[pct-l] shoe & foot info

[Phil Newhouse]

Stephen,

I very much enjoyed your thoughts on shoes...

Thanks for sharing...

phil

On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 4:34 AM, susan <woodswitch at hughes.net> wrote:

> Stephen
> Thanks for the excellent info on shoes and foot care, this is the kind of
> help which makes me muddle through all the "dog sh**" on this list. Your
> very informative text was not only helpful but detailed enough to make some
> good decisions and I applaud you for your positive way of presenting it.
> Susan
>
> Stephen" <reddirt2 at earthlink.net>
>
> Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:48:11 -0800
>
> From: "Stephen" <reddirt2 at earthlink.net>
>
> Subject: [pct-l] Fit your feet for fun... Long version...
>
> To: "PCT-1" <Pct-l at backcountry.net>
>
> Message-ID: <001801c97e00$8938a360$a38a8304 at Stephen>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain;??? charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>
> This is in reference to Hiking shoe recomendations but I got carried
> away...
> Good question, but also problematic.? Recomending a shoe is like ordering
> shoes on line.? The bottom line is you are going to have to take the time
> to try some shoes on, then do some miles in them and decide for yourself.?
> Look for shoes that breath well, not just claims.? For example, Merrel
> Moabs are supposed to be, but are rather hot shoes as they have a lot of
> padding between the mesh outer and liner.? They do however let moisture in
> rather well.? Some nice airy shoes I can actually feel slight draft on my
> toes as I walk and this is best for me.? A shoe that breathes this well
> will also dry faster and be more comfortable when damp.? Some of these
> advertized "hiking" shoes wear out rather quickly and can start to separate
> after repeated and prolonged wettings.? My last model Asolo Veloces are
> just now broke in nicely and the tread is already smooth at the ball of my
> foot, and the mid sole is showing suspect signs of possible separation.?
> Besides breaking them in well, they have only made one backcountry three
> day
> hike, though a rough one over Taboose Pass to the Pinchot Pass area.? I'm
> going out to the New Balance store this weekend as I hear this brand
> mentioned
> a lot and the New Ballances I wear for work seem to last quite a while.? I
> feel and have read that some of the Vasque shoes have some issues, and the
> ones
> I tried did not promote the right kind of movement with my feet so I
> returned
> them.
>
> If you need shoes or gear when in the Southern Sierra, Wilson's in Bishop
> has a
> good selection of gear, and perhaps even better would be Footloose,
> Ketteridge
> and a couple other outfitters in Mamoth if the shuttle orride is
> available.? All have patient helpful service with someone as hard to fit
> as myself.? ?
>
>
>
> And there is one very important issue to keep in mind also.? If a shoe
> seems to cause extra effort to walk it probably does not have the right
> pronation for the foot.? The foot should feel relaxed and not feel like
> extra effort to take each step.? This is more apprarent with hiking boots,
> but is also a quality to look for in a shoe.? Make sure the shoe holds the
> foot securely around the mid foot, feels comfortable and snug in the heel
> and
> room in the toe box.? Too large a volume in the mid foot and the foot will
> slide forward too much on the downhill, and angled trail.? Same with the
> heal.? If the heal has a hard plastic cup that pushes hard on the heel
> bones try a different shoe that does press hard.? Again much of the fit is
> related to how the shoe holds the mid-foot area, which holds the foot
> inplace
> not only on the downhills, but also releaves excess pressure back against
> the
> heal box.? I've never experienced any issues with foot swelling being a
> problem myself, so I don'
>
> t prescribe to idea that one should get oversize shoes.? I this idea
> promotes to much mocvement of the foot and is asking for blisters.? Just
> make sure the shoe is not bottom out, and has room to loosen the laces if
> need
> be.? And also make sure the toes will not in any way jam against the front
> toe box with the laces comfortable but not real tight (cutting off
> circulationon the top of the foot across the bones).? Trim those toe
