>>466932>>467083As the other anon said, many thruhikers use trail runners. On average they are using slightly lighter packs than most people, but they are also hiking a lot more than most people. And as long as youre on a trail that isnt overgrown with brush and tree blowdowns, you dont have to worry about shit getting in your shoes.
The only advantage I see in hightop boots is that they can sometimes protect your ankles when doing things like scrambling through rockfields and bushwhacking. But trail runners can still work on rugged trails if you watch your footing, and on a moderately flat and smooth trails they are perfect.
I thruhiked the entire Vermont Long Trail (~300 miles of very rocky, rooty, rugged terrain) in pic related and had no problems whatsoever. I think the light weight, flexibility, and wide toebox actually made me less likely to roll an ankle on the rougher sections because my sense of balance and agility werent impeded by clunky boots.
