Good ones! 🙂
The most important thing about your shoes is traction. The traction will actually help you with some of the more technical areas of the Fiery Furnace. I’m not a big fan of wearing hiking shoes, but I can guarantee you that going into the Fiery Furnace with shoes that are old and have no good traction will actually make your hike less enjoyable. There are so many places along this hike that require good traction that having bad shoes can distract you from the experience. Good shoes will give you confidence that will allow you to focus on the scenery and the fun of exploration!
Let’s address my favorite hiking shoe – the hiking sandal. Yes, they are cool and fun to wear, but I wouldn’t recommend them for this hike. Main reason being the desert environment. The desert is dusty and sandy and all that dirt and sand will get into your sandals and rub your skin raw. As much as I love my hiking sandals, I avoid wearing them in the desert unless I’m willing to invest into a box of bandaids at the end of the day. However, the most important things is lack of protection from the snake bites!!! I remember hearing a story once about a guy who was saved from a rattlesnake bite because it bit into his high hiking shoe and not into his leg – that was enough to convince me that wearing hiking boots in the desert is a GOOD IDEA!
