I pretty much always wear my boots (Oboz Yellowstone IIs; 20 oz. each) on my hiking and backpacking trips in the Sierras and elsewhere. They are great but I'm exploring getting some lighter footwear for tougher hikes where I want to minimize weight and will be on decent trails. Please note that these trails will still have a lot of rocks (one my concerns), so I wonder whether a sturdy thick sole is probably still wise. I want to wear them on my upcoming Mt. Whitney hike.

What are your thoughts on the best way to lighten my load **without finding myself with beat up feet or injured**? I want to cut weight, but not end up cutting on something that I shouldn't have cut on (e.g., a 10 oz. shoe that has a thin sole that will leave my foot battered). And maybe the answer is to keep my Oboz and not try to cut.

An example is that I'm looking at the Adidas AX 2 boot. It's nice that it's a full-sized boot yet is very light ... but I wonder if that is because it has a thin sole, in which case maybe I'm better going with a shoe with a lighter upper and heavier sole.

I personally switched from boots to trail runners 5 years ago and never looked back--in fact, I never wore the boots since and finally donated them to Goodwill. I found that my feet and ankles get far more support from supportivetrail runners. My feet do need a lot of support because they are rather deformed, I pronate heavily and my ankles (after multiple sprains over the years) aren't all that good. I therefore can't wear any of these "minimalist" shoes that have become so popular--I need all the stability and antipronation features I can get. When I first tried trail runners, I tried deliberately to turn my ankles (a frequent occurrence in boots) and discovered that I couldn't do it. It's the footbed, not a piece of leather around your ankles, that provides the ankle support.

I also found that goretex liners turned my feet into a sauna, leading to lots of blisters. In addition, when the liners got wet inside (inevitable), they took days to dry. With the trail runners, I can splash through a ford and walk my shoes and socks dry in an hour or two--they aren't wet for nearly as long. No blister problems since I switched!

Feet are so individual that footwear is strictly a case of YMMV--Your Mileage May Vary. I therefore won't recommend anything, just recount my own experience. The one thing I do recommend: when you do find the perfect footwear for you, immediately buy up several pair. It's inevitable that the manufacturer will discontinue that model next year! I fortunately have one pair of the old Montrail Hardrocks left--after that, I'll have to start over.

If you make changes, be sure to do plenty of tryouts well in advance of your big trip--that's not the time to be starting out with a new type of footwear!

What trail runners do you find to be supportive?

I have been using either running shoes or, more lately, trail runners for trail hiking since the late 70's. I started using running shoes rather than climbing boots for approaches when involved in mountaineering in the North Cascades; I just hung my climbing boots from the top of my pack until needed. My climbing buddies thought I was nuts until they noticed that I was the only one with any energy left at the end of the day. My favorite approach shoe was the old Nike Waffle Trainer. It was light and dried quickly.

In 2008 I hiked the JMT in a pair of pre-2008 Montrail Hardrocks. They were the best trail shoes I've ever used so of course they "improved" them to the point of uselessness. Since then I have mainly used New Balance trail runners, most recently the 889's. I tried a pair of Oboz Rimrocks and didn't like them; same with Merrill Moab Ventilators for different reasons. I hiked the north half of the JMT in NB 889's last year and they worked well so I will use them again this coming summer for a JMT through hike.

Most of the shoes I use weigh about a pound apiece. I like a good heel cushion and a sole that keeps the rocks from poking my feet. You can get this in a 16 oz shoe like the NB 889 but not in the lighter 10 oz "minimalist" shoes.

I'm still working on the Montrail Hardrocks I bought when I switched from boots. I just started wearing the last pair of the pre-2008 Hardrocks that I bought up while they were still available, so I have no idea of what's on the market currently. Those fit me perfectly, but I have severe bunions and hammertoes, requiring a very high and wide toebox, and extremely narrow heels. I have never forgiven Columbia Sportswear (who bought out Montrail in 2008) for first ruining and then ditching the Montrail last.

New Balance is fairly good for me but pinches the hammertoes on my left foot. Also, all their current trailrunners appear to be "minimalist."

Your feet are very much an individual matter, so you need to get what works for you. That's going to take a lot of trying on! I'd suggest you check out local running shoe stores, where you're far more apt to get good advice than at, say, REI. Or from an internet forum, where all we can do is report what works for our feet, not yours.

I use the green Superfeet insole replacement. I can even use light tennis shoes, with the Superfeet insoles, and not feel rocks. I also hike in a medium to heavy wool sock - Smartwool. When I buy new shoes I wear the socks I plan on using on the backpack and bring the Superfeet insoles.

I have not used boots for 15 years. If I plan on being in snow, I just use knee-high gaiters with my low top hiking shoes. I choose my hiking shoe based on fit and an aggressive sole. Since I do cross snow often, I need a tread that will not slip on snow.

I have given up on having a hiking shoe last very long. I like sticky rubber treads and a light shoe - neither do well with longevity. I usually get about a season and half out of a pair of shoes (I do a lot of miles, though). If the shoe fits, I buy it; if it falls apart in one season, so be it. I have never had blisters or sore feet since I quit wearing boots.

If you want to make sure your foot is still well protected in a trail runner, you should look for something with a "rock plate". It is a stiff plate in the sole to protect your foot when stepping on sharp rocks. The only problem with that advice is I have yet to find a shoe company that will advertise their shoes have a "rock plate". I think consistent terminology is the antithesis of every marketing department (they want you to think they are the only ones with a particular technology). That being said once you know something like a "rock plate" exists you can ask about at the shoe store or search through the marketing mumbo jumbo for equivalent terms.

Once you get past the rock plate everything else about your boots will probably leave your feet more beaten up at the end of the day. I also like to look for some molded toe protection in my trail runners.

I'm wearing Adidas Venus XC Track Shoes. I put an extra thin insert into them, so the rocks don't bother me anymore. They work great, and I believe the low heel keeps me from twisting my ankle, since there is the less leverage compared to a high heel. The traction of the mini cleats is awesome. http://www.amazon.com/adidas-Womens-Venus-Track-Colnavy/dp/B000O808DC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
They weigh 8 oz each, and with the inserts 9 oz each.

ps. On the Appalachian Trail, I've heard it's common knowledge that it takes a few weeks to adapt your feet to using a minimalist thin sole (to where the rocks no longer hurt).