Best of South England tour footwear

My go to is neither of those. I wear a Columbia Waterproof hiking shoe that serves me well in almost any situation. I did this tour (it was wonderful) and you will be walking cross country on the moors, no trails. I was glad I had my hiking poles with me.

Don't hike in trainers, they simply don't provide sufficient support or traction partiIcularly in wet conditions.

In mid May when I'm hiking the South Downs I'll usually wear hiking shoes, waterproof if the conditions are wet or the forecast is for rain however that decision can only really be formed on the day in question so my advice would be to pack waterproof ones.

As a local to Devon & Cornwall, I concur: a good pair of walking shoes. Waterproof if you can. Boots will probably be overkill for what you’re doing, but ordinary trainers perhaps not quite good enough.

I’m barely out of my Goretex Merrell walking shoes between late September and late May.

I did St Michael’s Mount one summer in hiking sandals and really regretted it - it’s a very tough rocky uphill path and I was convinced I would turn my ankle. But unless you’re actually hiking (proper hiking) Dartmoor or the SW Coast Path, I think boots would be a bit too much.

You will see so many people in walking shoes. It’s kind of the local footwear - unless we’re in our Crocs :-)

so glad you mentioned Crocs.

I have 4 pairs in the living room now, at least a dozen more (just for the colours of course) in the cupboards.

I live in them - so good for driving and gardening - but probably not for heavy duty hiking and for sure never in or on (or under) mud.

I was on this tour in 2022. I took my hiking boot because they are one of my most comfortable pairs of shoes, and waterproof. You may not need boots, but you will definitely need something substantial and waterproof. As another poster mentioned, the hike up to the top of St. Michael's Mount can be challenging (lots of rocky stairs). When you visit Tintagel you will also want to wear a good pair of walking shoes. We did a bit of walking in Dartmoor, but not what I would classify as "hiking."

I'm on the 13 day Scotland tour this June. I'll wear my hiking boots on the plane, and I'm packing a pair of waterproof Oboze sneakers for backup (also very comfortable).

I loved this tour! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Happy Travels!

I live in them - so good for driving and gardening - but probably not for heavy duty hiking and for sure never in or on (or under) mud.

Yes, definitely not for hiking but I live near the sea and they’re so good for slipping on as beach shoes. Or to pop on in the evening after a full day of walking. To think I used to be rude to a friend who wore Crocs - and then I tried them!

Hi everyone. We are doing this tour "Best of SO England" in Mid September and I am confused about the discussion of "Boots". Are these comments specific to the Tour or about hiking in England in general? (ps: tour #10 for us).
Safe Travel

Both. There is a day with walking across moors activity where footwear will matter. Also, I used my Columbia Waterproof Hiking shoes (not boots) as my main travel shoe. It takes care of me worldwide in all sorts of situations and footing conditions. Terrific on cobblestones, smooth pavements, dirt paths, etc.

I think the most interesting thing to come out of this thread is that Nigel owns at least sixteen pairs of Crocs :)

I did this tour in April of ‘24 and took one pair of Saucony sneakers and one pair of leather boots, definitely not hiking boots. A pair of decent sneakers are all you need for Michaels Mount or walking across the moors that is included in the tour. I don’t think anyone on our tour even had hiking poles. You are walking trails that thousands of tourists walk every week, not doing serious hiking. There is a lot of walking and it is an active tour but regular walking sneakers were fine. It is a terrific tour, you will love it! One of my favorites out of the 12 I’ve taken.

Welcome to the forum boockcl. I took SoE last July. It’s one of my favorites. Weather in England ranged from record heat (80* with humidity) to rain, wind and cold (in the 50’s). Then I had nine days of rain and cold in Ireland.

I bought a pair of Keen waterproof shoes. Very comfortable but the rocker soles took a bit of getting use to (discontinued). I also took an old pair of Ryka walking shoes, not waterproof but comfortable especially on the warm days. They were almost worn out after two tours so I threw them out before the flight home.

You didn’t ask, but be sure to take a good waterproof raincoat with a hood, roomy enough to wear a jacket and/or sweater underneath.

Thank you for the replies. I'm now on the hunt for good waterproof hiking shoes!!

FWIW, I did St Michael’s Mount and Tintagel last year in Hoka’s Bondi running/walking shoes and had no problems. It was raining when we did Tintagel, dry for St Michael’s Mount.

I don't think Hoka can be beaten for comfort. I wore my Hoka hiking boots throughout my two week hiking tour around various national and state parks in Arizona and southern California, they dealt with every terrain I could throw at them including a lot of rock scrambling. I didn't get to test their waterproofness on that trip but I have subsequently and they hold up well in the typical wet British climate.

I also have a pair of Hoka walking shoes that I wear on city breaks and they're great on cobbled streets. The decent amount of cushioning also helps prevent sore feet after a day of walking plus they're waterproof. They're a decent alternative to bulky boots.

I've come round to Hokas a little. I'm definitely more into them than I was a year or so ago.

The Adidas Evo is of that style and is a very hip sneaker in London at the moment.

https://www.adidas.co.uk/adizero-evo-sl-shoes/JP7149.html