> nails, and use the little scissors on your "Classic" out on the
> trail.?
>
> Get a shoe that makes your foot happy right out of the box, laced up and
> not,
> and then walk them into oblivion to make sure.? Turn the hose on your feet
> and walk around in them wet a bunch.? Hike a few miles and then wet them
> again as if you were fording another creek or walking through soaking grass
> or
> a downpour.? This may tell you something about your socks also which are
> as important to the fit of the shoe, wet and dry as any other factor.? Do
> this a few times to make sure wetness does not promote sole separation.? A
> lot of shoes have toes bumpers or rands that ussually start to peel early
> on
> to
> varying lenghts.? If it does, at home or out on the trail, get your sharp
> little "Classic" knife blade out and cut this off, and that will
> often be the end of it.? The begining of the toe bumper peeling off will
> continue
> to catch rocks and things and make it worse; it also picks up trail debri
> and
> tosses it in the back of your other shoe.? Very irritating in deep sand
> like out in
>
> the desert or in the abrasive lava sand around Lassen.? Remove your shoes
> often and dump out any debri, pull out the insole to do this and brush it
> off
> also.? If you have junk in your shoes get it out imediately, don't wait
> for the rest stop up the trail.? Same goes for any issue like maybe I have
> a hot spot or could be a problem like a blister maybe?? Check it out ASAP,
> which is imediately, unless the only place to sit is in Poison Ivy.?
>
> Another issue I have had to address when hiking long miles was rubbing on
> the
> top of my toes.? This is more of an issue with leather shoes and boots,
> but hair on the top of the toes can create irritation and soreness.? One
> can simply shave this hair off, and problem solved.? I've never had this
> problem with lighter hiking shoes, but keep in mind.?
>
> Toes rubbing against each other constantly for miles can get quite raw
> inbetween.? Attend to this imediatley.? Band aides work well until
> they sweat off. See if it is just a toe nail rubbing under the next toe and
> trim, and band aide or tape.
>
> If you develop a small hot spot and suspect a blister, cut out a pice of
> mole
> skin large enough to surrend the tender spot.? Before removing the
> backing, fold inhalf and use you little scissors to cut out a small hole
> the
> size of the area. Clean the area as best you can, and place the patch so
> that
> the cut out is over the hot spot and surrounded by the mole skin.? This is
> the key to using mole skin for preventativemeasures and small devleloped
> blisters.? It is supposed to create a space so the skinno longer
> rubs.? I have been able todo all sorts of creative pathces using tape,
> mole skin and band-aides.? And never be affraid to ask for some help if
> you can't alleviate your problem.? I seem to have to fix my friends feet
> for them, but can never seem to get them to attend to a problem before it
> becomes a blister.? I've since become more assertive about it as bandaides
> and moleskin aren't free. I've seen experienced back country skiers use
> entire
> sheets of moleskin on thier heels
>
> ? before they install those nasty plastic boots.?
>
> So, while I can't recommend a particular shoe except one that fits and
> promotes
> positive comfortable foot movement, holds the mid foot like a hand gripping
> the
> foot (try this, grip your foot with the opposite hand around the bottom
> with
> the thumb and? fingers wrapped around the top and see if you catch my
> meaning. Good analogy?), I can recommend socks. I like smartwool hikers.?
> I think its the mid-weight hiker or light hiker I get, not too thick.?
> When I go to trying on some shoes I take a pair that has seen the trail a
> few
> times, not a new pair.? The material is still too thick and soft with new
> socks to tell much.? The light hikers seem to have a nice even weave so
> they aren't real thin on top and too thick in the toes like thier regular
> hiker
> socks.? Ilike the wool.? My feet don't get as smelly, they feel good
> when wet, and seem to retain shape reasonably well ,and rarely bunch at the
> toes.? I think my only complaint is they seem to dry rather slowly.?
> But socks like shoes
>
> ? are a personal choice.? In my mountain hiking boots I use a
