I love the Adidas GTX Terrex swift boots. They do not feel like boots at all and have amazing traction and comfort. I have hiked in them wearing a 20lb pack all the way up to a 65lb pack. Feet stay in great shape even after 30 miles in a day. I put over 1,000 miles on them and surprisingly they still are comfortable (however, the tread is completely gone now). The terrex boots were my go to hiking and climbing boots of choice for 5 years but now I have moved on to more of a trail running low top shoe. Retired these boots last month.
I own the Salomon Speedcross4 trail running shoes and find them pretty comfortable. They are super light and the tread is amazing. But after 25 miles of hiking, I for sure feel the feet taking a beating. I have had them 2 years now and they are starting to fall apart. I have probably put around 400-500 miles on them. Retired these shoes this last April.
I am doing the JMT thru-hike this late August and I am debating which trail shoes to take. I own new pairs of the Salomon X Raise and the New Balance Summit Unknown V2. Have not hiked in them yet. Both are super light and feel really good on my feet. They feel like they will not need a lot of break in time. I did not get the GTX version of the shoes due to the fact I wanted to keep weight down and the flexibility of the shoe to the max. Should be pretty dry on the trail too - streams will be low and rain shouldn't be a factor that late. Leaning towards the Salomon X Raise.
I have been hiking and climbing peaks in the Sierra now for 38 years - since I was 5 years old! I have tried and used every shoe out there from Converse high top All-star sneakers to heavy Asolo mountaineering boots - and everything in between. I find that the older I get the more I want comfort and flexibility/durability. My best advise is hike for context. What are your goals, where are you hiking (trail or crosscountry), what are you hiking, when are you hiking? And then go out and get as much as experience as you can!
Happy hiking/climbing season everyone!
