Bob Hobden wrote:

What weather aren't they? [trail shoes]

Like now when everywhere is inches under water/mud.
Their soles also tend to be not so grippy as the full blown boot as I
have found to my cost traversing a slope in a snow storm!
Of course that may just be the ones I've got.

May indeed be they are the ones you've got... I wear mine in all
weathers. They don't have a waterproof lining but waterproof socks will
keep my feet dry if that's going to be a problem. See
http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/hmn1.htm for a 12 day trip
including plenty of mud, rain, snow, ice and rivers and look at the
footwear: neither of us particularly regretted not having boots with us

But if I wanted warm, dry feet in "inches under water/mud" I'd wear a
decent pair of wellies. That's what gamekeepers and farmers etc. seem
to wear by choice when they spend a day out in the goop, and they should
know.

Walking boots have a distinct advantage if you need to kick steps into
turf and/or snow, and for wearing full crampons. But that sort of
situation isn't that common and on the slippy stuff a pair of Kahtoola
Microspikes or similar will do the job fine until you're well towards
the realm of graded snow climbs. Otherwise, for sole grippiness they're
often the same sole patterns in the same rubber from the same companies
(mine have Vibram soles). Many have more aggressive sole units which
will actually do mud better than most boots.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/