Shoes are undoubtably the most important part of your hiking or climbing equipment. They provide you a stable base upon which to keep moving onwards safely.
Trainers are not suitable to climbing mountains. Many do not have the necessary grip nor to they protect the feet and ankles from the environment successfully. This may result in falls or in ankle injuries. Trainers are simply not designed for long hours of strenuous use on challenging terrain.
On smaller mountains, which have well marked and kept trails, wearing trainers on a dry day probably will not cause you any problems. You might use get some wet feet when the rain comes in despite what the forecast says!
The higher the elevation or the more challenging the terrain the more inappropriate the trainers. After a few thousand metres above sea level you start to require specialised mountain boots to attach crampons to and protect your feet from the cold.
I look into all this in detail below. The pros and cons of wearing trainers for climbing mountains. I also consider types as trainers can be a very broad term as can climbing a mountain. I will also add some advice to what shoes you should use.
To help fund this blog, this page may contain affiliate links. This is where I may earn a small commission from any sales as a result of clicking my links without any additional cost to you.
Why You Should Not Use Trainers To Climb A Mountain?
The general consensus is that there is a hierarchy of what shoes are suitable for climbing a mountain. I am going to leave the technical mountaineering boots out here because of your questioning trainers I hope you are not planning on ‘proper’ mountaineering.
From worst to best it normally follows; sandals, trainers, hiking shoes/ trail running shoes, and hiking boots.
So why are trainers so bad?
1. Poor Grip
Sneakers, trainers or whatever you decide to call them can have terrible grip. After nearly being unable to walk up a sloped tiled pavement in the rain in my trainers, I now understand the importance of checking the soles. I did not have deep grooves on my shoes, and the soft sole meant I quickly wore the small ridges away to nothing. Hence no grip.
Climbing a mountain you may have to deal with wet grass, mud, rocks, snow and ice. All of which will be on a slope. I have ended up rolling around like a pig in muck BECAUSE I wore trainers and went on wet grass. That was a simple family walk. I hate to think of having that experiment up a mountain with edges and drops to avoid.
2. Soft Sole
This has two issues, firstly they wear down super quickly. This means the grip wears away, making them more slippy and I have had trainers where the rough ground has taken chunks out the sole. Even if you don’t pronate this can make the shoe unstable, making you more likely to injury your ankle.
The second issue is that you are more likely to feel the jagged rocks as you walk. That’s not comfortable, especially for hours on end.
3. No Ankle Support
There is a bit of a debate as to how effective wearing boots are when it comes to preventing ankle injuries. I imagine this also has to do with individuals ankles strength such as are you a regular walker or sports player or perhaps you have sprained your ankle before and are now prone to rolling it.
I did find some scientific papers that showed that wearing supportive boots does change the way the foot moves compared to bare foot and in some cases other footwear types (1). Other types of ankle support also have a similar effect but items such as tape tending to loosen over time (2). So if you insist on not wearing boots, it may be worth looking into other supports or getting the advice from a medical professional.
Personally I think my boots have saved my ankles on a fair few occasions, but the fault was my own by not watching where I was going. If you’re naturally clumsy, maybe consider the ankle support regardless of trail. If you’re scrambling or on a rocky trail (which is likely in the mountains) opt for hiking boots and leave the trainers at home.
If you choose to wear trainers, make sure you get some practice on rocky ground to make sure you are comfortable and confident on where you put your feet. No one wants an injury, but there are better and worse places to get one. Try it out in a safer environment and it will also strength your ankles at the same time.
4. No Foot Protection
Stubbing your toe is agony. Worst case you even break it. Hiking trails are full of obstacles to cause you to kick something from rocks, tree routes to uneven stairs. The more protection your toes have, the better when these bumps come along. Trainers do not provide as much protection as boots or trail running shoes.
5. Rip Easily
This particularly applies to mesh trainers. This rips so easily. I have seen many people put toes through the roof of it but imagine climbing and sharp sticks or rocks just tear through it. On the bright side the breathability will be increased!
