Hiking boots for climbing Kilimanjaro? To avoid any potential injury, this is a must. This is not an area where you want to cut corners.
These are some of the most important reasons to wear suitable hiking shoes:
Rubber soles: Your footwear should be able to take you through a variety of terrains and weather conditions. You should feel comfortable ascending the damp stones you’ll come across along the journey.
Waterproof: Despite its proximity to the tropics, the mountain’s summit is snow-covered, and you should anticipate to walk in snowy circumstances. It is prone to tropical rain towards the bottom. Please keep in mind that anything damp will not dry as you climb higher. You will feel cooler if your feet are moist.
Ankle support: You’ll come across some rough terrain along the route. The chance of twisting your ankle is reduced when you have sufficient ankle support.
If you do not want to purchase hiking boots because you will not use them after the trip, etc., you may rent them from your trekking organization (make sure they have your size). Wearing shoes you aren’t used to can create severe blisters, therefore I wouldn’t advocate it.
There are a wide range of affordable hiking shoes available. Hi-Tec is one of the brands I suggest. They are less expensive than high-end brands yet work well (I wore them for Kili after hiking in it for 3-4 times and did not have blisters).
