footwear

Hi Broomedreamer

A good ol pair Redback work boots (not the steel capped toe model).

Broomedreamer,
If you plan to do any reasonable amount of walking & exploring over the years I would invest in a good pair of walking boots. The cheap ones tend not to be comfortable and do not last.

Modern materials make shoe technology quite different nowadays. Get a pair of lighweight boots which will give you some ankle support with Gortex inserts so they will breath but still be waterproof. A brand like HiTech are mid range price and are quite good. It is worth the investment.

A twisted ankle or spiked foot quickly ruins a holiday. A pair of comfortable boots makes things much more enjoyable.

cheers

Hi,
You need something that is comfortable and that has a good thick sole to stop the big burrs going through. I have had a pair of HiTech walking boots for about 15 years and have just pensioned them off - they have been excellent. John wears elastic sided boots and is happy going that way. Joggers just arent sturdy enough for rocks, gibbers and burrs.

Something for water walking is also useful, as suggested. We also take a pair of thongs to wear around the camp or ugg boots if it is cold - but you do have to be careful that burrs don't come through the soft soles.

Cheers,

Val.

RM Williams "Stock Yard". I have a pair I use for hiking and a pair I wear at work. Both scenarios involve lots of walking.

I swear by these. They have superior support through the arch, good ankle support, a tough non slip sole and they're Aussie made (Salisbury, Adelaide).

If you're to use them just for hiking, check on the availability of factory seconds.

Fab.

Hi Dreamer

We wear good solid joggers, however my husband sometimes wears his Rossi farm boots as they give an injured ankle more support however they are not the best in hot weather. I purchased cheap joggers just for tunnel creek (also needed if you walk on reefs eg along the Ningaloo coastline). Others wear Crocs in Tunnel Creek. For crossing waterfalls eg Bells Mitchell Falls etc, we took off our shoes and socks while crossing as the rocks are not sharp. I treated my backpack with utmost caution, as it had our cameras in it.

My husband winces when he sees me put on joggers instead of sandals in the morning, as he reasons i must know we are in for a long walk.

We wore hiking boots once in Tasmania, but they were heavy and we had aching leg muscles for days afterwards. Too hot for the north west anyway.

Motherhen

Due to medical problems, I am only able to wear high boots. The best I found so far are GP's, such as thosed used in the military. These boots will go/do anything.

Boots also have the bonus that they provide some protection from snakes.
A large % of snakebites are at ankle level well below the knee

I take four types of footware.

Boots (not expensive and not steel capped) for hard work and rough ground plus protection against snakes.

Runners/joggers for just general footware.

An old pair of holey runners or a plastic "water use" shoe with good grip on rocks for walking through water and around the rocks.

Thongs to wear when having a shower or on the beach etc.

Phil

I have recently been put onto these boots that I work in. They are by far the most comfortable boots I have ever worn and one of the most comfortable shoes of any kind. Wish I had them in previous years whilst employed traversing a lot of rugged terrain.

The soles are compliant with very 'cushiony' innersoles and soft leather. Best feature is they are lace-ups with a zip on the side for quick on/off. Made in Oz too.

No affiliation etc, just very happy.

Mongrel Boots

i have a pair of 15 year old scarpas. I have resoled them once. With the high ankle support they saved me from serious ankle injury, i used to go through joggers every couple of months. The new gortex ones are great lightwieght, but my leather ones will last another 15 years. You can also wear them around town, they don't wear out.

Some great recommendations in this thread, one other thing to consider is grass seeds. If you wear fabric shoes the seeds get in and are a real bitch to get out as they get stuck and break off. I recently threw a pair out as the grass seed was soo bad in them it would have taken me half a day to get them out. Cheers Zenonie

www.kilcowera.com.au

Hi broomedreamer,

Great responses above!! Plenty of good info there, but I just wanted to recommend that while in the Kings Canyon area, have a look at Kings Creek Station, 35 k's east of the canyon. Great people and a beautiful spot. The canyon itself is truly spectacular and well worth the walk around the top.

Safe travels.

Cheers

Brian

Hi broomedreamer,

Have a look at Keen sandals. They make a range of sturdy, comfortable footwear which is suitable for walking through water and rough or rocky terrain, along water courses.
There are also many other similar brands but I dont have first hand experience with them.

if you need something with ankle support, to prevent injury, you will have to look at hiking boots. There are many brands and price ranges to choose from, some lighter weight than others, and you mostly get what you pay for in my opinion. My current pair cost $350 and are worth every cent, however it is a lot of money if you dont get the use out of them. I wear them on all of our walks in winter and summer and most days for an hour or two so feel I can justify spending this amount.

Regards and happy walking,

Heather

Broomdreamer

I spent a fortnight through the Kimberly region over 25 years ago, I had no problems with my joggers
Nowadays I do a bit of multiday bushwalking with 20+kg pack and "must have" good bushwalking boots for weak ankles and stronger sole support when walking remote regions which are strewn with stones, pebbles, rocks, boulders.
Your feet ache if you don't have strong soles in those environments

One thing I wouldn't wear (much) are sandals, as you kick your toes and or are decent targets for green ants I seem to remember in a few places in the Kimberly gorges. Spinifex isn't pleasant either on soft feet.

IF you are not planning to go off the formed tracks (Kings Canyon, Uluru, The Olgas are formed tracks) I would wear what you already have, runners, boat shoes, workboots, "riding boots" etc... Wouldn't buy anything especially.
My 75 year old mother in law did 7-10km Uluru, The Olgas and Kin Canyon walks in her street walking shoes with out any problems
IF you are going to do off track bushwalking, (more than a few kms every now and then) I would get serious about bushwalking boots.

But do buy a pair of cheap sock guards from a Rural supply or clothing store to keep grass seeds and other things you pick up out of your socks/ shoes.

Hi, we did the Gibb mid-last year with our 9 and 11 year olds. We had a good pair of sandshoes (Asics) which were great for hiking. Just be prepared to wash them at the end :-) We also had crocs which we used in the wet areas. While walking through Karijini with other families, they were stunned that the crocs were great over the rocks and through the water. Most of the other times we had sandals, my husband and I wore Colorado sandals and were impressed.
Enjoy your trip!