Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion What are you wearing: Hiking boots or good tennis shoes?

Trail runners are my preferred footwear. Full high-rise hiking boots just seem SO 1975 to me. I hated them growing up back then. And I have no intentions of going back. Trail runners are FAR more comfortable and can be every bit as good in the traction department. Admittedly, I have never done anything more difficult than the main trail up Whitney, Clear Creek Trail to the summit of Shasta, and South Climb up Mount Adams (on rocks, not snow). But I have never felt like I needed anything more than trail runners. I never felt like I should have had heavy, clunky boots.