6. They Get Cold
Breathability is great until you realise the wind is blowing straight through them and you can’t feel your toes. The higher up the mountains you go, the colder it gets.
When I climbed Ben Nevis, albeit many years ago now in August there was still a small patch of ice at the summit and that’s only 1345m. Who knows if it is still there year round but the sentiment is the same. Mountains are cold, especially when you stop for a bite to eat!
7. Not Waterproof
The vast majority of trainers are not even water resistant. Even simple wet grass will get you some soggy feet. Wet feet are the worst. It’s the one thing that will make me sulk on any hike let alone a mountain.
Pretty much any outdoor designed shoe will offer better results whether its walking shoes or trail running shoes if you still have an issue with boots.
8. Cannot Pair With Crampons
Crampons are complicated and they will come off the wrong shoe. The steeper and thicker the ice the more technical the crampons need to be and these require specialist mountaineering boots, however, you can get versions for your hiking boots.
These are small spikes that admittedly after wearing them for the first time down an icy path are amazing. I should have got some sooner. It definitely would have saved me some slides! These C0 versions pair well with walking boots and can really help on icy trails. You may get away with C1 crampons if your hiking boot is sturdy.
The issue is that trainers are far too flexible and this movement causes the crampons to come off. I’ve seen it happen too on a trail running shoe. It’s not the end of the world on an accessible hike in the mountains but can be nightmare in a tricky situation, let alone annoying.
Trainers are not the worst shoe in the world. I wouldn’t be overly worried about someone climbing in trainers on smaller mountains so long as they looked like they were following good practice on the whole. I worry about those in flip flops…
There are some benefits of using trainers. I admittedly love hiking in mine if I can get away with it such as a well maintained coastal path. So I will cover some of the perks of wearing trainers.
Benefits Of Using Trainers To Climb A Mountain
Everyone likes their good old trainers. They are an excellent option for being on your feet all day whilst offering comfort and style. Urban or countryside. There are many worse shoes that you could choose and that’s true even with the ‘trainer’ category.
1. Trainers Are Lightweight
This is my favourite reason for why I like to wear trainers. There is something unpleasant about dragging your feet along in a hiking boot especially when you are not used to it.
Of course, different boots weight different amounts and sadly I do believe the pricier boots tend to be the lighter ones. This may not be true and many sites will list the weight somewhere.
The fact remains, that on good terrain I can walk easier in trainers than in boots. The photos below show the differences in weight between my two. Of course, your shoes will weigh slightly differently depending upon show size and style of shoe. My trainers are less than half the weight of my hiking boots. That adds up.
2. Breathability
Many brands of trainers are excellent for breathability. Whether through mesh or clever fabric choices they are excellent at preventing your feet getting all hot and sweaty. Other shoes and boots attempt this but I do not believe are as effective.
3. Prevent Blisters
Blisters are the reason I carry blister plasters with me everywhere. Albeit I normally end up handing these out, I have had some horrible ones in the past and have learnt my lesson.
Trainers are one of the only shoes I can wear without giving me any hotspots, especially initially. There is no ankle bit so anything above the heel is safe. The flexible nature of the fabrics normally give with time to accommodate your feet shape and a greater choice of wider fit options that all lead me to having a more comfortable time.
That being said, if you haven’t worn your trainers in then the long hours spent on the trails may come back to bite you.
4. You Likely Already Have A Pair
If you’re new to hiking or climbing mountains then use what you have. Do not feel like you can’t explore this hobby without investing in high tech equipment.
Take a look at the trail online to see if it’s suitable (well maintained, not overly muddy or slippy, no scrambling). Also if you feel like you are struggling for any reason, there is no shame in turning back or taking a different route. It’s better to safely enjoy it than struggle for the sake of it.
There are so many shoes out there that can be used to hike up that mountain and I will cover a few options below.
Alternative Shoes To The Trainer
The type of mountain will dictate the type of footwear you need to wear so always do your due diligence researching a trail before you go and adapting where you need to. Below are some options which will be better than your humble trainer in most cases.
