It really depends on what type of walking you're going to do. If you're going to do longer walks, carrying a backpack, I would always recommend boots, especially those that provide ankle support. Some people don't like to have their ankles fully covered, so there are some boot manufacturers that make 'mid' boots. They still provide a reasonable amount of ankle support.
However, if you are doing overnight treks (meaning your pack will be around 20kgs), I would absolutely recommend boots with full ankle support. If you are on uneven ground and roll your ankle, the extra weight of the pack will magnify the injury. An added bonus is that ankle length boots offer you some protection against snake bite.
My wife has ankle high boots for bushwalking, but prefers to wear 'shoes' for everyday training (we walk up Mt Taylor). As you mentioned, it is a personal preference thing and I've seen people carrying heavy packs and only wearing running shoes. Whilst I wouldn't recommend this, everyone to their own! Hope that helps.
It really depends on what type of walking you're going to do. If you're going to do longer walks, carrying a backpack, I would always recommend boots, especially those that provide ankle support. Some people don't like to have their ankles fully covered, so there are some boot manufacturers that make 'mid' boots. They still provide a reasonable amount of ankle support.
However, if you are doing overnight treks (meaning your pack will be around 20kgs), I would absolutely recommend boots with full ankle support. If you are on uneven ground and roll your ankle, the extra weight of the pack will magnify the injury. An added bonus is that ankle length boots offer you some protection against snake bite.
My wife has ankle high boots for bushwalking, but prefers to wear 'shoes' for everyday training (we walk up Mt Taylor). As you mentioned, it is a personal preference thing and I've seen people carrying heavy packs and only wearing running shoes. Whilst I wouldn't recommend this, everyone to their own! Hope that helps.