There is only one color of hiking shoe that is correct ... dirt brown

First the new shoes (La Sportiva TX4), which are entirely incorrect ... as well as green, blue, gray, red, pink, yellow ...



Then my old shoes, same model but a much prettier color ...



Side-by-side ...



And the reason I need new ones. 7 months hiking 6+ miles a day 5-6 days a week last year, a been doing 10+ miles a week this year. Over pre-cambrian rock embedded in dried-packed moon-dust. Hiking shoes have a short life in AZ.

 

Man, my ankles would hate me if I actually 'hiked' in those.

Walking? Not bad.

Mall walkers?

 

Hiking up, down, gravel, rock, dirt. At one time my ankles were not strong enough but now they are. Had mid-high when I first moved here but now only buy low-top. Do not use my gaiters much either to keep out plant seeds, rocks, etc.

But they are "approach" shoes so are ridiculously grippy, even the old ones are useful enough if only walking across smoother rock ... pegs on the new ones are for gravel and dirt.

 

This was one pair of my boots from 2019

 

Those look like my OluKais.

I don’t hike in my OluKais.

 

You got not just every mile, but every millimeter, of life from those. I wore out a pair of Salomon within a month once ... just not even 6+ each day 5-6 days a week. REI has a good return policy on shoes that I have only exercised on those Salomon. Taught me that Contragrip (on Salomon) has far less lasting power than Vibram (on the Approach shoes). Maybe later I will use shoes longer but for now I replace even with some of the sole-pattern still existing.

 

Sorry, not really sure of the point of your post. They look like nice (and expensive) shoes and maybe for some types of hiking terrain they are great. But for someone like me who in my lifetime has traversed thousands of miles of rough remote wilderness/Forest they wouldn’t be my first choice. Being old school my choice would be a heavy duty (but light weight) more traditional pair of hiking/hunting boots at least 6” high or more for good ankle support, a reinforced toe, heavy lug vibram soles and of course water proof. For your specific terrain I’m sure your shoes are great, wouldn’t work for me. I like JaCado’s style for my purposes.

 

My point is that I have to break these new shoes in, and fast.

I will try to remember JaCado's. The terrain I am on is not longest distance, not remote and not completely self-dependent. My city park is 15 miles long and 7 miles wide, Maximum so far is 18 miles and that was evening till 2 AM. So the low-rise grippy shoe works over rocks, and even at that they give my toes corns. But for the daily hikes and weekend-day hikes they work.

I had a pair many years ago of the heavy-soled Frankenstein hikers designed for maximum protection of ankles, maximum waterproof height, but not necessarily for maneuvering. Eventually maybe I will be back to multi-day expeditions, but for now I fight hard uphills and walk faster on flats for maximum exercise in minimum time, even tripping my toe-caps into low rocks due to lack of care.

 

The right shoes/boots for the task are what it’s all about. Sounds like you got em. Wish I didn’t have back problems so I could still get out there like you.

 

You will pry my Merrell Moabs from my cold dead hands.

 

My challenge is my 14 EEEE foot.

I'd walk into REI, tell them I want shoes, and start getting the rundown on 100s of styles. "Save us both time, go into the back and bring out all three of your 14 EEEE you have". The salesperson would come back with two pairs.

In my boxing class, we do a lot of ankle stability. Hold a squat while standing on a BOSU ball, flip it over and one leg stand on the black side. Simple exercises to help engage ankle-leg muscles.

Wool socks and ASICs are my favorite shoes. Some water crossings meant my feet were getting wet, so best to have socks and shoes that dry off.

One of the fun trails, that water was crystal clear, and my Golden Retriever decided it was a great way to cool off.

Near Lost Maples State Park, TX. I'm slowing down but still love getting out there.

 

Does REI even have 3 pairs of 14 EEEE in back these days?

Yoga last year while doing P90X was what made my ankles/knees stronger for the narrow/steep/gravelly trails. Likely not as strenuous as the BOSU ball, but every time I can walk on the raised uneven rock on the otherwise flat/smooth trail I do it to keep angles stronger. Just tonight I was hiking and my left angle rolled to 45-ish degrees on a rock face but I just shrugged it off and kept walking ... not something I could have done 1 1/2 yers ago.

 

$14 Boot saver cap Black

https://www.amazon.com/Boot-Saver-G...gid=pla-567409383747&ref=&adgrpid=62860530180

 

There are many other colors of "dirt" besides brown.
It's best to select hiking shoes that match! ;-)

 

You're presence is needed in your other thread