I acquired a pair of “light” hiking boots for my trip to Sarek in 2023. They were a pair of traditional, stiff leather boots with good support. After a few days they were soaked and they never dried on the trip. I therefore completed the rest of the trip with wet and heavy boots.
A swedish ultralight hiker I met told me that he walked in trail runner shoes and kept them on when he crossed rivers. He claimed that they became comfortable after about 20 minutes and completely dry after a couple of hours. The principle being something like quickly wet equals quickly dry. He also claimed that he didn’t need ancle support because of his ultralight pack. I was curious but also very sceptical.
I have bought a pair of Altra Lone Peaks. Now in the 7th iteration. Shoes that have survived for 7 generations must have something to offer right!? I walk in them every day and they became soaked on a couple short hikes. I can now confirm that it’s ok to walk them dry and it’s so simple to just keep them on no matter what. I’m in doubt if the Altras will be able to withstand the terrain in northern Sweden, but they are so comfortable and I feel very connected to the surface I’m walking on. So I’ll definitly give it a go.
I even use my Altras in the danish winter weather (down to -10 degrees). I keep warm as long as I’m moving. If I need to stand still for longer periods I wear boots or shoes with thicker soles and outer material.