09-14-2009, 09:37 AM
It's all about the sole. I've put in hundreds of miles on trails in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and elsewhere and found that you can't go wrong with a good ol' Vibram sole (the ones with a yellow insignia on the sole's instep).
The problem is, Vibram makes a variety of different compounds. The softer ones have better grip but don't last as long on rough lava, and vice-versa. You'll need to figure out which trade-off you prefer, depending on the type of terrain involved. Of course, if you don't hike much on lava, you might not need Vibram's durability.
The problem is, Vibram makes a variety of different compounds. The softer ones have better grip but don't last as long on rough lava, and vice-versa. You'll need to figure out which trade-off you prefer, depending on the type of terrain involved. Of course, if you don't hike much on lava, you might not need Vibram's durability.