What Are The Best Inca Trail Shoes For The Trek?
Unsure of what the best Inca Trail shoes are to wear during the hike?
The Inca Trail is one of the most formidable hiking circuits in all of South America, famous for its ancient Inca ruins, deep cloud forests and stunning Andean peak views. Given the total distance and length of this multi-day trek, it’s important to consider what you’ll be wearing on your feet, and whether some types of footwear are recommended over others.
In this guide we’ll take a look at the best Inca Trail shoes to wear for this hike, and why some types of shoes are not recommended. Later on we’ll also answer your most burning queries in our frequently asked questions section.
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Inca Trail Shoes: Which Are Best To Wear?
Quick Answer: Overall we highly recommend bringing high quality hiking boots for the Inca Trail trek, which have good tread, comfortable interiors and are best suited for hiking in cooler climates.
This is because the full Four Day Inca Trail Hike is a 43km circuit, where we will be hiking along a stone path that takes us through humid cloud forests, rugged mountain passes and through ancient Inca ruins. Each day can see us hike as many as 8 or 9 hours, so it’s important to make sure your feet are at their most comfortable.
Aside from the topography and trek demands, we also need to consider the weather. The above assumes you’ll be hiking in the popular dry season (June-October), where trails are dry with clear skies overhead. However during the wet season it’s even more important to bring a solid pair, given they will prevent you from slipping over on the wet trails.
Can I Use Any Other Shoes For Hiking The Inca Trail?
Aside from using hiking boots which would be our first go-to, you can also use other specialised Inca Trail shoes. This includes trail running shoes, which are also designed specifically for long distances and traversing uneven and potentially slippery terrains.
Be sure to avoid wearing sneakers or any normal shoes, as tempting as it might be to think you’ll otherwise be fine. Not only do they make the trek harder on your feet (uncomfortable with long distances and easy to trip over stone steps), there’s also a real risk of slipping over during the wet season months.
Frequently Asked Questions About Inca Trail Shoes
Below we’ll now answer some of the frequent questions we get about Inca Trail shoes, as well as anything else important that you need to know.
What Shoes Do You Need For The Inca Trail?
It’s highly recommended to bring high quality hiking boots for the Inca Trail for two main reasons. The first is to look after your feet and keep them comfortable while walking long distances each day. The second is because a good thread on hiking boots will prevent you from slipping over, either on the uneven stone path or from wet weather.
Can I Wear Shorts On The Inca Trail?
During the day, temperatures are quite warm on the Inca Trail so you can choose to wear shorts if you prefer. Just keep in mind that temperatures get very cold at night, so you’ll want to change out of them in the late afternoon. Also in the wet season, it’s not recommended as much given unexpected rains can quickly drop temperatures.
Are Sneakers Ok For Machu Picchu?
Given the Inca Trail culminates in the ruins of Machu Picchu, many trekkers will be glad to know that it is completely fine to explore Machu Picchu with sneakers. This means you can change your shoes once we descend down from the Sun Gate – but again be cautious walking around if heading during the more slippery wet season.
Overview Of Inca Trail Shoes
And that’s all for this guide on the best Inca Trail shoes to wear during the trek.
Known for its beautiful landscapes and raw adventure, the Inca Trail is a must-experience when travelling around Cusco and through Peru. Using high quality hiking boots or specialized trail shoes is a must though, given that they keep your feet comfortable and also for your overall safety when hiking.
Are you ready to hike the Inca Trail? Book Your Spot On Our Four Day Inca Trail Hike where you can live the full experience with an expert guide, high quality meals and the very best camping spots included!