How to Find Cheap Lightweight Hiking Shoes

Back in the 1990s I switched from using hiking boots to lightweight hiking shoes for backpacking and hiking. This was a part of my move to "ultralight backpacking" from more mainstream practices. As soon as I switched I stopped getting blisters. I've had perhaps one or two in the years since the change.

Besides eliminating blisters and keeping things light, I had another important goal: to spend less money for clothing and gear. Switching to shoes fit into that plan pretty easily I discovered. Based on my own experiences, here are some of the ways to keep your hiking shoes both cheap and light.

Closeouts

When I take longer hikes and backpacking trips I like to have high-quality shoes on my feet. I try to use good running shoes that weigh less than two pound per pair. When catalogs or online sources list the weights, I buy them that way . When I buy shoes in the local shoe store I can tell by lifting them if they are in my weight range. You might want to bring a small kitchen scale to check weights if you aren't good at gauging these things by feel.

Now, a common problem is that many of the best running shoes cost $80 or even $100, and I don't like to spend that much on shoes ever. The solution? I buy closeouts. People apparently want the latest fashion, so last year's styles need to be cleared out by manufacturers. Performance doesn't change much from year to year as far as I can tell, and thanks to a fashion-conscious market last years styles are hard to sell, and so are discounted as much as 75%. I've bought $85 running shoes for as little as $25 during a closeout sale.

One good place to check for these deals is the Sierra Trading Post catalog. I'm not going to mention specific brands that are light or cheap because that changes all the time. Just get online, get a few catalogs sent to you, and you'll find some decent discounts on good shoes.

Try Low Quality

Another strategy I use for keeping my hiking shoes light and inexpensive is to go to Wal-Mart or Kmart or other places which sell shoes cheap. The shoes I use at the moment (2009) are $10 at Wal-Mart right now and for the past year. Without a doubt they are low quality in terms of materials and longevity, but they grip better than any expensive shoes when I'm hiking in rocky territory or climbing around.

With these cheap hiking shoes like these I recommend using them only for short backpacking trips and hikes. Don't go too far into the wilderness for too long. I had a $7 pair of shoes on a week-long 110-mile trip in the Rockies, and I almost had a serious problem when they came close to falling apart after seven days of rough going.

On the other hand, they were very comfortable, light, and required no "breaking in" time at all. I will probably always use low quality shoes on occasion, but I'll limit their use to trips of about three days or less. If you try this you might also want to carry some duct tape just in case you need to repair the shoes.

A quick summary: Try closeout sales for quality running shoes (better than those specifically called hiking shoes in my opinion). Buy the cheapest comfortable shoes you can find for shorter hikes and overnight backpacking. Take a scale to the store with you,and be sure your shoes are less than a pound each. This is how you keep it cheap and light.

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