Lets get a thread going on footwear for preparedness. Not what you want, what you got. It might help others benefit from your input.

Here are some start points or ideas for discussion.

[list]
[*]What is your best footwear (in your possession) for: Piece of Mind/Prepper/EDC/Survival situation. Why?

[*]Do you prefer tactical boots, hikers, urban boots, work boots or whatever is on your feet at the time.

[*]Post thoughts on your everyday footwear for work & play.

[*]What is in your trunk kit, BOB, or Get Home Bag. Do you keep a pair of shoes next to your bed at night?

[*]Do you plan your professional footwear choices around being prepared at work or are you forced to comply with office standards. Do you or how do you stash 'proper' footwear at the office if something occurs?

[*]How often do you wear or train with your footwear or is it an older pair that is just there in case of an emergency.

Finally, everyone wants to upgrade gear so you must have thought about what your next footwear will be. What is it and why?

my climate is hot and wet, sand and not rock, and not very much thorn...and I'm not a hiker or camper, so my everyday shoe is a lot lighter than for most of you

most likely to have on EDC.... New Balance 410

I'm amazed by the number of people wearing shoes (flip flops/sandals) that they couldn't walk a mile in

I supponate so change out shoes about every two years, and the older pair go into the car ... same with prescription glasses..shoes next to bed

have tried Bates side zip 8" boots for tactical matches, and I find that the NB work better...use North Face mids for Ft Benning as there are a lot of crushed rock to walk on

for relief from wet ground ...Teva sandals to let feet dry

retired now, but dress code at school allowed athletic shoes

shoot all local matches (pistol and 3gun) with the New Balance

I think I've actually found the best compromise in what I now wear...for me the technology breakthrough is the moisture wicking socks... polypropylene stuff like generic UnderArmor

For day to day footwear, I prefer a nice pair of 6 hole leather boots (think Dr. Martens style). My work is usually more corporate casual than suit & tie so these can work for me as both work & more casual wear. These also work well when I have the motorcycle out.

Currently I have are a pair of CAT boots I picked up on an impulse; I also replaced the insoles with something a bit more comfortable.

From a preparedness perspective, as long as they are kept treated, they provide good protection from the elements in a durable, comfortable, and nice looking (in my opinion at least) package. Really, this is my ideal footwear for around the city plus I think they'd serve me well in any emergency scenario I can think of.

Out in the woods, I prefer my full leather hiking boots that I've had for years and have finally conformed to my feet well. If I were buying a new pair I'd try to find something that fit better out of the box, but now they fit pretty good.

As with the city boots the leather needs to be kept treated to maintain their weatherproofness ... actually this is even more important with the hiking boots.

My best: Vasque all leather, very durable hiking boots.

Prefer Hikers, more durable and versatile.

I normally wear light hikers every day unless I need to dress for business, then high quality all leather shoes with a good, non-slick, sole.

Keep a pair of light hikers for just in case, but some light trail running shoes in the trunk or backpack.

Professional footwear as above, high quality, all leather with a good sole.

Wear them all the time. Have one older pair, broken in well, another getting broken in. They don't take long though. The Vasques are very comfortable from the beginning.

I will go with more of the same. I normally wear the same boots summer or winter. Durability is the key for me. My feet sweat in sandals in the winter, so good leather boots don't bother me in the summer. I have the light hikers for backup, less demanding activities and the trail runners to carry something smaller and lighter to let my feet air out and for around camp.

I have a pair of ankle-high Cabela's leather hiking boots that have been to Hell and back. They look rough but they're super comfortable and tough. I'm probably another year or so away from having them resoled or replaced.

To replace those, I bought some taller (higher up on the ankle) Rockports. I wore these just enough to break them in. My plan was to put the Cabela's in the car and have the Rockports be my main pair of boots, but I changed my mind and put the Rockports in my car kit. They're too pretty for rough use .

The newest pair are Merrel's, ankle-high light-hikers. Sinfully comfortable, feather-light and great looking, I wear these on snowy days going to customers and the office.

All three are waterproof. I don't buy boots that aren't.

Another fan of Vasque products here, partly because they were the purveyor of official footwear for the National Park Service at the time I was working; when i retired, I took a lifetime stash of Sundowners and lighter boots with me. I feel uneasy putting on any shoes that I am not willing to walk at least five miles in. Day to day I am usually wearing some sort of running shoe, although I am beginning to appreciate "approach shoes," low cut hikers that are designed to be suitable for the lower grades of rock climbing (up to about 5.6 or so); i can climb in them, hike in them, and they are my top choice for riding my toe clip equipped touring bicycle.

