The argument usually starts in a car park. Someone is lacing up tall leather boots, someone else is pulling on shoes that look like they belong on a running track. Both of them are about to walk the same trail. Both of them think the other one has got it wrong.
I have spent twenty years on Scandinavian trails, and I have owned both pairs of boots and trail runners at the same time. Not because I cannot make up my mind. Because the right answer depends on the ground, the weight on your back, and the season. Here is how to think about it.
When boots make sense
There is a reason mountain boots have not disappeared. On rocky scree, where every step lands on a shifting pile of sharp-edged stones, a stiff sole spreads the pressure and stops your foot from folding sideways. Your ankle gets support from the high collar, and after a few hours of that terrain you will feel the difference in your calves.
Long descents with a heavy pack are the other classic boot territory. When you are carrying a good deal of your camping gear, your legs take a pounding on the way down. A stiff sole gives you a stable platform, and the boot takes some of the work that would otherwise go to your foot muscles. I would not want to do a week of high-mountain passes in light shoes with a full pack.
Early-season snow patches are another matter entirely. Wet snow is slippery and cold, and a waterproof boot keeps your feet dry when you post-hole up to your shin. On the last patch of snow in June, when the rest of the trail is dry gravel, you will be glad of the ankle coverage.
When trail runners win
On maintained Scandinavian paths, the case for trail runners is hard to argue with. The trails are often well-marked and reasonably smooth, with tree roots and soft forest floor rather than scree. With a moderate load, you simply do not need the armour.
The big advantage is weight. A trail runner weighs roughly half of what a boot weighs, and you lift your foot about ten thousand times in a day of hiking. The math is obvious before you even start. Lighter shoes mean less fatigue at the end of the day, and you will find yourself moving a little quicker without noticing it.
Then there is the drying question. Scandinavian trails are not dry for long. You will cross bogs, step in puddles, and get caught in rain. A waterproof boot that fills with water stays wet for days. A trail runner drains and dries out overnight if you stuff it with newspaper. Many thru-hikers in Norway now prefer them for summer treks, and once you have tried it, you understand why. Wet feet that dry are better than wet feet that stay wet.
Matching the sole to the ground
The sole is where the real decision lives. The upper matters, but the sole decides how safe you feel.
Look at the lugs, the rubber teeth on the bottom. Deep, aggressive lugs bite into mud and give you grip on wet rock. Shallow lugs are fine for dry gravel and packed earth. If your route crosses muddy patches and wet slabs of granite, choose deeper lugs even if the shoe is otherwise light. If you mostly walk on forest paths, the deep tread just makes you feel like you are walking on stilts.
The rule is simple: match the lug depth to how much mud and wet rock you actually expect. Not to how rugged the shoe looks in the shop.
Sizing and socks
Whatever you choose, size matters more than brand.
Go up half a size from your normal street shoe. On a long descent, your foot slides forward in the shoe, and if you have no room in the toe box, your toes will hit the front. That is how you lose toenails. With thick hiking socks on, the extra half size is not sloppy, it is necessary.
When you try shoes on, do it in the afternoon. Your feet swell as the day goes on, and a shoe that fits at nine in the morning will be tight by four in the afternoon.
The waterproof trade-off
Waterproof membranes are a trade, not a gift. They keep water out, but they also keep sweat in. On a warm day with a steep climb, your feet will be wet from the inside either way.
If you are hiking in a dry spell, consider non-waterproof mesh shoes. They let air move, your feet stay cooler, and when you do step in a stream, the water drains straight out again. The downside is obvious: in cold rain, your feet are cold and wet. But in summer, that is often the lesser evil.
In my experience, the decision is seasonal. Boots for spring and autumn, mesh shoes for the long dry weeks of summer. If you only own one pair, waterproof boots are the safer year-round choice, but you will curse them in July.
Breaking them in
Do not take new footwear on a big hike. No matter how comfortable they feel in the living room, they will find a way to hurt you on day two.
Take them on two or three shorter hikes first. Walk a few hours, get them used to your feet, and let your feet get used to them. This is especially true for boots, which need to flex where you flex. Trail runners are usually easier, but they still benefit from a test run.
If you get blisters during the break-in period, that is the shoe telling you something. Listen to it before you are twenty kilometres from the car.
The choice between boots and trail runners is not a personality test. It is a practical question about the ground you will cover. If you walk on rocky, exposed terrain with a heavy pack, wear boots. If you are on maintained paths with a light load in summer, wear trail runners. And if you are like me, keep both pairs in the hall and decide on the morning of each hike, based on the forecast and the route. Your feet will tell you if you got it right.
About Erik Lindqvist
Erik Lindqvist is a Scandinavian trail guide and outdoor writer based in Norway. He has spent fifteen years hiking fjord paths, mountain ridges, and forest tracks across Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.