The Evolution of Hiking Boots

News and Adventure from Glacier National Park

The following is an adaptation from my new book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

Prior to the 1970s and 80s, most hikers wore hunting, riding, military or everyday work boots while hiking. Some even wore gym shoes. Grandma Gatewood famously wore Keds sneakers during her first thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1955. While so-called “mountain boots” were also available as early as the 1850s, they were mostly worn by climbers and adventurers from the upper classes who could afford their high price tags. One of the earliest uses of the phrase “hiking boots” appeared in an advertisement in the 1912 edition of The Mountaineer, the journal of The Mountaineers club out of Seattle. The use of this phrase in this instance, however, likely referred to “mountain boots”.

The first major improvement in mountaineering boots came about as a result of a deadly climbing accident in 1935. While descending Punta Rasica, a rugged peak along the Swiss-Italian border, an expedition led by Vitale Bramani was caught in an unexpected blizzard. Unable to descend along the icy rock walls, six members of his party ultimately succumbed to exhaustion, exposure and frostbite. As was the custom at that time, climbers wore heavy, hobnailed boots along the lower slopes of mountains. As they climbed higher, they would exchange their boots for lighter rock climbing shoes, usually made with thin leather and felt-bottom soles that offered little protection against cold temperatures or moisture. Though they worked well in normal weather, the shoes offered virtually no grip in icy conditions. Convinced that inadequate footwear played the primary role in the deaths of his six companions, Bramani resolved to find a solution to the problem. Two years later he introduced a boot sole with an innovative tread design that he called Carrarmato, which means “tank tread.” The sole was made from vulcanized rubber, and featured heavy lugs that were designed to take the place of hobnails. The rubber lug pattern provided boots with outstanding traction, which allowed them to be used on a variety of surfaces, including uneven forest floors, bare rock, loose scree slopes, and hard-packed snow. Moreover, the rubber soles were highly durable, abrasion-resistant, waterproof, and provided far more insulation against the cold than leather soles. In 1937, with the financial backing of Leopoldo Pirelli, grandson of the founder of Pirelli Tires, Bramani launched his revolutionary new product. Taking the first two letters of his first name, and the first four letters of his last name, Vitale Bramani called his startup enterprise “Vibram.” Almost immediately, the lugged soles caught on with the climbing community, and eventually with hikers in the 1960s and 70s.

By the 1970s, American bootmakers were beginning to turn their attention towards the production of lighter boots for day hikers and backpackers. One of the first boots to deliver on this promise was the Danner 6490, which weighed in at just 3 pounds and 14 ounces. In its Winter 1973 edition, Backpacker Magazine declared that the 6490 was very close to being their “ideal hiking shoe.” Since the introduction of that boot, manufacturers have made numerous advances over the years that have reduced the overall weight of hiking boots. This includes the use of lightweight leather or synthetic fabric uppers, replacing stitching with cement or injection molding to attach uppers to soles, and the use of shallower lugs.

The next major technological advance in boots came in 1980 when both Danner and Donner Mountain Corporation introduced the first hiking boots made with Gore-Tex. The introduction of Gore-Tex resulted in boots that were lighter, breathable, more durable, nearly waterproof, and far more flexible, all of which resulted in increased comfort. Once the original high production costs were slashed, the use of Gore-Tex in hiking boots became the industry standard. Nearly all quality hiking boots sold today are made with Gore-Tex or some other waterproof-breathable fabric.

This new, improved and expanded edition on the history of hiking is available on Amazon.

Other excerpts from Ramble On:

* Women’s Hiking Attire During The Victorian Era

* How did hiking become so popular across the globe?

* The Historic Circle Tours of Glacier National Park

                *******************************************************************************

Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.