Trail-Running Shoes

• A kind of running shoe, trail-running shoes are similar to cross-trainers. They differ from other running shoes because they often have deeper patterns in the rubber traction to allow for unstable, rugged terrain. They also have stiffer soles and tougher sides for protection from hard, irregular surfaces. You can find trail-running shoes in lightweight and heavier-duty varieties.
  
  

Hiking Sneakers

• Hiking sneakers can also be called hiking shoes, hiking boots, or light boots, and do not accommodate rough terrain as well as trail-running shoes. Designed for comfort more than protection, they usually are made of light-weight materials. Like trail-running shoes, they usually don't provide support for the ankle.
  
  

Cross Hikers

• Also called mid-weight hiking boots, these provide more support, including ankle-support, than trail-running shoes, and are appropriate for longer hikes. They are made of tough materials, and are less flexible than other hiking sneakers, but they are also much lighter than typical hiking boots.
  
  

Hiking Sandals

• Hiking sandals are not like regular sandals, in that they are often like sneakers with hollowed-out sides for lightness and ventilation for warm weather. They also provide the same sole traction as sneakers, and are appropriate for wading in and out of streams and bodies of water.