Lucky enough to be having a bash at the Tour du Mont Blanc with the gf this August, and I am after a bit of footwear advice from anyone who has done it before. Did you go with boots or approach shoes? Regret the choice?

I have a pair of La Sportiva Trangos, which are fantastic boots and get used for nearly everything I do. However they do get a bit hot and sweaty inside after extended summer use. They are also fairly bulky to lug around for the rest of the holiday (off to Sardinia straight after).

The other option is a pair of Scarpa Quest approach shoes. They are fantastic on dry rock and paths, but scary beyond belief on wet grass. They are not waterproof and obviously lack the same degree of ankle support, but are lighter, much more breathable and stuff easily into the top of a rucksack! 

Anyone care to venture an opinion?

Thanks

Dave

I used leather walking boots of good quality but without the dreaded waterproof insert thats so populur these days.I still use, 14 years latter an updated version of the same boot,Zamberlan trek-lites.

Ive also used non membrane approach shoes on multi hut hikes in the swiss alps and they coped o.k. were wonderfully light and aided fast ascent/descent.To be honest I cant decide which is best but last year for my hut to hut in grand Paradiso I used the Zamberlans and probably will again this year for my tour around Zermatt.

hey dave,

i did the Haute Route two summers ago, which I guess it very similar to the TDMB.

i took La Sportiva Nepal extremes cos we thought we'd go up mountains which in the end we didnt (i.e. moutaineering with crampons etc). i regret taking them now

i reckon the best alternative would be something in the middle i.e. simple walking boots, and not something so extreme as trangos. i dont think approach shoes would do, due to lack of ankle support and also because they do not protect your foot as much (in rocky areas).

last summer i did the GR20 route and these were excellent

http://www.scarpa.co.uk/Products/Product.asp?ProductId=29 - as they were not too bulky but felt solid enough.

 if you dont have anything in between, then i would say take the trangos, and take a spare pair of trainer/flipflops for around camp/huts....

I did the GR5 last summer (some of which uses the GR5) in a pait of Montrail hardrocks (shoes) and they were fine.

Yann what dates did you do the GR20 last year? 

hey ed.

i did the gr20 from around the 20th august last year - til early september. if u wanna know anything about it PM me or something

I've worn shoes for the TMB, GR20 and GR5.

I wouldn't bother with boots on any of those trails in August.

(Actually, it was two pairs of shoes on the GR5, since I wore one pair out walking north to south, and put on a brand new pair to walk south to north, without needing any kind of breaking in. I wouldn't risk that with a new pair of boots!) 

I've walked and run the TMB a few times, and do a lot of hiking and running in the Chamonix area. I'd definitely go with shoes/trainers/trail runners; I've done the whole hike in early June with a reasonable amount of snow still, but using road running shoes.

Watch our for the last weekend in August (Thurs 28th to Sun 31st) - its the UTMB foot race round the TMB which means it gets kinda busy. Accomodation in Chamonix and Courmayeur is worth booking well in advance if you coincide with these dates.

We did the TMB 3 years ago wearing Salomon fabric/Goretex boots and felt they were over the top and needlessly heavy.  Last summer we did the WHR using Montrail CTC shoes and they were way better - lighter and much more breathable. 

We also used Teva Wraptors for the first couple of days on the WHR, but they were horrendous and made the CTCs seem like carpet slippers afterwards.  The TMB's a lower, easier walk and in August you won't go wrong with shoes and something like Terra-Fi's.  

If you have comfortable boots use them. They may be somewhat overspecified but if they are comfortable they meet requirements 1, 2 & 3. Just have a light pair of shoes/sandals for evening wear. The TMB is great - eventhough starting anticlockwise from Les Houches we got to la Flegere before seeing Mont Blanc!