Shoes in Scotland
 

Yes, there are a lot of forum topics on shoes, but I'd like to kick off a new one specifically for Scotland (and I'll assume the advice covers Ireland pretty well also) to see what everyone likes. My family will be in Scotland and Ireland this summer and we'll be doing some mild day hikes (up to 4 hrs at most probably). I'll be bringing my tried-and-true hiking boots that I use everywhere and Scotchgard (pun intended?),which makes them mostly water resistant for the stuff that I do. My wife will likely be doing the same. My 16 yo daughter wants to bring stylish rain boots of some kind (blech) and my 10 yo son doesn't care and will probably just go with whatever sneakers he has at that time. What do you locals and seasoned UK travelers like to use?

Waterproof the sneakers as best you can if you cannot get your son to change his mind. It rains a LOT in Scotland and off-pavement walking can be boggy, especially if you are not familiar with the terrain. It can give you some very muddy, wet surprises. Pack plenty of Band-aids for the daughter if the rain boots are plastic, and brace her for the fact that her pretty boots might not look so stylish by the end of the journey. Make sure everybody's shoes have good traction for slippery surfaces.

If walking across any of Scotland's moors, you will definitely need waterproof shoes. I prefer leather ones and absolutely no low - sided ones. Have a look at this website as it will give you information on the bogginess or witness of different trails as well as a fair amount of helpful information. www.walkingthehighlands.co.uk

Walking in the U.K. is different from most other spots. I have taken my Hunter boots to Scotland, and they are fine for short walks over easy terrain but not for serious walks. If not waterproof your feet are very likely to get soaked. Wet sneakers do not dry out well. I do know how difficult it is to get kids to follow parent's advice so good luck. Just let them know the consequences and no complaining if feet get cold, wet and yucky. ;)

Thanks for the feedback. That link looks great ... I'll check it out.

The rain boots, if she gets them with HER OWN money, will be pricey high quality ones, so I'm not too worried about the Band-Aid factor. But they won't be so grippy, so I will be doing my darndest to convince her to get hiking boots/shoes.

As for the boy ... we'll see what happens. I'll be lucky to get him in anything besides shorts and a t-shirt. :)

I take what is comfortable, two pairs so if one gets wet I can change and let the others dry out. Last trip to Ireland I never got out of my black super lightweight nikes. No one seemed to care what I wore to dinner. They dry quickly. I hate packing heavy hiking boots and hate wearing them on a long flight. We climbed a mountain and hiked a lot btw. My back up shoes are black on black converse and my feet are great. I would let your daughter wear whatever. Hunter boots are not that bad but they are hot on my feet.

Sorry, the website should be www.walkthehighlands.co.uk

Hunter (or any other kind of) wellingtons are hopeless - and almost always acutely painful - for most people trying any serious country walking.

If you've grown up on a country estate, you've probably get adapted to them by the time you start walking for more than an hour or so. And if you spend time in British countryside, they can work fine for a couple of short (hour or so) daily walks with the labs or cockers. Or even, at a music festival, they'll just about last for the half hour trudge through mud from your tent to the main stage before acute agony sets in.

At those music festivals, the beautiful young things with the Hunters manifestly haven't broken the damn things in properly. So they almost always abandon them even before the first day's big group performs.

There's no wellie brand - however fashionable or photogenic - that avoids the problem. Hunter, Aigle, Le Chameau, Barbour or Matalan's ten quid own label: if you've not grown up in them, they're for posturing in, not walking.

1: ankle support (very easy to turn your ankle on tussocky grass or uneven stones in made paths)
2: good tread on the soles (very easy to slip on smoother surfaces - see 1)
3: good socks.

Carry some Compeed with you in case of blisters.

And chocolate, just because.

I have hiked for many years through Scotland and England. Most recently the C2C. I can't imagine hiking for 4 hours in Wellington boots. Asking for trouble. No support at all. There will probably be uneven terrain, bogs , slippery paths etc. You need a good solid ankle boot, waterproof with a good sole. I have come across so many walkers over the years with sore feet because of the wrong shoe choice.