Trail Running Shoes
These shoes are pretty awesome. They give you all the good aspects of a traditional trainer but also rule out some of the negatives. Many varieties have excellent grip for a variety of different terrains. They also have more protection for the toes should you trip over a tree root. It happens. Often! Some trail runners also offer a waterproof option.
The downside is that trail runners may not be as light as your ordinary trainer or running shoes but they will be the lightest on this list.
Not sure what to expect from some trail runners? Check out the Salomon speed cross trail runners, women’s (Amazon) or the Salomons speed cross trail runners men’s (Amazon) to give you a good idea of what a good pair will offer you.
Hiking Shoes
These tend to offer all that a hiking boot will offer in terms of waterproofing, durability, stability but without the additional ankle support. This may be a good option if you find the additional ankle part uncomfortable but still want a good pair of walking shoes.
Hiking Boots
I love my hiking boots. They offer me so much in terms of protection of my feet, stability, grip and ankle support. I also find the additional bit of boot very handy in muddy and wet conditions. Nothing worse than walking into a bog and not realising how deep the water is till it’s over your shoe. Not even a pair of gaiters will save you in that instance.
I have been in a wet field and stepped onto what I thought was grass with about an inch of water (the weather was awful, nowhere was unscathed) and the water rose over my boot. Waterproof socks, not going to lie were a life saver then! On the whole you will rarely encounter conditions like that but you may have to cross a stream or two and boots are a much better bet for saving yourself from wet feet.
Still stuck on your trainers? Not all are made equal and some will be better than others.
What To Look For In Trainers For Hiking Up A Mountain
A suitable trainer for hiking or climbing up those mountains will have the following traits
1. Good grip
I mentioned above about sliding down a pavement due to some rain because I had worn my trainers grooves out. I now without fail no matter how pretty the trainer is will look at the images of the sole. If there are not deep groves there, I don’t buy the trainer.
Have a look with your wardrobe, make sure if you take a pair that the grip is good and it is not worn away. That may be a useful check for your everyday use too.
2. Hard Sole
Companies have started making spongier and softer soles to shoes to increase comfort. I caved to this and got myself some Sketchers. I did love Sketchers for a bit. They were so comfortable and did not give me any blisters, even wearing them in.
They were lovely shoes but they wore down so fast due to the amount of walking I do compared to other brands. Durability when you are climbing a mountain is a must. You will be walking mile after mile on challenging terrain, they must do their part and can’t fall apart on you half way up!
3. Waterproofing
Some trainers, especially the running trainers can be waterproof. This is super useful if there is a shower or some long grass. I would not expect them to hold up to heavy onslaughts of rain or river crossings.
I have tried spraying my trainers with a waterproofer. I did cause some beading of the water on the shoe, but only gave me an extra five minutes, if that in long grass before it seeped through. It does not work. If you have found a way to make shoes waterproof, I want to know!
4. Durability
Fashion sneakers especially are simply not built to rack up the miles and could fall apart on you on the climb. This may be rocks chipping away at the sole or the glue coming apart with the repetition and pulling of the mud.
I also would avoid mesh, especially on the sides of the shoes unless reinforced somehow. All it takes is a stray stick or bramble to cut at that mesh leaving you a nice big hole.
5. Colour
White trainers may look cool but once they hit the trail they will never be white again, no matter how hard you scrub. Save yourself the pain and either go in a dark pair or an old pair that you don’t care if they get dirty.
References
- Nesterovica – Petrikova, D., Vaivads, N., Stepens, A. (2023). Effects of Tactical Boots on Foot and Ankle Kinematics. In: Dekhtyar, Y., Saknite, I. (eds) 19th Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics. NBC 2023. IFMBE Proceedings, vol 89. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37132-5_15
- 2. Verhagen, E.A.L.M., van der Beek, A.J. & van Mechelen, W. The Effect of Tape, Braces and Shoes on Ankle Range of Motion. Sports Med 31, 667–677 (2001).
