Hello everyone.
I want to transition from boots to trail running shoes for my upcoming multiday hike. We will be doing 4 days in the Drakensberg going up to the escarpment. I expect my pack to be around 18kg's depending on water availability, so might be 17 or 19...
I have been hiking with Keen Targhee II, and loved them, but have a major issue where they do not stay waterproof and once they are wet, they are wet until the end of the hike. This makes the 1kg shoe weights more like 1.5kg's, and with trail running you are looking at 300g...
So I think I have 2 options, Brooks Cascadia 19 or the Altra Lone Peak 9.
I work from home mostly and I hate wearing shoes, so I think I should be fine with 0 drop shoes. I do however do road running with Nike shoes and they tend to have a high drop.
I am by no means a minimalist, as you can see from my 18kg pack, and I went up the drakensberg before with a 24kg pack, but I am trying to go a bit lighter. So I am not necessarily looking for barefoot shoes.
The benefit of the Cascadia are the ballistic plate (which my feet might appreciate on rocky terrains), but comes with a R500 extra price tag, which for me is a lot. The Altra's have a messed plate, but the benefit of a wider toe box. Which sounds nice.
The one issue is that there is nowhere where I can test fit both. I will have to buy the Altra's online and then go to a shop that has the Cascadia to compare, and if I rather want the Cascadia's I can sent the Altra's back.
Any other recommendations? or anything else I need to consider?