We are hiking trails in the Cinque Terre next week. What are folks thoughts on hiking shoes, trail shoes, sturdy tennis shoes? There's no forecast for rain and it's been dry for 1-2 weeks.
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2788 posts
I have hiked them twice, both times while wearing the Clark AirMover shoes that I wear all over Europe. No problems but I have not hiked in wet weather.
Posted by
America's Vancouver and the First
94 posts
We wore athletic shoes (didn't even have lug soles) and we were fine. Admittedly, we didn't hike the segment from Vernazza to Monterosso. Felt more like hanging around beautiful Vernazza than acquiring a notch in the travel belt. To each traveler, their own experience!
Posted by
San Leandro, CA, USA
518 posts
Some parts of the trail are smooth and flat, some are even paved, so it all depends on which sections you're doing. I'm a big fan of gore-tex lined hiking shoes for travel. These days, there are so many styles that you can have a good, sturdy yet lightweight pair of hiking shoes without having to look like you're actually going mountain climbing. This makes them versatile footwear for both outdoor activities and a day at the museum.
Posted by
3240 posts
Not really sure that you need hiking shoes. I wore trainers and did just fine. The trails reminded me of the most popular trails in the Yosemite Valley - beautiful, but crowded!
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thank all for your responses! We really appreciate the timely answers, exactly what we needed for our packing decisions.
Posted by
St. Louis missouri
16 posts
I know this is late, but for anyone planning to go soon we hiked the trail from Carniglia to Varnassa the day after an evening shower and it was dicey. There are some steep rocky sections that are shaded and can be slippery. I recommend a substantial shoe with a good outer sole for gripping, after all you are truly day hiking so dress for it. Trail runner shoes or approach shoes are perfect. We were there two weeks ago and the trail was packed, so start early or you will be forced along and that's not relaxing. A hiking staff is a good investment on the steep slippery sections.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
We did the trails a week ago and we wore sturdy trail runners with good tread. We didn't have many areas of wet trail, but where it was wet it was very slippery, the sturdy tread was appreciated. Also, my trail runners were very cushioned which reduced the pounding going down hill, easier on the knees.