I need some New Zealand-specific advice on "lightweight" hiking shoes.

Please please please forgive the length of this post, but if I'm going to get any useful advice there's some things you need to know...

...such as...

1) I own a brand new pair of Asolo TPS520GV leather/Goretex boots.
2) I owned a pair of the same Asolo boots previously, and, just like this new pair, they pretty much fit perfectly right out of the box.
3) I find the Asolo's to be very comfortable.
4) However, the Asolo's are heavy clodhoppers, and the soles aren't the best grip for wet rock.

...and some more...

1) I have VERY DIFFICULT feet to fit; size 12 & narrow.
2) Apparently I have "exceptionally" flat feet, to quote my podiatrist.
3) I have worn orthotics for both feet for several years now; they eliminated a constant battle with sore & aching feet (everyday use), as well as recurrent 'horny growth' (for lack of the proper technical description) on the outer edge of my left foot, near where the pinky toe joins the foot.
4) I wear the orthotics every day, and when on the trail (I cut the footbeds of my Asolo's in half & toss the rear portions, replacing with my orthotics)
5) I have tried the lightweight hiking shoes concept before (pre-orthotics), but have had to abort several medium-length treks (Arizona Trail, Big Bend NP) due to severe pain in my heels and/or pain "across the tops" of my feet. The heels are the real problem, though -- they simply cannot take the everyday pounding except when protected by the Asolo's. The heel-pain begins about 4-5 days into the hike, and increases until it is an excruciating deal-breaker; end of hike.
6) I do not have this problem with the Asolo's & orthotics. Also, I did not have this problem previously (pre-orthotics) when I wore Vasques.

...however...

1) I haven't tried to go back to the lightweight hiking shoe concept (on the trail) since I started wearing the orthotics. So maybe...just maybe...
2) And my current everyday shoes are Asolo Tasman XCR's; they're comfy with the orthotics & I wear them literally every day. [Not with a pack though -- heh]

...oh yeah...

1) I've been wearing a combo of Wigwam polypro liners under Thorlo hiking socks since I started hiking >10 years ago; this combo works very well for me & I never have blister problems, whatever my main hiking footwear has been.
2) Will be wearing gaiters (size & style TBD, but leaning towards ID eVent shorties)

...the New Zealand part...

1) I would really like hikers experienced with New Zealand conditions to chime in here.
2) NZ hiking in a nutshell? Well, a slightly pessimistic outlook would be:
a) heavy all-day rain 2 days out of 3.
b) wading across knee-height streams or rivers several times a day.
c) significant time spent hiking IN rivers or streams, perhaps for an hour at a time or more
d) significant time spent sloshing through ankle-high (or higher) water (or mud) that's burying the actual trail...i.e. the trail is underwater.

...specifics of our hike (wife & myself)...

1) approx 90 days of hiking in a 120-day span from 11/09 thru mid-March 2010
2) this is summer in NZ, not winter
3) NO significant off-trail hiking is planned -- using established trails
4) NO "mountain climbing," technical climbing, and virtually (I hope) no time on snow or ice. This is a hiking trip...
5) Varied terrain, everything from beaches to clambering up a volcano to wading up a river to meandering along a well-groomed trail. Each hike is 2-6 days, and there will be 1-2 days between each hike.
6) Unfortunately, this isn't the GR5, or anything like it -- i.e. there is no option for resupply on these hikes. Caching is not a realistic option either.
7) Pack weights not finalized yet, but heavier than usual (or desired), due mainly to #6 directly above, as well as our Macpac Celeste "pitch-as-one" tent procured specifically for this trip. Let's figure 25-30 lbs typical, and 35 lbs max. It is what it is.
8) We won't be switching to alternate footwear when wading etc; it's NZ; there's no point; we'll just walk on in.
9) Actual itinerary can be found here, if it helps: http://www.tramper.co.nz/?view=topic&id=413#message2730

WHEW -- yep that's all for the prelude!

