Appropriate shoes for Volcanoes Nat'l Park

I%26#39;ve read so many reviews about this and everyone seems to have a very different opinion about appropriate footwear for hiking in the park.

I have 2 main questions: What kind of shoes are best and are they gong to be ruined by the end of day if we hike through the park?

I see reviewers mentioning good hiking boots and then others saying they%26#39;ll be ruined from the hike. My husband and I would like to the Kilauea Iki Trail and both have Keens (he has the Newport and I have the Venice H2)...are these going to be ok for the hike but destroyed at the end of it?

Please help!

Appropriate shoes for Volcanoes Nat'l Park

I%26#39;ve worn Tevas (kind of similar to Keens) on hikes out to the lava flow twice now, so it is doable. They do come back rather scuffed up, but we still wore them the rest of the trip (including to pricey resort restaurants with dress codes). We%26#39;ve also worn them on the Iki trail twice as well, and found them just fine there as well.

Of course, I%26#39;ve also seen folks out at the lava flow in flip-flops, so it%26#39;s possible to do it in just about anything. (The native Hawaiians did it barefoot, I assume!) Boots will give you better support than anything else, as well as protection if you stub your toe on uneven lava. (Much much greater risk if you are hiking out to the flow, much less on the Iki trail.) But boots will also be much warmer, and on the black lava may become much less comfortable as the lava heats up in the sun.

Appropriate shoes for Volcanoes Nat'l Park

Aloha,

I have worn good sneakers and hiking boots. I guess the lava does it%26#39;s thing to the shoes but better that than ones feet. What is hard for me, is that nothing is flat or soft, it is hard and uneven so being safe is the most important thing to me.

In addition dress in layers. It amazes me how I go from chilly to hot to chilly again in what feels like minutes. Lots of water, more than most mainland hikes. Hats/sunscreen and such, the sun can be cruel. YET it could rain or drizzle so keep that in mind as well. Sounds like a lot of work but the beauty will be worth it.

Juke315,

I usually recommend well broken in hiking boots for the additional protection, but the Iki trail is pretty tame and well traveled. Those Keens should be fine (I like the Newport’s) for Iki but if you plan on doing more hiking in the park I would say comfy hikers would be best. I usually bring hikers and wear those in the park, and change into sandals for the rest of the day once I leave the park. I think it is personal preference if sticking to the park and more common attractions. If considering the night hike or any hike over open lava, good high hikers are the best bet, and some good canvas gloves (for off trail lava hikes) would be in order.

Good luck and happy travels!

I like my ankle-high hikers for use on the uneven lava surface, but you can get away with much less on a flat-surface trail.

We%26#39;ve worn the same hiking boots on 3 different trips, and are going to take them on a fourth. We bought good ones before our first trip--they were expensive, but they seem to have been worth it!

For one thing, it depends on what kind of hiking you are doing ... the Kilauea iki trail is not rough, as I remember ... on the way into the crater is a switchback trail through the rainforest -- you want shoes with good traction b/c you can slip. The crater floor itself is mostly pahoehoe (smooth) lava. I came out the same way I went in so I%26#39;m not sure what the other side is like, but I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll have to worry too much about your shoes there ... hiking out to see the lava, if it%26#39;s possible, is really rough and you might scuff up your shoes a bit ... but I%26#39;ve done that a couple of times when the lava was about 2 miles out in an old pair of running shoes and they are still intact and not that much worse for the wear.

Shoes that cover your ankles are nice b/c the sharp lava can jump up and bite you!

Keens are fine for the Kilauea Iki Trail hike. My sister and did the hike last week and it was pretty smooth and dry. You want good traction for the switchback portions of the trail and your Keens will provide that. They will not be ruined at the end of this hike.

I was wearing completely open-toed Chacos for both the Kilauea Iki hike and when we hiked to see the surface lava flow. Wearing them on the surface flow hike was against recommendations and I received some comments from other hikers along the way. Having said that, I paid extremely close attention to where I was walking and didn%26#39;t have any issues. Also, the soles of my Chacos stood up well to the rough lava surface. If you choose to wear your Keens on this hike, they should be fine if you pay close attention to where you are stepping. If there is something in the distance you want to look at, stop walking while you look, then continue watching where you step as you proceed.

Thank you everyone for such wonderful advice. I think the Kilauea Iki Trail is probably all the hiking we%26#39;ll do in the park and I certainly didn%26#39;t want to been Keen-less when we were finished. We%26#39;ll definitely be rocking the long pants and gloves. Mahalo!