Originally Posted by
gauvins
True, but there are certainly basic principles that deserve to be discussed.
Many years ago, hiking boots were heavy and made of leather. You'd wear two pairs of socks to avoid blisters, etc.
Today's trail runners and light approach shoes are infinitely superior and I can't help but feel sorry for the nostalgic weekend hiker sticking to old school heavy boots.
I find it interesting that most tourers advocate saddles that are essentially identical to those of a century ago. This would be an extraordinary example of a technology that hasn't been improving.
I've personally gone through the process of searching for a different saddle because my Brooks flyer, purchased without any doubt, turned out to be defective.
I understand the argument that "every butt is different so try as many saddles as you can". But the same could be said for shoes, yet there are definite design alternatives, and myths (such as heavy leather boots prevent sprained ankles) to debunk.
Do you hike? Ever been hiking while in a rainstorm? Wet feet are fun and all but I'd rather keep my feet dry and warm. Also heavy boots at least to me aren't there to prevent sprains (you'd need proper high hunting boots for that) but simply to reduce foot fatigue in demanding conditions. I've hiked in trail runners, minimalist shoes, practically barefoot, but I always come back to the trusty heavy hiking boots since there's just no comparison to them. I suppose it's preference.
As a reference in ordinary life I prefer minimalist footwear with zero drop and ~5mm thick soles.
Also, properly worn in good fitting leather shoes don't cause blisters. They mold to your foot like a leather saddle does to a butt. Synthetic shoes like trail runners etc need to be perfect from the get go or they are going to cause issues to the foot or they are going to break. A leather shoe will have some give over time.
As to leather saddles, they work for some people and I can see why. They are a good system for a certain pelvic orientation, plumbing and bone structure. There have not been many good ways to imitate that other than the Brooks Cambium but a lot of people don't seem like those as much as the genuine leather saddle. Perhaps it is the lack of molding and it could be replicated by some sort of thermal molding (like skiing boots) but there does not seem to be evidence of custom saddles made that way. Using a fabric like ripstop nylon instead of leather could work but haven't seen that in action either.