Hi -- I am interested in hearing from anyone who's tracked gorillas at Bwindi who did NOT wear boots -- rather, sneakers, running shoes, trainers, or something else. How did that work for you? Did you regret it?

Thanks!

I wore LL Bean hunting boots, but lots of people wore sneakers, and it depends on the weather -- we were fortunate to have a dry day, but it does rain a lot. If you have an old pair of disposable sneakers, they would be fine. I wouldn't want to have to pack waterlogged sneakers in my luggage.

Hi Velevele,

A frequently asked question... the most important thing is to have footwear that is broken in AND comfortable with good tread (i.e., you don't want to wear anything smooth-soled and slippery... although amazingly, most of the trackers/rangers/porters all wear gum boots which are essentially treadless!).

I have never worn boots as I would never ordinarily do so when hiking... if you are comfortable in them and they are broken in, go for it. It sounds as if you'd rather avoid wearing boots? I always wear my Ecco hiking/walking shoes, which, by the way, are well-broken in and super comfortable and do just fine.

You'll never know in advance if you're going to have a "wet day" or a "dry day," and if it does rain, it will generally rain for a very short period of time.

1. Well-broken in
2. Comfortable
3. Good tread

And you'll be fine!

Have a wonderful time trekking the gorillas - they are absolutely magical and it will be the experience of a lifetime.

Great advice and comments.

On my first trip in 1995, the porters did not even have gum boots. They went barefoot!

For waterproofing my feet, I find I like Seal skinz waterproof socks. Even the best Gortex boots soak through in really wet conditions.

sealskinz.com

I like boots, but have worn sturdy hiking shoes without the high tops. All worked fine.

You need a boot that is light & broken in.
And really has good tread. We fell alot-it was slippery/muddy and we needed the traction for climbing vines-going into puddles etc.
Your feet get really hot [so a breathable sock] and support for your ankles is not a bad thing either.

Thanks, all, this is extremely helpful! (as usual for the people here). No, I don't want to lug boots along for what will be less than a day of the entire time I'm away. I'm a geologist and have bushwhacked for weeks and weeks at a time wearing only running shoes in the most rugged, trailless terrain, as well as hiking Nepal and backpacking Yosemite with a full pack that way (thanks to Mom & Dad passing along their genes for strong ankles), and I only ever wear boots now when I'm working on a drill rig, but... you never know about any specific hike. I wanted to hear from people who had actually done this particular thing. This exactly answers my questions. Thanks again all, and happy travels!

velevele,

With all your hiking experience, you could probably join those earlier porters and go barefoot too.

That boggles my mind! I've seen local hiking guides do this before, even on lava. Ow.

velevele, with soft westernized feet

I had a barefoot guide in the Galapagos, and we walked over lava, boulders and thorny bushes, and he seemed to have no problems.

thit cho--me too. Ouch

I would suggest the Salomon water shoes - check out http://www.salomonoutdoor.com/us/.

I have used these for going between sand, forest and lava on the Big Island of Hawaii and in the Galapagos. If I think my feet are going to get wet, I don't wear socks, and my feet dry out in a hurry. They are very light to pack also.

I could not recommend these more.