travel and rhum

so i have decided in 2024 to set a goal for myself to hike el capitan trail at guadalupe mountains national park (9.4 miles). i was a competitive athlete in high school but now im 23, a smoker, and haven’t set foot in a gym since then. i really want to do this to prove it to myself i can do something really challenging and because im a geo junkie and seeing el capitan is on my bucket list. i have little to no experience hiking and i need advice very badly. is this even an attainable goal? what kind of gear would i need to complete a hike like this? what training should i do? could i hire a geology guide to come with me? what brand of hiking boots is the best? obviously i need experts, any advice would mean so much!!

I'm not much of a hiker myself outside of the occasional rookie-level expedition, but I have been curious to what extent regular hikers still use heritage-style resoleable models from brands like Diemme, Fracap or Hanwag for their actual intended purpose (in theory, at least). this type of shoe has become quite popular for casual use in recent years and I guess I'm primarily curious to hear some takes from more experienced hikers on whether they would consider hiking with such shoes at all considering the availability of more techy footwear in recent decades. Is it primarily a case of "it's doable, but there are simply more comfortable and safer alternatives available nowadays", or "they're fine for shorter hikes, but I wouldn't trust them for more serious undertakings", or perhaps some other verdict? thanks!