Any suggestions on what type of shoe I should bring? I understand it can be very muddy....true?

I have worn full ankle support hiking boots on the plane for hiking.

I now only bring keen's as I pack light.
http://www.onlineshoes.com/productpa...newport&offer=

I also pack inexpensive reef shoes to ensure I can get in and out of rocky beaches

http://www.swimoutlet.com/Water_Shoes_s/356.htm

other than that

dressy flipflops - nice leather
casual flipflops - for the beach

And sdgirl29,

I do hope you will report back on your hiking experience on the Garden Isle!

Its a slippery wet red mud. If you want to stay upright, take cleats. I have taken old sneakers that I never want to see again, but have taken many tumbles on the way to waterfalls.

We were there in late January of this year and it was very muddy on the trail. We wear regular sneakers (with good treads on the bottom of soles). Wearing hiking boots would be better if you don't mind bringing them. Even with walking shoes, my husband slipped a couple of times.

This year we hiked to the first beach and then went further to the waterfall. The trail to the waterfall is very slippery and not very well marked. You cross a couple of streams and when we were returning from the waterfall we got lost twice. Luckily, we saw other hikers coming up the trail so we found our way back on the trail. I would recommend going early in the morning so you have enough time because it can get dark in the valley if you leave later in the morning.

I hope you enjoy the hike.

If you're planning to do the Kalalau trail, please do yourself a favor and get a proper pair of hiking shoes to protect your feet. I wore tennis shoes on that trail last year and ended up with two bruised toes...it took almost a year for the bruises to heal. There are lots of large stones, rocks, and tree roots to trip and stub your toe on.

I really got hurt on the Kalalau trail--and frankly, I don't think it would have mattered what kind of shoes I was wearing. It had been slippery when I'd done the first 4 hours a previous year -- so I waited until it was dry But about 4 hours into the hike it started pouring and the trail became very muddy and slippery. I fell a few times -- but nothing serious.

Then ... it came time to cross a stream and the rocks (covered with moss) were as slippery as oil-slicked ice. I knew I was goin' down. Sure enough, I went face first into a rock and was lucky I didn't drown in a foot of water. There was blood everywhere and I felt lucky to have my teeth. The lumps on my legs were the size of baseballs.

That was the last time I'll do a hike (or even go down a slippery slope to a beach) that seems dangerous. There are more than enough spectacularly beautiful places to walk and hike in Kauai (and elsewhere) -- without endangering my life.

I would also recommend hiking boots for Kauai. Some trails were ok with tevas, but we wore our hiking boots on the Kalalau trail and several others, and I'm glad we did. The Kalalau is indeed very muddy and slippery in places, and very rocky in other places. I travel light but since hiking is a priority for us, I manage to squeeze in my boots.

I wore hiking boots on the Kalalau and still busted my butt. For me, it was more of a climb and jump rather than a hike. I'm a bit vertically challenged and did have a difficult time with it.