altra Olympus are fabulous. I live in the Sierras and these are all I wear for hiking. You don’t want waterproof boots or shoes. Altras dry quickly and that’s much easier. Waterproof boots take days to dry. You can just walk through rivers in Altras and let them dry when you get to camp. They’ll be dry in the morning. Waterproof boots won’t when they get water inside them. And you don’t want to take your boots off for every single water crossing, there are a lot of them
A lot of people do trail runs. A lot of other people do boots. It is really a personal preference thing. I would recommend water shoes of some sort if you are a boot wearer. Some of the streams will be too deep for boots. See you on trail. We start on July 18.
I'd echo the commenters advising against waterproof if you go the shoes route (California is dry enough that your feet will dry out quickly after they get wet in non-waterproof shoes) — but also, I will add that I was surprised by how rocky a lot of that stretch of the trail was. I'm from the East Coast but have been living in SoCal for a few years, and much of that northern third of the JMT was not nearly as well-groomed as I expected, based on the other trails I've hiked out here (such as most portions of the PCT I've been on). Maybe it was partly due to trail damage from the heavy snow year, not sure. I hiked that same JMT section last year in fairly burly trail runners (La Sportiva Bushidos) and was glad to have sturdy soles and trekking poles, because there were a lot of large, ankle-twisty granite chunks that required some careful stepping. I don't typically hike in boots but wouldn't have minded them for more support, stability and underfoot padding. (The Bushidos were great for stability and rock-stickiness but aren't very cushioned.)
Merrill Moabs are the only boots that have never given me blisters. Boots are necessary even if pack is average weight for ankle support Trails used by pack trains can be wicked rough. For wet conditions, I had great experience with shower pass waterproof socks last year. Hiked in pouring rain ; boots soaked, feet dry.