Oboz shoes reviews

A backpacker at Evolution Lake on the John Muir Trail in Evolution Basin, Kings Canyon National Park.

The Best Backpacking Gear for the John Muir Trail

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By Michael Lanza

So you’re planning to thru-hike the John Muir Trail and making all of the necessary preparations, and now you’re wondering: What’s the best gear for a JMT hike? Having thru-hiked the JMT as well as taken numerous other backpacking trips all over the High Sierra—mostly between late August and late September, which I consider that the best time to walk the Sierra, to avoid snow and the voracious mosquitoes and blazing hot afternoons of mid-summer—I offer the following picks for the best lightweight backpacking gear and apparel for a JMT thru-hike.

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Gear Review: Oboz Crest Low BDry Hiking Shoes

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Oboz Crest Low BDry.
Oboz Crest Low BDry.

Hiking Shoes
Oboz Crest Low BDry
$150, 2 lbs. 5 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s US 8-14
moosejaw.com

Finding one ideal shoe or boot to cover your feet for dayhikes in any conditions, and crossover to light backpacking, poses a real challenge. Finding one that achieves those lofty objectives at a relatively affordable price can feel like winning a lottery. Encouraged by its design and price—and having plenty of experience with other Oboz models—I wore the new Crest Low BDry on outings ranging from dayhikes in humid, hot Costa Rican rainforest to a three-day, 40-mile backpacking trip in May in Utah’s Dark Canyon Wilderness. I found much to recommend them and a couple of minor nitpicks.

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Gear Review: Oboz Scapegoat Mid Boots

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Oboz Scapegoat Mid
Oboz Scapegoat Mid

Lightweight Boots
Oboz Scapegoat Mid
$145, 2 lbs. 2 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 8-14
moosejaw.com

Like all categories of outdoor gear, footwear has grown increasingly specialized, with models designed to fill just about every imaginable user niche—except perhaps one. While there are plenty of options in non-waterproof, low-cut hiking and scrambling shoes built to maximize breathability, when you move up the continuum of mid-cut boots into models with the support for backpacking, most have some kind of waterproof-breathable membrane. With the Scapegoat Mid, Oboz is treading into somewhat unexplored terrain by offering a non-waterproof, lightweight boot designed for multi-day hikes. Because I like the concept behind this approach, I took the Scapegoat Mid on a three-day, entirely off-trail backpacking trip in the Panamint Range of Death Valley National Park to see how they perform.

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Gear Review: Oboz Teewinot Hiking-Approach Shoes

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Oboz Teewinot
Oboz Teewinot

Hiking/Approach Shoes
Oboz Teewinot
$120, 2 lbs. (men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 8-14, women’s 6-11
moosejaw.com

Tagging the top of 10,751-foot Thompson Peak, highest in Idaho’s Sawtooths, is a full day: 12 miles and 4,000 vertical feet, more than half the distance and elevation off-trail over big talus and loose scree, including scrambling steep, granite slabs and some exposed third-class onto the summit block. When I did it in July, there was still a bit of firm snow to cross in the morning. It’s a good test of any approach shoe, and the Teewinot handled it without flaw, just as the shoes performed well on dayhikes in a variety of terrain.

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Gear Review: Oboz Switchback Hiking Shoes

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Oboz Switchback
Oboz Switchback

Hiking Shoes
Oboz Switchback
$120, 2 lbs. (men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 8-14, women’s 6-11
obozfootwear.com

What should you look for in shoes for dayhiking? The answer may be more complicated than you think, which might help explain why some hikers struggle to find the right footwear. For most dayhikes, no matter the distance, I want lightweight, low-cut shoes that deliver moderate support, plenty of forefoot flex to allow a natural stride, and as much breathability as possible—to keep my feet cool and comfortable and help prevent blisters. On long dayhikes, those attributes—especially the breathability—become even more critical. On a 25-mile, 11-hour, roughly 4,000-foot dayhike in the Grand Canyon in May, the Switchback came through for me on all of those counts.

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