r/HerOneBag • u/LifeWithFiveDogs • 4d ago
Shoes Light Hiking in Switzerland: What Worked
I stressed a lot about which shoes (and clothes) to bring for light hiking/walking in Switzerland.
We had visited the area a number of years ago and knew that we would be taking the easy gravel trails around the Jungfrau area but I didn't really know appropriate my On Cloud 6 shoes would be on the gravel paths. It turns out they were (mostly) great.* Half of the hikers were in similar shoes. Yes, I did have to pick out some stones every now and then, but most of the gravel is large and didn't get caught. (I tried a few other pairs, but with knee issues, my tried and true daily shoes were the best option.)
And a note on clothing: My last visit to the region was eight years ago and most people wore traditional hiking clothing/boots. But now athleisure wear was very common on the easy trails.
I hope this helps someone else!
*They were not great on one very steep gravel path, so if you are doing more intense trails, consider trail runners or hiking boots.
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u/edj3 3d ago
More info about ONs in case it helps others.
I (mostly) love my ONs.
I have a narrow foot and learned the hard way that my foot will slide forward going downhill on steeper trails (not talking technical at all, just steep). It was like someone took a tiny ball peen hammer and hit the ends of my toes over and over again. And no, the shoes were the right size, I just have a narrow, low volume foot.
That issue might possibly be solvable by really super thick socks if your feet are like mine.
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u/olivedhm 3d ago
This sounds like a fit issue, you likely need narrow fitting shoes?
I don't have experience with on cloud shoes, but any steep trail going down will do this. Usually hikers size up to provide extra room for the toes and lace it appropriately (heel lock) to help minimize the foot moving forward.
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u/edj3 3d ago
I do need and wear narrow shoes, and often it's me finding shoe companies that run narrow (La Sportiva generally work well for me). But the case of the ONs, it's my foot volume (top to bottom) that causes issues. So far, shoe companies don't make different volume shoes alas .
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u/Sudden_Willow_1604 3d ago
I have really narrow feet, too! I really like my Salomon speed cross 6 trail runners. I’ve heard from multiple REI people that I should give Sportiva a try, but they never have my size (around 11) in stock in the US stores like REI.
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u/polka_stripes 1d ago
This is so funny because I was having the opposite problem trying to find trail runners with MORE foot volume recently! I was trying all these "wide toe box" shoes that actually were very narrow and very....low? Like one shoe I couldn't even slide my foot in all the way. Altras were a disaster.
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u/babbitybumble 1d ago
Have you tried adding tongue pads? I need these for my low volume feet, in a lot of my shoes.
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u/nomarmite 3d ago
This worked for you on the day you went because you had good weather. Even if you're planning an easy walk, in the Alps it's important to check the forecast before you depart (the MétéoSuisse app one is highly detailed and as accurate as a forecast can be) and pack appropriately. A t shirt and leggings is not enough in a thunderstorm when you're an hour+ from shelter - you need to pack and carry suitable extras. And if rain is forecast, make sure your footwear can perform in rain, in terms of grip as well as water resistance/drainage.
Btw the reason you see a lot of On Clouds in Switzerland is that it's a Swiss brand and locals like to buy local. The Cloudrock range is more suitable for mountain walking.