10/11/2026
Ever found a hiking shoe you LOVED... until the brand "improved" it? Or wondered why, with all these choices, you STILL can't find one that works?
TAG THE BRAND you wish would listen. We need to have a conversation.
For 16 years, at mile 70 and mile 110 on the Appalachian Trail, we've seen AWESOME and AWFUL when it comes to hiking footwear. We see what works. We see what doesn't.
And we meet the hikers BY THE THOUSANDS trying to decide whether their feet can take another day.
Shoes aren't the whole story. But when your goal is Maine, they're a pretty significant part of it. NOBODY is more committed than us, possesses the experience and knowledge to help reshape the stats and the industry. The key to tapping into to the market isn’t interviews at national park trail heads. It’s what wins and loses on LONG TRAILS. Period.
And from where we stand, there's a growing disconnect between what footwear brands are building and what long-distance hikers need.
Hikers have responded to that disconnect before.
When they couldn't find the packs, tents, and apparel they wanted, they started making their own. Those once-little cottage companies became brands people planned entire gear lists around. And they've since dismantled multi-million dollar outdoor gear brands.
Footwear companies should be paying attention.
Because hikers are already adapting—often choosing trail-running shoes and hoping they'll meet the demands of a very different journey.
Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. And too often, the person buying the shoe doesn't understand the shoe they bought was built for a PODIUM and not an A-Frame on Katahdin!!
We're calling this series A BROKEN INDUSTRY.
How did we get here? What are brands missing? What do hikers need to understand? And what’s around the corner.
We've spent years trying to get this conversation going. Lots of deaf ears... Now we're bringing it here!
Tell us ONE thing you wish footwear brands would fix—and tag the brand you want to hear it.
Let's give them something worth listening to.
The Trek
Backpacker Magazine
Outside Magazine
GearJunkie
