Fair enough, but I guess you don’t wear boots for running? Are your ankles ok when you run- is it something different about walking perhaps?
It is something different about walking. Admittedly I don’t do crazy trail runs because I know how clumsy I am.
In March I twisted my ankle so badly on a walk I did with my partner - wearing my running shoes. I just put my foot down wrong going down some steps. The really stupid thing about it was at the start of the walk I declared to my partner, “you’ll be so proud of me, I ran this whole loop last year without tripping/falling over”. Famous last words, half way round I was on my bum, close to tears. Obviously I concentrate more running or something.
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Ouch fair enough.
I always feel slightly guilty heading off into the hills in trainers. Seems every time you read about some numpties getting lost in the Cairngorms or other inhospitable location, the mountain rescue guys make a point of commenting on their choice of footwear 
“They set off up Ben Nevis with only a pair of trainers, a mobile phone and a lime green mankini”
I thought the main reason for boots was they’re typically waterproof…
Backpackers carrying reasonable+ sized loads will use boots for the aforementioned stability & protection. Trainers won’t do a very good job of protecting your toes/ankles in a boulder or scree field for example; they will also get wrecked in no time.
I’ve used those Salomon Ultra Mids in snow on the Campsie Fells for a bergen run, but wouldn’t want to do any scrambling in them.
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I’ve always worn shoes on all my big hikes, right back to when I first went trekking in Nepal in 1993. Boots rub on my ankle bones.
@NickBerry Nickberry might be pleased to know that, when I came back from that trip, absurdly fit and very light, we had some tremendous winter weather. The pair of shoes I’d hiked in had fallen apart by the end of the trek so I gave them to a porter and had yet to replace them.
All I had were an old pair of indoor pumps but I didn’t want to miss out so went round the Snowdon Horseshoe in them. Setting off from Pen-y-Pass, I also found I had forgotten my gloves so I’m sure I had plenty of people look at me in the same way as I zoomed past them 
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I guess people do all sorts of mountain runs and ultras in running shoes, and their ankles and toes are OK, so I still don’t really get what’s different about walking.
Hadn’t considered carrying a heavy load though- can see that makes the difference. When my son did the Fan Dance earlier this year with a bergen he had to wear boots, which looked miserable to me. I am averse to carrying heavy stuff so did the non-bergen/ hobby jogger version in a pair of Inov8 trail shoes. Exactly the same fairly challenging route & they were fine.
Waterproofing and warmth makes sense too. Guess if you’re out for a long slow wet walk in the Winter, soggy trainers would suck.
But against that, the lack of flexibility around the ankle, the faff of getting them on and off, and the weight.
Oops, forgot to say, when I started hiking with my wife, I also used old fell running shoes. My original Salomons (XAPro IIRC) were tremendous walking shoes, even after being retired from running. Plenty of grip but also light. Carried some heavy loads in those shoes, it was a sad day when they fell apart at the end of the ‘Circuito’ in Torres del Paine.
I have recently been wearing New Balance ultra shoes (I forget the model) but I always get outer foot pain after 5 miles, partly due to the shoes and partly due to tight tendons (an age thing 
). Going to something more sturdy is to counter that problem as we start to walk more now that Henry is big enough
Another gratuitous pic for Jorgan:
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Go for something like the vivobarefoot tracker or xcursion xero or similar “barefoot” walking boot, provides the protection from elements without those limits.
You’ll need to be comfortable in the barefoot sole though.
But where did they put the mobile phone? 
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It’s horses for courses. It’s very different someone doing OMM in a pair of trainers, to a family from Glasgow deciding to try the Cuillin Ridge in November wearing shell suits and Air Max.
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Also, there are trainers, and there are trainers!
Reminds me of when my wife and I did the Tongaririo crossing in NZ. It’s about 20 kms iirc. My wife slid down and fell over on one of the steep sections in her New Balance.
That’s a truely great day hike.
I remember particularly running up Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom), around the crater and scree running back down. Took something like 1.5 hrs up and 20 mins down 
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Yeah i climbed up a ‘mountain’ to the base of a glacier somewhere on the South Island in a pair of flip flops! 
We never made it to Tongariro. One of my regrets of the trip.
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We have unfinished business with Tiede in Tenerife. Book beds in the hostel for overnight stay and morning summit, but the mountain was closed above 2000m because of snow and ice. This was in April 
didn’t know that was a thing in the Canaries.
Was going to do it in trainers of course 
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ftfy
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You’re lucky, you’re not allowed to do that anymore I think? Sacred mountain etc. I did the crossing 2 years ago. What a hike.
I saw a young Russian lady in high heeled faux leather ankle boots on Mt. Toubkal (Morocco) at 4000+m in 2005. It was a nice summer day though.
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