Are Lightweight Hiking Shoes All They’re Cracked Up to Be?

Are lightweight hiking shoes the happy middle ground we’ve been searching for? Explorer Anika took a pair of Oboz Katabatic shoes to the Cathedrals to see how they handled the rocky terrain.

If the shoe fits?

My first proper hike was an unmitigated disaster for my feet. It was an overnight hike of around 40km to the mainland’s southernmost point – the Wilsons Prom lighthouse. Having walked 20km at trail events before, I thought my trail runners would do the trick.

As it turned out they were not the right tool for the job and the resulting blisters were nothing short of spectacular! Part of my reasoning for wearing them was I didn’t want to be trudging along in heavy hiking boots, but it turns out there’s another option. Enter, the new lightweight Katabatic hiking shoe by Oboz!

Why a hiking shoe?

When I think about it, I wouldn’t wear road shoes on the trails, so why did I wear trail running shoes on an overnight hike with a pack?

At the time of my overnight hike at Wilsons Prom, I wanted something lightweight and breathable as it was summer. My trail running shoes were already worn in and comfy, and to be honest, buying new hiking shoes wasn’t an expense I was prepared to pay when I wasn’t sure whether overnight hikes were for me. But clearly, the shoes I wore were not fit for purpose – which could’ve turned me right off the experience altogether.

But after spending a weekend hiking in a pair of Oboz Katabatic hiking shoes, the benefits of choosing the right gear couldn’t be clearer.

Who is Oboz?

Based in Montana, USA, Oboz has been making hiking shoes since 2007. The team is made up of hikers, creating shoes they’d want to wear themselves and drawing inspiration from the Yellowstone wilderness surrounding Oboz HQ in Bozeman. It’s the beautiful nature on their doorstep that also inspired the brand name: Outside + Bozeman = Oboz.

Oboz is also B-Corp certified, incorporates recycled materials in the shoes, and plants a tree for every pair of shoes sold – now over 5 million!

Oboz has recently made its way to Aussie shores and the Katabatic collection is the newest addition. I wore a pair on the challenging rocky trails of Nanadhong / Cathedral Ranges State Park on Taungurung Country in Victoria, roping in my husband and youngest son for a day outdoors.

The Trail Conditions

The Katabatic collection has been designed for light and fast hiking – think speedy day or overnight hikes. Over our weekend in the Cathedrals, we walked a bit of both, although hiking in this area is not often fast going! The conditions involve steep, rocky, and technical terrain.

Our first hike was the Grade 5 Sugarloaf Peak via Wells Cave and the Canyon. At around 2km long, this short but rather difficult loop is more rock climbing than hiking, with some decidedly sketchy bits! We later hiked with full packs to our overnight campsite up a brutally steep trail, with oh so many rocky steps.

On the second day, we hiked from our camp up to South Jawbone Peak for a sunrise breakfast and followed this up with another little circuit to North Jawbone Peak before packing up. When we weren’t navigating rock the trails were drier but often still slippery.

The Katabatic Hiking Shoe

The Katabatic range includes two gender-specific styles, with both low and mid cuts available, and the option for a waterproof feature. I wore the low cut, non-waterproof style in Skylight (there are multiple colours available depending on your preference).

The women’s standard width is B in the heel and C in the forefoot, with a heel drop of 8mm. I’d say that the sizing runs a bit large – the Katabatic size 9 was equivalent to the 9.5 that I wear in Salomon and Tarkine trail running shoes. I appreciate a roomy toe-box and the Katabatic delivers on this front!

Top Features of the Katabatic Hiking Shoe

The Katabatic hiking shoe has all the advantages of a trail shoe, plus the extra features you want from a hiking shoe:

• Lightweight and flexible – at 312g (size 9), these are only 21g heavier than my trail running shoes and didn’t feel stiff or rigid
• Designed for fast movement and agility – no chunky hiking boot feeling here, which was great for the rock climbing sections
• Comfy for bulk time on feet – my feet were feeling good after a full weekend in these puppies and no blisters, yay! I didn’t need to wear them in, they were comfy straight out of the box

• Handles different surfaces – I felt very stable over the rough terrain, getting great traction with no slips. It’d be good to see how they fair in wet and muddy conditions, but those lugs look like they could handle it
• Breathable – it was a warm weekend, yet the abrasion-resistant breathable mesh meant my feet didn’t overheat (can’t say the same for the rest of me!)
• Durability and protection – these shoes look like they’re made to last. The upper has reinforced overlays, while the rubber toe and heel caps provide protection from sharp objects. The midsole plate also provides protection from trail debris
• Support – the insole is biomechanically engineered to give your hardworking feet all the love they need, and the heel counter is designed to support them on the uphills

A recent diagnosis of mild-moderate osteoarthritis in my big toe joints (I blame years of buying cheap, unsupportive shoes), means the fit and support were the most important features for me. No foot pain after giving them a hammering for two days is a great result!

Thanks to Oboz Kabatic Shoes, I’m a Hiker

I certainly put these shoes through their paces. The last section of the climb to Sugarloaf Peak was just a bit crazy! With very few handholds, I had to use my feet and lean back into the rock slab behind to inch myself up to a point where I could use my hands again.

Whilst I did momentarily question my ability (and sanity), I had no concerns about my feet slipping on the rock – actually, I didn’t think about them at all! Such was my confidence in the shoes. By the end of our adventure, the shoes looked like they’d worked hard, and the Cathedrals dust is rather ingrained in the light colour – memories!

It appears that I’m now a trail runner and a hiker, with a growing shoe collection to prove it! However, if we apply the n=+1 theory (used by my husband to justify bike purchases), ‘you should own one more insert gear item here than the amount you currently own’, you can purchase your +1 pair of Oboz Katabatics at Kathmandu stores, in stock now.