Tips for retailers

Hiking boots: favourite features

What are today’s hikers looking for in a boot? Same things they’ve always looked for: comfort, support, durability and grip.

What’s changed?

People have just become more discerning. They’re no longer content to hike the Otter Trail in a pair of leather clodhoppers with tyre-tread soles and red laces. Nope, they want boots that are lightweight, waterproof, breathable... and trendy.

The good news for retailers is that there’s oodles of choice in terms of brands, models and features. More choice, in fact, then we’ve ever seen before in SA.

The challenge – as always – is to have the right spread of products on your shelves. And one of the keys to nailing this is to have an up-to-date understanding of the latest trends and technologies.

Cutting The Kilos

“One of the biggest trends right now is the shift to lighter footwear,” says Kennith Barlow, merchandise manager at Cape Union Mart.

Simply put, hikers don’t want to be weighed down by heavy, cumbersome boots if they can find something much lighter that can do the same job. Manufacturers have responded with a string of new lightweight models.

Hi-Tec’s V-Lite range is already well established in the market; Karrimor have their X-Lite series and Salomon their Revo Light series.

We’ve also seen new lightweight models from niche mountain brands such as La Sportiva (with the Halite boot) and Montrail (with their aptly-named Helium boot).

How are these companies cutting the kilos?

Simple: through the use of new lightweight synthetic fabrics for the uppers, combined with lighter composites in the outer sole and midsole.

How do these boots measure up against more traditional leather models?

That’s more tricky to answer.

Manufacturers obviously try to make them as hard-wearing as possible, either through the use of abrasion-resistant fabrics such as Cordura, or by covering them in a protective mesh, such as Karrimor’s Fine Moulding.

Sounds good for hiking, but the feedback from the guys in the field is that if the customer is planning some serious mountain stomping then a sturdy leather boot is still a good bet.

Just Like Running Shoes?

It seems some hikers want to reduce weight even more, hence the growing popularity of low-cut hiking boots (which retain the grippy sole and protective uppers of a normal boot, but without the raised ankle support). More recently, there’s been a noticeable shift towards even lighter footwear for hiking.

Says Reebok’s Zhivanni Marais: “People are definitely buying running shoes to hike in.” Not road running shoes, mind.

Models such as Reebok’s Trail Divider GTX, which boasts the same excellent cushioning as their road shoes, but with more support, greater foot protection and extra-grippy soles for use in an off-road environment.

These are good for shorter hikes on good paths, but on multi-day trails, where people have to shoulder heavy backpacks and often traverse rough, uneven terrain — a full-sized boot with decent ankle support is still recommended.

His and Hers

Another strong trend, says Barlow, is the demand for female-specific hiking boots. Ladies, it seems, have narrower feet and a higher arch than men, and all the major manufacturers have stepped up to the plate and developed dedicated women’s models. The fact that these boots fit better – and therefore feel more comfortable – is obviously the big selling point here; however, some brands have made their products even more attractive by introducing more feminine colourways.

Proper Support

Of course, comfort isn’t just determined by how the boots feel when you pull them on in the shop.

A well-designed boot should provide sufficient cushioning and support to ensure your feet are still smiling at the end of the day’s hiking. “Proper arch support is critical,” explains Eric Riemann of Adventure Inc. “When you walk your arches flex, acting like a natural shock absorber. But if the muscles in your feet are unfit or become tired, the arches flatten out, putting additional strain on the rest of your body.”

With this in mind manufacturers have put much R&D into the design of the midsole. The result? Multi-density footbeds that use softer foam in high-impact zones such as the heel, and firmer, more supportive compounds under the arch.

Taking the Knock

Italian manufacturer La Sportiva have gone one step further with their Impact Break System (IBS), which they claim improves comfort even more through innovative new shock-absorbing technology in the outsole. Yup, that’s right — the outsole.

How does it work?

Where normal rubber soles have rigid lugs for grip, the IBS lugs have been designed to shift backwards gently as they touch the ground. This lateral motion, although small, absorbs some of the impact energy, reducing the knock on your feet and knees.

Beating the Elements

There’s no doubt about it: South Africans are becoming more adventurous when it comes to hiking. The Fish River Canyon? Yawn. These days the campfire conversation inevitably drifts to Kilimanjaro. The Inca Trail. Everest Base Camp.

The result is a need for more hardcore boots that can withstand the cold and wet conditions associated with these more extreme destinations.

For many years the Gore-Tex label was the benchmark for a boot that was guaranteed weatherproof.

More recently, we’ve seen the arrival of products such as eVent, which also use a waterproof, breathable membrane, but don’t carry such a premium cost.

But, the hot new arrival of 2008 has to be Hi-Tec’s new ion-mask technology.

The upside of a lucrative and expanding hiking boot market is obvious: new technologies, new brands, new models. The risk is that retail staff are unable to keep up with the pace.

It is one thing stacking a shelf with the latest and greatest products... having knowledgeable staff that can help the customer select the right boot for the job is also essential.