Oh yeah -- the actual question on the table? Well, I think there's a major flaw in my plan. Actually, I'm sure there's more than 1 (lol), but this pertains to footwear:

*** The Asolo boots won't drain. In fact, I'm hard-pressed to think of footwear that would drain less. Even with gaiters, it seems possible that I'll be walking around with "bucketfeet" due to all the rain & wading. ***

So, suddenly, finally assimilating all the NZ trip reports I've read, I'm wondering if this non-drainage will be a horrible inconvenience (at best), and might contribute to problematic blister (or constant immersion) problems (at worst). And I'm wondering if it MIGHT (just might) be possible to try the lightweight hiking shoes approach again, thinking the orthotics might solve the heel pain. Maybe the worst that can happen (and it wouldn't be good) is that I try it out & it doesn't work. That would mean 7-10 days laid up (no hiking, little or no walking) just to let the heels recover, and then continuing the journey with the non-draining bucketfoot Asolo's...

Thoughts? Specific recommendations on what lightweight hiking shoes I should consider using? FYI I have had miserable delaminating experience with Montrail & Merrill in the past, so I'm not inclined to try them again.

Thanks for any advice, and I hope I'm not banned for gratuitous post-length!

Edited by trtlrock on 07/27/2009 13:51:01 MDT.

Phew, that's a mouthful. I would go with what you know works (ie is comfy). Just make sure you always have dry socks to change into at night. I have been walking for decades in NZ wet conditions with traditional boots, no problem. You just lift your foot behind you after crossing a river and let the bulk of the water drain out. If you can't stand the squelching, you can always do what the hardcoe natives do and drill some holes along the bottom of the boot! Some folks even hike in gumboots with holes...

Hi John,

Sounds like an awesome trip. I have been to NZ twice for a total of about 6 months. You will love it.

As far as shoes go...It sounds like you need to stick to what works for you for such an extended trip. The draining will definitely be an issue. Asolo does make fabric and leather boots which will drain somewhat but are probably less durable. I hear of many trampers using full leather unlined boots and simply punching some holes in the upper to allow water to drain. Changing socks more often would be in order. I would also go for a taller gaiter than the ID shorties.

I walked the Milford, Routeburn, and Dusky tracks. Routeburn was a piece of cake as there are bridges and the trail drained well even in heavy rain. I did experience flooding of the trail on the Milford. We were crotch deep on the stretch to Dumpling hut as the river had flooded it's banks. Distances were short between the huts so no big deal. The Dusky is another animal but it doesn't look like you will be attempting it.

I used Gore Tex leather boots and had dry feet for the most part. Waterproof boots and tall gaiters are nice for the continuous muck and mud and shallow water. I experienced infrequent water crossings on my trips but it could have been worse. I would simply wade in and then pull my boots off on the other side, drain the water, and put on "drier" socks. This obviously isn't a good strategy if dealing with more crossings. I did lose the callous on one big toe on the Dusky due to waterlogged feet. I would probably use this approach again and use a non waterproof trail runner for something like the Inland Pack Track.

I hiked roughly 1000 miles in NZ while there for around 5 months. Wearing trail runners, I think I hiked the majority of the multi-day trails and never did I wish I had boots. I never take my shoes off for river crossings (it's much safer not to). The only downside was that occasionally I had to clean the grit out of my shoes on those tracks (Stewart Island, Dusky, etc) where there was lots of mud and river crossings.

You'll have a blast. I've done my share of long trails and thru-hikes around the world and NZ just might be my favorite experience of them all. Possibly due to the wonderful attitude of Kiwis--but living in a place like NZ, how can you not be like that?

Thanks for the feedback. Part of me really wants to believe that the orthotics would eliminate the heel pain I've always encountered hiking in light shoes.

However, other than wishcasting, I don't really have any cause/effect evidence to point to; it's far more likely that my heels simply need boots.

I think I'll take the "use whatever works for you now" advice & use the Asolo's.

And, as much as I hate the thought, I'll take an awl & keep it in the rental car in case I have to punch holes in them...

Good decision. If you are sticking to the main tourist routes, you can get by with just about anything that's comfortable. They may weigh a little more, but having happy feet is like getting a good night's sleep...priceless and worth the weight.

