Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Trail running shoes too cold in Oct for Mt Whitney?

Although trail runners definitely work on snow (I used mine with crampons numerous times) and getting frostbitten on MWMT in early October is highly unlikely, someone who is not sure about their abilities should still be cautious. It is comforting to think that trail runners will work in very cold conditions as long as you keep moving, but what if you get stuck? I have climbed East Buttress and other technical routes in the range in winter wearing trail runner-like approach shoes with no issues, despite experiencing temperatures way below zero. We were constantly on the go. I also got frostbitten twice, both times wearing mountaineering boots with thick wool socks. In both cases, we were taking long brakes while navigating difficult terrain. These experiences also made realize that different people's feet have different susceptibilities to cold.