[agspins]

Nothing special with me
Adidas litestrike ,Reebok pair (dunno what that is),Spalding sq shoes,Converse shoes,RedTape formals,converse/liberty floaters,Tan Leather shoes(dunno brand) and few pairs of slippers/flip-flops..

[Sudipto-S-Team]

After reading this thread and posting my own "braggable" pair's photograph earlier, I fished out my pair of Harley Davidson Badlands. I had bought them in the US (and was thoroughly disappointed to find later that they were made in China !!).
Here is a pic from the website. Can't locate the camera at home.
It's completely impractical as a regular wear (has steel toes). Not even a weekend wear for me. But the moment you wear them, your back becomes straight and you get an automatic swagger and girls (mostly wife and daughter) look at you with queer eyes, like "look at Baba" and hide a giggle !!

[deky]

Some of you might be aware that I am planning to do the Kailash Mansarovar Stretch later this month. This stretch is mostly done by 4X4 vehicles but it also involves a 52kms trekk around Mt. Kailash.

Since it will be my first time Hiking I am not sure about the shoes to take. The tour operator advises to get "water proof shoes" for me water proof shoes mean gum boots/ rubber boots, and I am sure they wont be very good for hiking.

So what actually I am looking for is:-
1. water proof shoes
2. comfortable shoes
3. not very heavy as at a height of above 15000 ft + its better to have light shoes.

What brand will be my best bet? Kindly give me some names you think would be the best in these rugged terrains. And what budget should I cater for?

Thanks

[vivekiny2k]

timberland comes to my mind.

Best Hiking Boots, Hiking Shoes Reviews - ConsumerSearch

Whatever you buy, make sure you wear them for long stretches of time to see if they are comfortable.

also allow for thick socks that you may be wearing there. I would prefer a loose fit which can be tightened when hiking. because when you take a break, you need to loosen your shoes a bit to allow stretching.

[sammyboy]

+1 to that . Timberlands are awesome. I used them while trekking, rafting, parasailing everything plus regular everyday wear and they lasted me 4 years.
There used to be another company called hi-tec, again fantastic shoes all purpose (not sure if they are still available)
Would suggest you also contact shops which keep specialised trekking equipment. There are a couple of shops in dehradoon in paltan bazaar (Paramount and some other shops) I have frequented and they keep very good professional trekking equipment.

For shoes I think a budget of 8K should suffice (could be wrong though, been quite a few years)

[abhijitaparadh]

I think Woodlands are the best. All weather, decently priced.
On slightly expensive side, you can even think of timberland (which I believe is international name for woodland... wood = timber), Teva, Merrel, Columbia, Saloman etc. Even Nike ACGs are decent.

See the fitting and comfort is better than just going for grippy, menacing looking sole. You will need to wer shoes for more than 10-12 hrs each day. So comfort is important.

[deky]

I dont think they have a Timberland Showroom here in Jaipur, but ill check. What about shoes being waterproof, are these waterproof shoes?

What about the weight, will it matter while hiking?

Woodlands, are they good enough?

[sammyboy]

I have used 4 pairs of woodlands, the first being the best bought in 1994 or so i think. But their quality deteriorated pretty rapidly with the other models. Not sure of what the case now. Would suggest you make a trip to Delhi and check some good places there as well. Dont wear normal sneakers, they cannot protect you from the elements and its awful to trek with wet sneakers.
Weight matters if you have to trek for long durations. If you like a shoe which is slightly heavy but seems comfortable and is tough enough with good grip, break it in by wearing them everyday before you go for the trek.
Never start trekking in brand new shoes.

[deky]

8k for shoes!! wow!!

All my life i have worn sneakers so really have no clue about "water proof hiking shoes". But again Thank you all for the suggestions.

Any other woodland users have experienced the quality of the product going down?

[neel385]

anyone tried catapillar?

[vivekiny2k]

@Deky, you don't really have to buy 8K shoes unless you want to. I am pretty sure you can use reasonably priced indian shoes if it's only for a trip. and if the trip is not really a mountaineering type trip.

I don't know if you will be walking on snow, but snow cleats attachment may be helpful if you do.

[deky]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

@Deky, you don't really have to buy 8K shoes unless you want to. I am pretty sure you can use reasonably priced indian shoes if it's only for a trip. and if the trip is not really a mountaineering type trip.

I don't know if you will be walking on snow, but snow cleats attachment may be helpful if you do.

I am definately not inclined on spending 8k on shoes if I get a cheaper option available. I would be using these shoes once for now and dont know when I would get the opportunity to use them again.

There isnt snow climbing or anything involved, max would be maybe just walk over a couple of inches of snow for some distance. Basically what i understand of the terrain is that its very rocky, lots of loose stones and maybe a few water streams crossing the path. More or less like what we see in Leh/ladhak. Its a cold dessert.

I think I will stick to Woodlands as Timberland might just be a bit too expensive.

[vivekiny2k]

back in India, I had bought a replica of the CAT work boots for 400 Rs. it served well in the roughest terrain available until it was stolen in a train

[anilkalvani]

In boots, at the moment I have 2 pairs, 1 suede & 1 black of Skechers. I have had all varieties of boots over the years, Caterpillars, BOK's (made by Reebok... okish) and currently Skechers but my all time favorites were my 2 pairs of Doc Martens, the most awesome one's i had. Other than that, currently i have 2 pairs of Slip-on's Timberland make which are ultra comfortable. Sport shoes are New balance 811's & 993's.

Formal shoes are a no-no, i don't wear trousers ever. Even during weddings, i wear a black coudroy blazer or suede's blazer on Jeans with Black boots. I bought one for my wedding though, and AFAIK i have used it just once.

[vikram18]

Originally Posted by deky

So what actually I am looking for is:-
1. water proof shoes
2. comfortable shoes
3. not very heavy as at a height of above 15000 ft + its better to have light shoes.

What brand will be my best bet? Kindly give me some names you think would be the best in these rugged terrains. And what budget should I cater for?

Thanks

Timberland Men's WP Plymouth Trail Mid

Something like this will fit your needs perfectly. I have something very similar and they're one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own at present. If you can get someone to carry them for you from abroad, they're just over 5K.