Any low cut hiking shoe shoud be paired with gaiters;I have several different type for different situations.

I have several boots for more specialized situations, including steel toed work boots; I hope I can locate them when I have to dig out from the Big One.

i think i ever have a pair of dress shoes for those inevitable occasions when they are de riguer, but I really don't like to wear them.

Great topic - reminds me of September 11, 2001 when many of my friends cursed their high heels.

I've been loving Lowa Renegade Gore-Tex hiking boots for over a decade. Have logged countless miles on several pair on all kinds of terrain, through streams, etc. Very comfortable, durable, great traction even on slick boulders and not too heavy. Bought a new pair last month with my REI dividend.

I keep a pair in my SUV (socks tucked into them) and have two pair at home (which is less than a mile from work).

http://www.rei.com/product/796065/lowa-renegade-gtx-mid-hiking-boots-womens


These Lowas, in conjunction with Outdoor Research Gore-Tex gaiters and Smartwool ski socks, have also taken me comfortably through several major snowstorms:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/43527?feat=gaiters-SR0&attrValue_0=Black


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I am also a proud owner of a pair of Sundowners, too. Italian made. These are nice boots. Before that I had a pair of Merrell's boots. While some really liked them, they were just OK for me. Eventually they wore out.

What I wear most often are LL Bean Comfort Mocs (=moccasins), the regular and the boots. Easy on, easy off, and they are really comfortable. Cheap, too. I wouldn't go hiking with them, but for the urban environment I'm in, they're very nice.

Other than that most of my shoes are "task-specific," I guess. I have a few pairs of Ecco dress shoes for work. (They are kind to my feet. Strangely enough, my Ecco casual shoes aren't so comfy at all.) Rock climbing shoes. Dance shoes. Vibram Fivetoes for the gym. Sandals that I can walk a mile in. And so on. I'm going to stop now because I don't want to feel like I'm Imelda Marcos.

I guess the Sundowners would be my "survival" shoes, but if the building is on fire, I'll slip into the Comfort Mocs in five seconds and be out of there. If I have time, I guess I could put on my rock climbing shoes, and slowly descend the side of the building. Then change into my dancing shoes to tango with the pretty lady waiting for me on the ground, before changing into my burgundy dress shoes to take them out for a night on the town before the world ends in fire or ice.

I wear alot of tennis shoes for running and working out, and light trail hikers the rest of the time. Tennis shoes run fairly quickly if you run 25-30 miles a week. I also retire my trail hikers a little early (before structural collapse, 200-400 miles) and after a while have stashed pairs in the car, under my bed and in at least one other BOB type thing.

I've also stashed a pair of my tennis shoes in the back of my car and that has worked out well, when a client came out of his burning house without shoes (or socks, warm pants etc). My size 10s fit him really well and I didn't mind leaving them behind (the local Red Cross ultimately gives fire victims $ for replacement shoes, clothes, warm coats etc - the hand me downs are temporary, but why should a person have to stand around on wet cold pavement or be limited to sitting in the back of his vehicle).

Old tennis shoes also go into the backyard shed for mowing lawns - if I come out of a burning or collapsed home, I can get a pair from the shed, shake out any spiders, and have relatively warm and dry feet. Nails, broken glass etc are the problem post disaster - I'd rather have a pair of trail hikers, which is what I wear going in after a fire and doing damage assessments.

I would contact Mr. Wile E. Coyote and order a pair of the Acme Jet Skates. They come with some risk though. Sharp curves and steep, abrupt cliffs are a hazard to be aware of.

There is also the problem of 5 million fellow buggers-out on the limited road system as well. It may be hard to jet around this unruly crowd.

A second option would be the Ajax Rocket Pack, which is capable of rising above the masses and dodging likely traffic jams. Again, there are some hazards associated with the Rocket Pack. It has no brakes and steering is tricky at best. Investing in the optional parachute can be handy but be advised that deployment of the flammable parachute can only be accomplished safely after the Rocket Pack is out of fuel. The Ajax Rocket Pack also conflicts with the John Rambo Tactical Load Carry System, limiting the amouunt of Meals Refused by Ethopians you can bring.

Also, be advised that the bottom of a deep canyon is a long way down.

No affiliation with Ajax or Acme, purely a recommendation based on visual observations.