Hi there!
When I think about my time in Alaska in September, I think about my time in my cruise cabin drying out my shoes with a hairdryer. π€£
There were multiple occasions when my shoes got so wet from being out in the rain in Alaska.
While I usually wore my waterproof hiking boots when hiking in conditions that Alaska is known for, for one reason or another, I hadn’t packed them for Alaska. (It might have actually been because I didn’t know where my hiking boots were. I don’t remember anymore the actual reason. Now even months later, I don’t know where they are and have been thinking how I need to buy new ones.)
In any case, I didn’t take waterproof shoes to Alaska, and I figured I could survive without them. (Or maybe I just hoped that I would have perfect weather like I did when I went to Alaska before!)
And indeed I did survive.
But if I would have had waterproof shoes, it would have been less miserable, and less time spent in my cabin with the loud hairdryer. (I wanted to get my shoes dry for another port!)
For waterproof hiking shoes, one of the best shoe brands for hiking is Merrell.*
Waterproof trail running shoes can work well too depending on the type of hiking you’re doing, and one of the best shoe brands for trail running isΒ Salomon.*
*I’m an Amazon Associate and that will take you to Amazon where you can read the reviews. You can search for more merrell waterproof shoes for women (or merrell waterproof shoes for men).
If you see gore-tex, this is a waterproof shoe material that salomon uses for their shoes, so you can also search salomon gore-tex shoes for women (or salomon gore-tex shoes for men).
One of the big differences between hiking shoes and trail running shoes is that running shoes tend to be more lightweight and take up less space in your luggage. Hiking shoes have thicker soles which can help with more rugged and rocky terrain, which is also what makes them more bulky.
I’ve also seen people say that they use waterproof spray on their shoes.
And for a later cruise (that I still didn’t have waterproof shoes), I did end up buying waterproof spray at REI in Seattle before my cruise with the intention of possibly using it.
But well, that cruise in October had perfect weather so there was no need for it!
You can take a look to see if you want to spray your shoes instead of buying waterproof shoes.
You spray it on a few days before you plan on going out in the rain.
While you’re at it, you can buy a cheapo poncho if you don’t want to buy a rain jacket!
π Not waterproof shoes. My feet were soaked after hiking in Juneau. At least I had on rain pants! π I also had packed extra socks for this hike. Changing my socks made my feet feel better for like 5 minutes, because within a few minutes they were soaked too because the inside of my shoes were so wet!
Do YOU really need waterproof shoes for your Alaska cruise?
It depends… π€ͺ
This largely depends on what you plan on doing during your Alaska cruise.
It’s quite possible that you will end up with some rainy days in Alaska.
What type of shoes do you wear if it rains at home? If your answer is just your regular shoes, and you only plan on doing some light walking around town, then you probably don’t need waterproof shoes.
But if you’re not going to let rain stop you from having a full day of walking outside or hiking the trails, then it’s a good idea to have waterproof shoes.
My feet got SOAKED when I was on proper hiking trails in the rain. Not only was I outside for a long time when it was raining, but parts of the trails required practically wading through water.
And it wasn’t just hiking in the rain that my feet got soaked. There was also a day when I was just walking a lot outside in Juneau when it was raining that my feet got soaked too.
Walking in wet shoes and socks can give you blisters. I got blisters. It was not fun. Thankfully I was prepared with band-aids. π The only way I was able to walk pain-free was to band-aid the blister! So if you want to be prepared for Alaska’s rain, pack band-aids too! π€ͺ
Best shoes brands
My favorite shoe brands for hiking are Merrell and Salomon.
I like Merrell for hiking shoes and Salomon for trail running shoes.
If you’re hiking in dry conditions, then trail running shoes can be great for hiking because they are lighter weight than hiking boots but are also made for more rugged trail conditions than regular running shoes.
But in the case of Alaska, you want to prepare for wet conditions too!
While there are waterproof trail running shoes, hiking boots will cover more (namely, over your ankles), which is why waterproof hiking boots can be best for Alaska.
Here are specific shoes to check out. You can read the reviews on amazon. (I’m an Amazon Associate. I may earn a commission.)
