Rain boots for walking? or something else?

[star117]

I was wondering about trail runners. Are the bottoms more flexible than hiking boots?

[Sue B]

I've had a pair of New Balance winter walking shoes with Goretex-treated leather uppers for about a decade now. They look like hiking or trail shoes but are totally waterproof - I can walk through mud, puddles, snow and my feet stay dry and warm. They're probably long discontinued but look for "country walking" or "winter walking" or "trail walking" waterproof shoes.

ETA: mine are men's. I have "duck feet" and can't wear skinny pointy women's shoes.

[BunnyHop]

Merrell doesn't make wide widths for women, that I can see.

Has anybody simply tried men's shoes??

It finally dawned on me that maybe I could find what I want in a man's style. Online shopping makes the selection so vast it's kind of breathtaking.

[FirmDancer]

Originally Posted by BunnyHop

Has anybody simply tried men's shoes??

ME! With my regular-wear minimalist shoes (Xero shoes), I wear men's. And my Merrell waterproof hiking boots are mens. Men's shoes have a wider toe box. With the Merrell's, it took several attempts to get the right size. And the shoes feel "looser" overall. But a huge improvement ! With the Xero shoes, no adjustment at all - they fit perfectly.

[BunnyHop]

Originally Posted by FirmDancer

ME! With my regular-wear minimalist shoes (Xero shoes), I wear men's. And my Merrell waterproof hiking boots are mens. Men's shoes have a wider toe box. With the Merrell's, it took several attempts to get the right size. And the shoes feel "looser" overall. But a huge improvement ! With the Xero shoes, no adjustment at all - they fit perfectly.

Great! I've got that narrow heel/wide forefoot thing going on, so it's always been a bit of a struggle to find shoes. Usually I just find a brand that tends to fit and stick with it, but for certain categories of shoe I have to branch out.

[BigBadBetty]

I have used trail runners and hiking boots with goretex lining for rainy day walking. I use lightweight hiking boots that are just as flexible as trail runners. I tend to use the hiking boots more because I can use them in snow. I just add another pair of socks and toe warmers to make them winter boots.

[sheepla]

This is a timely subject for me as I live on a farm and have dirt roads so after a storm, when I go walking, it is truly sloshing in mud. I can't say enough good things about these boots:
https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1223...3&csp=a&pos=26
I wear them for walking all the time and they keep my feet dry and are comfortable enough to walk a few miles easily.

[FirmDancer]

Originally Posted by sheepla

This is a timely subject for me as I live on a farm and have dirt roads so after a storm, when I go walking, it is truly sloshing in mud. I can't say enough good things about these boots:
https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1223...3&csp=a&pos=26
I wear them for walking all the time and they keep my feet dry and are comfortable enough to walk a few miles easily.

Thank you for the recommendation!

[toaster]

I had been thinking about getting rain boots and just had the opportunity to order these free for review:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They arrive this weekend; I'll report back!

[toaster]

Originally Posted by toaster

I had been thinking about getting rain boots and just had the opportunity to order these free for review:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They arrive this weekend; I'll report back!

ETA:

Sheila, those LL Bean boots look really cute. I'll have to keep them in mind if mine don't work out.

Anna, the idea to try men's shoes is interesting. My toes often get smushed in women's shoes (including my Lands End snow boots, which I hardly wear b/c they hurt my toes after a short period). The size might be tricky though - my husband wears a size 8, and his shoes are just a little too big for me (I'm a size 8.5 women's).

Since I don't wear my snow boots, I'm hoping that the new rain boots will work for both rain & snow.