[supermatt]

"For traversing steep, rugged terrain you need strong flexible ankles and light, flexible footwear. Doing exercises to strengthen your ankles is better than splinting them in heavy, rigid boots."

- Chris Townsend. Author of "The Backpackers Handbook"

[icebraining]

From pictures, he still uses boots, just lighter ones. I'm pretty sure you'd struggle fitting these in a suitcase: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQ4fJrh8wBk/U1FeF6moB2I/AAAAAAAAFn...

[mantas]

Fun thing is, if you do smth a lot, you get accustomed to it and you need much support from gear. But if you do smth just occasionally, every small bit helps to enjoy the experience and avoid injuries.

In the above example, occasional hiker would be much better off with good hiking shoes. While a well-seasoned one could do same hike in dress shoes, sneakers or whatever. On the other hand, a seasoned hiker is more likely to have the good shoes and use them just for the sake of comfort and safety.