When I go hiking, I always carry a Camelbak, which weighs about ten pounds. It holds three liters of water and also has zip pockets. When selecting shoes or boots for hiking, I think it is essential to consider how much weight you will carry.
Basically, in footwear selection, you have three different choices. You can go with trail runners, a mid-height hiking boot, or a full-height hiking boot.
Trail runners are just shoes with a hiking boot tread and are a little heavier than regular shoes. They are very light and some people like them because of this. The first disadvantage is that there is no ankle support. This can be a disadvantage if you are carrying a heavy load. Ankle support becomes critical when you carry a heavier load. I recommend trail runners for people who carry a load of 10 pounds or less. Trail runners are also not ideal for walking off-trail since brush and other things can get into the shoes. Also, you can only cross shallow streams without getting wet.
Next, you can go with a mid-height hiking boot. This boot is heavier, but you do have more ankle support. This boot enables you to carry a heavier load and to walk off-trail once since it provides more ankle protection. These are ideal for carrying a load between 10 to 30 pounds.
Third, you can go with a full-height boot. This boot gives the best ankle support and is ideal if carrying a load of over 30 pounds. The army goes with a full-height boot since they carry heavy loads all the time. If you love to walk off-trail a lot, these are the boots for you since they give maximum protection from brush. The significant disadvantage is how heavy they are. Since they are the heaviest, these boots will require the most energy to walk in.
For me, I use a mid-height hiking boot. The boot I like is Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot. This boot works for me since I carry a light load, and I like having ankle support. I also walk off-trail once in a while.
Another essential item is socks. Your old cotton socks will not cut it for hiking. Cotton socks can cause blisters and also will not keep your feet warm if they get wet. They are also very slow to dry. As always, cotton is not a good choice for hiking.
I wear two different socks when I am hiking. These socks are a wool blend sock. For temperatures above 50, I wear CloudLine Merino Wool Hiking and Trekking Crew Socks. Since temperatures are warm in Austin, I wear this sock most of the time. When temperatures are below 50, I wear Darn Tough Merino Wool Boot Sock Full Cushion.
Getting the proper socks and footwear can significantly improve your hiking experience. Minimally if you want to wear regular shoes, go out and buy some new socks. Amazon has tons of hiking socks.