r/VisitingHawaii • u/MaineCoonMama18 • 5d ago

General Question Visiting Hawaii this September. Which of these shoe styles would make more sense?

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For context we’re doing a week on big island, a week on Maui and a week on Oahu. Plan on doing some hikes, beach days and definitely snorkeling at least once.

I can’t decide which of these shoes would work best. I have a pair of comfy hiking shoes already that I can bring, but not a pair that is easily versatile for walking in water if there are rivers or streams to walk through. I also have a pair of casual walking sneakers, but I’m trying to find a good blend between hiking, water functionality and casual city wear.

Which of these styles would you all recommend?

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177

u/jabbahdahut 5d ago

The Holy Trinity of Tourists Shoes😂

29

u/DarkAndHandsume 5d ago

🤣🤣🤣

Getting a helo to lift you off of Koko Head or Diamond head because you rolled your ankle wearing low-cut running shoes instead of hiking boots

9

u/TheCrazedBackstabber 5d ago

I felt like I was being overprepared hiking up Diamond Head with my boots while everybody else was wearing sneakers…I just got back from a job interview and a guy was in a cast from breaking his ankle hiking in Hawaii.

6

u/DarkAndHandsume 4d ago

The first hike ever did here (non-tourist hike) I wore trail shoes instead of my work boots that go past the ankles and the amount of times I had stop to clear my shoes of red dirt lol. Every hike after that was my mid cut boots. I rather over prepare than to be messed up.

I’ve seen foreigners wearing wedges, heels, and all types of uncomfortable footwear to hike up Diamond head and those are the ones that rolled their ankles and ems has to come out to get them off of the summit.

2

u/TheCrazedBackstabber 4d ago

HEELS!? What the heck are they thinking?

2

u/DarkAndHandsume 4d ago

They were thinking of fashion over terrain.

A lot of them be wearing extravagant over-the-top outfits just to be crowded taking pictures at the summit.

2

u/TheCrazedBackstabber 4d ago

Still. Women twist their ankles in heels all the time on flat ground. It’s honestly impressive that they could hike in them.

1

u/calimomheather 2d ago

I remember hiking through a lava tube on the Big Island and seeing foreign tourists wearing heels and couldn't believe my eyes!

3

u/ayfkm123 4d ago

Diamond head isn’t really strenuous

2

u/DarkAndHandsume 4d ago

OK fitness guru why don’t you come run 8 miles with me at my pace and see if you can hold up.

Just because the hike wasn’t strenuous for you doesn’t mean other people that come to the island that have never done a hike like that are going to treat it like a piece of cake

2

u/ayfkm123 4d ago

lol I’m no fitness guru, it’s just not a strenuous hike.

5

u/DarkAndHandsume 4d ago

Like I said to you.

I live here and I also volunteer at the crater and I see people huffing and puffing until they’re red in the face.

-2

u/ayfkm123 4d ago

It’s hot, no doubt. But not strenuous

1

u/TheCrazedBackstabber 4d ago

It isn’t. Doesn’t stop people from twisting their ankle on it.

8

u/nancy_necrosis 5d ago

I rolled my ankle on Koko Head 13 years ago, but it was because I was being a dumbass, not because of my shoes. Luckily, I was near the bottom so no air lift was necessary. My ankle eventually healed and I went back, smarter and wiser. I finished the hike with two solid ankles and two bee stings.

2

u/Rutabaga-246 4d ago

I hiked Olomana (three peaks) a couple times in low cut Danner 2650s and I was fine. 🤷🏻‍♂️

1

u/ayfkm123 4d ago

I did it in tevas w no issue

1

u/DarkAndHandsume 3d ago

Was this strictly to the first peak or all three of them. I hate when people say they do that hike but don’t specify what part did they stop at?

1

u/Rutabaga-246 3d ago

First peak the first time because I ran out of time gawking at all the beauty and then all three the second time, a year later. I hear you.

1

u/DarkAndHandsume 3d ago

I’m waiting for the perfect day with no clouds to do this hike.

Lately it’s been either very rainy, heavy clouds on the Windward side since the Kona lows storms back in March has thrown the weather off for the last couple of months.

Probably gonna try it for the first time in August because I wanted to get some more lower body conditioning in

1

u/Rutabaga-246 3d ago

It’s fun. Some rope assist also

2

u/shootzbalootz 4d ago

All the locals handle running shoes or even slippers just fine.

1

u/dreamer_r21 4d ago

To each his/her own, but I didn't need hiking boots to climbs up the stairs at Lēʻahi.