Hiking boots for long backpacking trip

Do you have just a bad knee, or a bad knee and weak ankles? If it's just the bad knee, I'd go easy on it by using the lightest shoes you can get away with. Look into the trail runners (which are made to be light, comfortable, and with a more substantial sole for rocks and mud than regular running shoes) that you can find locally in Boston at places like EMS and City Sports. A lot of backpackers (hikers) use them now instead of boots, so look around. They'll be much cooler in the summer than boots and will dry a lot faster - wet boots stay wet for days.

If your Keens are what are comfortable, wear them! You can always order another pair and have it sent to a hotel or a post office along your route if you see them starting to fall apart. I wouldn't freak out too much about the ankle support unless you have really weak ankles, are going through mountaineering-style snow travel (and you'd have bigger preparation issues if you were), or if your pack is the weight of a small village.

In the summer of 2007 I walked 500 miles across northern Spain on the Camino Frances trail. Proper footwear and feet care were important issues, so your question is certainly relevant.

However, I cannot recommend a bulletproof brand, since everyone's body mechanics are different. When I did my trek, the boots I brought from the US turned out to be too heavy, so I abandoned them in favor of a lighter Spanish brand (later down the tail the heel stitching popped, so I got them repaired at a shoe shop for 5 Euros - a possible option if your Keens have trouble). That's something to keep in mind - if for some reason your beloved Keens don't work out, you can always choose from many brands in Europe to replace them.

I also wore a liner sock and a thicker pair over them, used arch supports and inserts as well (indeed, I even put maxipads on my inserts - a trick I learned from a woman in Spain. They absorb moisture, provide a bit of padding, and practically conform to the shape of the insert. Plus they are inexpensive, available at any Euro supermarket, and easy to change). And I powdered my feet and coated them with anti-friction gel to prevent blisters.

I saw a number of people on the Camino using various methods to support ankles and knees, from basic wraps to more complex braces. Again, you can find these things in Europe if you discover that your present equipment is inadequate, so don't feel that your vacation is shot if your home-grown gear isn't up to par. Good luck!

Thanks for the excellent advice. Maxi pads....I'm sure that that will come in handy some time!

I have a pair of Keen Newport H2 water shoes (nice lug soles for walking easy trails or over cobblestone streets in the city - and they pull double duty when you need to shower in a hostel or in huts along the trail that have dirty floors) and I'm a big fan of the Merrell Moab Ventilator Mid (for ankle/arch support, light weight and keeping feet cool in hot weather). Used both to hike through Australia and New Zealand and really liked them (no blisters, ever!).

I've also got a pair of Merrell Chameleon Arc Mid Waterproofs that I've used a number of times hiking in really wet, muddy places in Ireland and the U.K., but they are heavier and your feet may get too hot in them during summer.

If you go to REI in Framingham you could try on a few pairs and test them out on their fake rock trail to see if you like them before you buy.

Unless you're hitting major mountain trails, a comfortable pair of walking shoes will do better service than heavier hiking boots.

My favorites right now are Ecco waterproof walking shoes. They are black leather and can be dressed up or worn with jeans or khakis.

I also have a pair of lightweight hikers from North Face but trail runners work well, they are light but have more lateral support than a normal runner and aren't white so you don't have to worry about getting them dirty.

A pair of Keen sandals is my other preferred travel shoe, depending on where I'm going and what time of year.

I have very finnicky feet and I love my Keens as well. The only other shoe that is good for me is Salamon. I use a Salamon boot for my backpacking and I love it because it isn't as heavy as a backpacking boot and feels and fits more like a running shoe. But it gave me lots of ankle support for carrying 40 pound loads.

Hello all. Taken all of the advice, I'm thinking pretty strongly of keeping the keens, but am wondering if anyone has experience with GARMONT boots. I hear that they can take the heat - just talked to a hardcore hiking friend who said that hers just died after 5 years on the trail.

Your best bet is to go on REI.com and check out the boots (they have them all). They include comments and opinions from many purchasers, both good and bad, and the comments are very specific. There are special sports inserts for boots, and you should always take out and toss the inserts that come with them and get the good inserts. This from an avid backpacker (doing the southern John Muir Trail this summer while my wife spends a month in Malta).

It might be worth spending the money at REI, Jenny if you want durability, lightweight, breathability, and support. Expensive... but good. A nice thing about boots that wear out though, if you don't have to take them home with you! I wish I could show you my poor boots from my first trip that never made it home.