Why the Best Hiking Boot Is Actually a Sneaker

JEFF HESTER, 61 years old, hikes more than most people his age. Based in Bend, Ore., the founder of the Six Pack of Peaks Hiking Challenge recently wrapped up a 195-mile trek in England. But unlike in the 1970s, when he sported clunky hiking boots with thick rubber soles and impenetrable leather uppers, Hester undertook the route in Altra Lone Peak 7s, a sleek pair of trail-running shoes.