Trtlrock,

Tracks on the "Great Walks" are generally to a high standard so lightweight shoes would probably be okay. However outside of the "Great Walks" the tracks/routes are much rougher particularly those trips you are looking at doing from January onwards and I would recommend boots for them.

Ultimately it comes down to keeping your feet comfortable.

As for getting wet feet I don't think it will be a major issue during summer. A cooling dip is quite refreshing on a hot day.

Ahhh, I just looked at your proposed itinerary. One other thought re: runners versus boots is that you are planning a LOT of walking, some of it rough, and one pair of light trail runners may not last the distance. Even with good light boots I find I need to replace them almost every year. You will likely encounter all sorts of sticky situations such as 'spaniards', gorse, matagouri, hook grass and bidibidis to name a few. Boots and full length gaiters mitigate some of the pricklier natives, and if you do any scree running it will really trash your footware.

Thanks again for the further feedback everyone.

Ryan, I think your advice on the Inland Pack Trail is good, lots of wading there -- I think I'll take my Asolo Tasman shoes on that one & hope for the best. It's a short hike, so I'm unlikely to suffer serious heel problems.

Also, can anyone offer advice on extended NZ beach hiking?

I'm specifically wondering about the Cape Reinga/90-Mile Beach & the Abel Tasman Coastal Great Walk. On the Cape Reinga, we'll be going a longer, extended version from Kapowairua to Ahipara. This will be the 1st hike of our trip, and our packs will be the heaviest they will ever be, as we're allocating 6 days (just in case -- we like to mosey). The Abel Tasman will be the 'official' longer version going all the way to Whariwharangi.

Part of me thinks light-weight hiking shoes would be better for extended beach-hiking, but the only reason I can come up with is that sand is, well, umm...soft.

On the other hand, maybe the boots would be especially helpful here, as deeper softer sand is pretty torturous on tendons, and really makes your ankles work. Especially with a heavy pack. And both of these hikes incorporate semi-rugged interludes where you leave the beach completely.

Unfortunately, I don't live near any beaches, so I can't try this out in advance.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance...

Lynn -- good thoughts on the gaiters.

I had really hoped to go with ID eVent shorties, since they weight SO much less than the taller, more industrial ones. I'm even prepared to shred a pair & allocate a 2nd pair as replacements mid-trip.

I was thinking that I would wear my REI zip-offs most of the time, putting on the legs when weather or brush dictated. If the zip-off legs take a few holes & runs, well, that's what they're there for.

For taller chilly soaking wet brush, I figured on donning the rain pants, but they're pretty fragile SUL (Berghaus), so I don't know if they would survive well -- I suspect not.

We're used to wearing shorts in the Chihauhaun desert while cross-country bushwhacking, and really don't mind ending up with a myriad of scratches, gouges & punctures. On the other hand, it's pretty easy to use the trekking poles to "bend" a path around & through the worst stuff.

I'm thinking the NZ brush will be too high/dense for the trekking poles to help clear the way?

Really don't want to go with tall gaiters, but would love to hear experienced NZ thoughts on this topic...

Edited by trtlrock on 07/28/2009 16:57:28 MDT.

The knee-high gaiters (and long cut raincoats) are really just a classic NZ trampers style that eliminates the need to carry rainpants. With knee-highs, shorts are fine in the majority of conditions (rain included). Having your lower legs covered is also handy when you stop for a rest in biting bug country, but on the whole you should just wear what you are comfortable in. If you don't mind the odd scratch/poke/bite then the shorties are fine, plus most of your walking will be on relatively clear tracks. HYOH.

I don't find hiking poles help in really rugged bush. You can't really *bend* a spaniard or matagouri bush easily, and some bush is so dense that the poles become a hindrance, but it doesn't appear you are planning any of those kinds of trips. Many people walk the lower Abel Tasman track in just sandals or sneakers which they may remove for the sandy sections and just go barefoot. Others wear boots. Again, it's just a matter of what you are used to. The upper track is a bit more technical, and I'm not sure I would do it in sandals (even if I didn't have a bad ankle requiring higher tops).