I, as a young person, walked around EXPO'67 (Montreal, Canada) in our version of Wellies because it was pouring rain. I paid a terrible price with a raging tendonitis of my Achilles tendon which required painful prednisone shots and crutches for a few weeks. Certainly not worth losing a fabulous holiday for fashion!!!

Why are you discussing sneakers and scotchgarding? That's ridiculous. Don't try to waterproof your own boots or the boy's sneakers. Waste of time and effort and not likely to be effective.

Get waterproof footwear for everyone if you don't already have it. This is entirely too easy - Columbia, Merrell, Timberland, Teva and innumerable other brands have completely waterproof footwear that is actually usable for hiking (unlike Wellies). You can do this for less than $300 - the prices here: http://www.columbia.com/rain-boots/ are probably higher than what you can find at Zappos or Amazon. You're shedding the money to go to Scotland, why go poorly equipped?

BigRuss, no need to go off. I was more asking what other people like to wear, not what we should wear (though I did mention our early options 6 months away from the trip). I'll take care of that, no worries. I'm not sure where Wellington's came from ... I never mentioned them and the rain boots my daughter is looking at are not Wellingtons, not that they would necessarily be a good choice, but the would be better. I have a beloved pair of hiking boots that I will likely bring, and Scotchgarding should be good enough for what we plan to do based on what I have used them for in the past. If not, shame on me. FYI, I am also looking at the types of waterproof boots you mentioned and weighing the tradeoffs.

If you want, I can debate low top vs mid top vs high top highing boots/shoes with you, too, based on my experience and research. :)

Lots of companies do waterproof shoes, just choose a pair that you like. If you are only pounding the pavements then they are not a necessity, although individually, I have a number of pairs.A lightweight waterproof breathable jacket is what I would like for your outer layer.

Scotch guarding is not waterproofing. And while the rain boots your daughter is considering may not be actual "Wellingtons" . . . a difference without distinction. Rain boots are not hiking shoes/boots. Even buying them with her own money . . . sometimes a parent needs to set rules. She can buy them if she wants but you get to decide if she takes them or not. A sprained ankle or horrible blisters could ruin her (and your) trip.

Ankle and arch support and waterproof are musts for any hiking . . . (unless you reallymean easy walks/strolls)

I have two teenagers and we did a similar trip. Here are my words of advice - and they likely aren’t practical or popular! My kids hiked Skye in pouring rain multiple days in RUNNING SHOES because that was all I could get them to wear. They got soaked through. Did they regret their shoe choice? Of course not - they are teenagers! I insisted that the running shoes have decent treads on them, no Vans-type shoes. The one thing I am happy we did was pack an extra pair of shoes to be worn on the days the other pair were drying out in front of the heater. If your daughter wants to hike in rain boots, insist she carry a backpack with extra shoes and maybe a few band-aids for blisters if she comes to her senses mid-hike as she slips off the trail. See how it goes! My kids wouldn’t be caught dead in waterproof hiking shoes so the extra pair did the trick.

A compromise for your kids would be the trainer-style walking boots like Karrimor.

Whilst these are (for the most part) not waterproof, they are lightweight and very comfortable - no breaking in required!

The OP posted in 2017 - practically a year to the day when this was dug up and commented upon by a new poster

Would good, supportive shoes like Ecco, Munro, Mephisto be ok for walks, not hikes? Going to Edinburgh and the Lake District in early May. We’d be taking maybe four to five mile walks, not up big mountains and not in unstable ground (thinking walking paths and pavement). I’d prefer not to carry heavy hiking shoes on the train if not necessary. Thanks!

Oh jeeze -- I saw the January but didn't notice the 2017! Thanks sofarsogood.

kathy12 -- not quite sure why you topped such an old thread but the OP's trip is long over and done with. (Wonder how the hiking went and what shoes they took)

Iwan2go. Any of those are fine for casual walking. Paths can and probably will be muddy though . . .