For women’s hiking shoes, one of the best is the women’s Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots from Merrell.
For men’s hiking shoes, one of the best is the men’s Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots from Merrell.
Salomon’s trail running shoes can be more stylish with more colors to choose from than regular hiking boots. Gore-tex is the waterproof material that Salomon uses to make their shoes waterproof. (Not all Salomon shoes are waterproof.)
If you want to take a look at some trail running shoes, here are specific shoes.
For women’s waterproof trail running shoes, one of the best is the XA PRO 3D V7 GORE-TEX Trail Running Shoes from Salomon.
For men’s waterproof trail running shoes, one of the best is the Speedcross 5 GORE-TEX Trail Running Shoes from Salomon
Always break in new shoes! Don’t make your big long hike or walk the first time you wear them. At the very least, do a bunch of walks around your neighborhood in your new shoes, or wear them to the grocery store!
Be sure to wear comfortable socks when you go hiking or for long walks too! Good socks can help prevent blisters. Here are hiking socks. (If you’ll be wearing hiking boots, make sure to wear socks that will be taller than the back of the boot.)
Walking and hiking in Alaska cruise ports:
- West Glacier Trail (my shoes got soaked)
- Easy Juneau walks (my shoes got soaked the day I went to the beach)
- Rainbird Trail (my shoes got soaked the first time I did this)
- Mount Roberts Trail to the tram (I did this one in the rain too)
Yes, so I know a little bit about hiking and walking around in the rain in Alaska without waterproof shoes! π€£ My rainy day experiences were all in September. This is why I think you should wear waterproof shoes if you plan to be outside a lot!
Could you have perfect weather when you go to Alaska? Yes. In fact, I had nearly perfect weather on my cruises to Alaska in May and October, and there was no need for waterproof shoes. (I had a perfect weather day when I went hiking in Juneau in October.)
But, Alaska cruise ports are known to be rainy, so it can be best to prepare for it… or be sure to bring extra socks and shoes! And bandaids in case you get blisters.
There is a saying in the running and hiking communities that there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. They say this in Alaska too!
Hiking tours during your Alaska cruise
You can do hiking tours during your Alaska cruise in Juneau and Ketchikan.
In Juneau, take a look at the rainforest and waterfalls hiking tour. (I’m a Viator partner and you can read reviews there.)
You’ll also find rainforest hiking tours in Ketchikan.
If you like to be active, take a look at doing a snorkeling tour in Alaska too! You can do the Mountain Point tour in Ketchikan and the Magic Island tour in Sitka!
HAPPY HIKING IN ALASKA WEARING WATERPROOF SHOES!
More Alaska cruise travel planning tips you need to know!
Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Seward | Victoria | Seattle | Vancouver
Things you might need for a day in Alaska on land or at sea!
Read the reviews on Amazon! I'm an Amazon Associate.*
- Rain poncho for a day out and about
- Review from cruise ship passenger: "Absolutely loved having these for our Alaska excursions from the cruise ship! Nice, lightweight, easily packable... easy to put on over our backpacks... Also, highly breathable vs the disposable plastic ones. Ours held up to the windy conditions too!..."
- Read the full review.
- Or... cheap ponchos just in case
- merrell waterproof shoes for women (one of the best shoe brands for the outdoors)
- merrell shoes for men
- travel binoculars that come with a phone adapter designed to allow you to take pictures through the binoculars with your phone. (Test out the binoculars and phone adapter at home before your cruise so you won't be wasting time figuring out when you want to be actually looking for wildlife!)
- for higher quality ones, as recommended in cruise facebook groups by people in-the-know, look at vortex diamondback binoculars
- Packable lightweight puffer jacket (aka travel-friendly)
- For women: puffer jacket | for men: puffer jacket
- Water resistant hiking clothes for Alaska
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
For more ideas, do a search for Alaska cruise clothes!
*I may earn a commission.
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Pinterest tip: Share the travel ideas you find on pinterest with your travel partners! Go to your Alaska cruise travel board, and look for the little + person icon! Or, you can go to "edit board" and "invite" your travel partners as a "collaborator"! This way you can all add pins to one shared board and you can all easily see what ideas others have found!