The Contenders

I never dreamed I'd be at this stage in my planning and still debating footwear!!!

 

Early on I discovered the Merrell Moab Ventilators.  I purchased a pair in the fall and walked all over the neighborhood in them.  I wore them to hike in Washington.  There was no doubt they were going to be my shoe for the PCT.  Then talk amongst experienced PCT thru-hikers emphasized less, lighter, minimal-style, trail runners.  I feel it would be foolish to completely ignore the opinions of those who have successfully traveled the trail I plan to follow...so I've tried a few pairs of shoes in the latter category.  I will admit, it was mostly an exercise in convincing me that the Merrell's were THE shoe...until the New Balance Minimus 1010s...  So, here I give you the front runners in the shoe contest:

 

In the left corner, weighing in at 15 oz each, the mighty Merrill Moab Ventilators.  These shoes are not an uncommon sight on the trail.  They are lighter than traditional boots with sturdy Vibram soles  They are tough and rugged.  Inside I have replaced the standard issue insoles with Blue Superfeet.  These are a size bigger than my normal shoe size.  Based on my experience with the descents in Washington, I will need at least another 1/2 size bigger for the trip...and unfortunately maybe more as my feet expand as a result of what I will be asking them to do.

In the right corner, the super lightweight New Balance Minimus 1010.  At a mere 7 oz each, the pair weighs less than one of the Merrells.  While we're talking ounces here, that's 1 pound for the pair.  It is generally accepted that completing the PCT requires 6 million steps.  Multiply 1/2 pound per shoe by 6 million and that's a lot of extra weight!  Not only are they light, they are extremely comfortable.  Wearing them makes you want to walk--no joke!  They have become my shoe of choice ever since I put them on that first time.  They have a rock plate which protects the foot from sharp things on the trail, but other than that, there are soft and light.  I have no idea how they would hold up on the trail.  They don't even have a removable insole!  Another plus to these shoes is they should dry very quickly after getting wet.  I have heard from other hikers that they are really happy with them, but I don't know if they've been used on long trails before.  These too are a little too big for me and if they make the cut for the trail, I will probably order them in a size bigger to allow for expansion.

And the winner is... ?????  I'm leaning towards the New Balance, however, I think I will have the Merrell's ready to be shipped if the New Balance aren't up for the job.