Thanks all - this is helpful. I think I probably am looking more for a trail running shoe. With young kids we rarely spend too much on each hike, and at least in normal times, used to do multiple activities on one day (I especially miss winery visits after a good hike...). I’ll see if I can make it in store for a fitting, if not I may order a bunch online to try.

I'm the one who suggested trail shoes and ditto on the Solomons - they are awesome. I am on my third set too.

OP - if you know your feet and what fits you and do a lot of exercising - you can probably figure it out on your own. I'm a runner with high arches and I pronate outwards for example. I like extra padding for my knees. If you don't - go in - it's worth it and it's not that crowded in there. I went in a couple times around Christmas to pick up things.

I love Salomon trail running shoes for hiking. They were recommended to me when I went to REI and I've purchased them multiple times now.

They are stable with a good grip for hiking. Good ankle support even with the lower profile.

But the really nice thing is they are great for travel because they take up less suitcase room and you can also wear them as a running shoe or just for walking around. For example, I packed them for a trip to Vietnam where we went hiking in the mountains, caving and explored cities too and they were a great shoe for all three. I've only run in them a few times, but they are a solid enough running shoe for travel.

Anonymous wrote:Depends on your feet. Go to Rei and have them help you.

I am trying not to go to stores right now that aren’t really essential. But is it worth waiting until I feel like I can do this?

PP - also don't rule out trail shoes. I use those a lot but had to get "real" hiking boots for a specific trip. I still use my trail shoes a lot too.

Anonymous wrote:Depends on your feet. Go to Rei and have them help you.

And do use REI because you can return the shoes - even if you beat the hell out of them before you realize they are wrong for you. I went through 5 pairs before I found the right one. One pair I used a lot until I did a hike with a lot of leaping that just killed my feet. I felt guilty about returning them ....but that's why I buy all my outdoors gear from REI so I figured they owed me one

Plus, their staff is generally very knowledgeable. If you are in DC - I like the M Street one best for shoes. Better then Rockville and Bailey.

Depends on your feet. Go to Rei and have them help you.

We do family hikes regularly and I’m trying to figure out what type of shoes would be best to get. Any recommendations? I’ve only ever worn different type of sneakers but I think something more specific to hiking may better for trails.