> smartwool liner and a Thorlo synthetic basic "Hiking Sock"
> combo.? I have found that using a silk or woll liner with a wool outer
> sock allows a rather slippery feeling allowing the foot to move
> uncomfortably
> unless I hammer the laces whichis not good. On the other hand, mathing poly
> liners with poly outer socks smells bad.? I had good results with poly
> liners and wool blend Thorlo mountaineering socks for a couple years before
> I
> got the wool liners back when I was using GTX boots and tromping around in
> a
> lot of snow.
>
> As far as GTX shoes and boots.? Maybe yes in the snow, but, they take a
> long time to dry if fording creeks, and most don't breath half as good as
> they'd have you believe if at all.? I actually just got a pair of ACU GTX
> boots that do breath rather well, but I didn't get them for distanceor
> desert
> trekking.? Shoes that don't breath well is asking for problems.?
>
> Wet shoes can freeze over night, esspecially like last June in the
> Sierra.? If exceptionally cold out I will put my boots in my pack next to
> me, and or in the sleeping bag stuff sack which will also help.? It may
> also help, and I highly recommend this, to massage the feet before going to
> sleep, and before rising.? I've had my feet in such a condition that I
> actually had to massage the tendons along the bottom of the foot so I could
> get
> up.? I remember one time getting up only to sit back down quickly. Not
> hurting a tendon just to pee on stiff feet isn't worth it two days from
> anywhere.? Somtimes I'll keep my socks in the bottom of my bag and put
> them on warm feet inside the bag, which helps with cold shoes, or if too
> grimy,
> put them in the bottom of the bag before getting up.? When I am having
> trouble warming up I'll resort to a hot water Nalgene bottle at the foot of
> my
> bag which is soooo nice, but perhaps not an ultra light concept.?
>
> As a side note, I suffer from artheritis in my right foot, hips and lower
> back,
> and have a problem bunyun on my left foot.? When I cross a cold creek I
> can feel my feet tighten up, and the cold water will become a painful
> experience ussualy by have way accross the average ford.? I'll dry my
> feet, and massage and let them warm back up a little before shoeing backup
> and
> taking off up the trail. The tendons need to warm and loosen up before I
> can
> get back into stride.? If you've ever had achilles tendon pain, this seems
> the most common after icy creek crossings for me, so I am extra careful if
> the
> trails goes up steeply within a few minutes after leaving the creek. Same
> goes
> for stopping for prolonged breaks.? Start out easy and let the feet and
> legs get warmed back up.?
>
> And it's not just the feet Iam considering.? The feet are connected to the
> lower leg and strong calf muscles, the thigh and hips, and back, not to
> mention
> the neck and shoulders etc...? It's all connected and in part affected by
> the motion of the feet.? For me it is somewhat exagerated because of the
> artheritis, but it also makes the pronation of the foot that much more
> important.? A foot movement that causes a dissasgeerable movement will
> ussually be felt not only in the extra effort to take steps, but will cause
> discomfort and a stiffening of my lower back.? A positive fit and movement
> will create a sittuation wherein hiking is enjoyable, and I tend to feel
> better
> and experience less pain because of it.
>
> Superfeet; I liked for awhile until I realized the little rock in the heal
> of
> my shoe always ends up being the end of that thirty dollar insole as the
> foam
> brakes down and one comes in contact with the hard plastic mold in about a
> hundred miles.? Also the enhanded archsupport combined with the existing
> suport built into some shoes can creat too much arch and hram the joints in
> the
> top of the foot, what my doctor refered to as walking ona roll of
> quarters.? Also, if you try these, keep inmind that the Superfoot has
> often an unwanted tendency toraise thelevel of the heel placing in a
> position
> in the shoes heel box that promotes imporper heel rub,blisters, and tendon
> presures that might have been avoided without the modified insole. And
> while
> the Superfoot lowers the volume inthe mid and rearof a shoe or boot, it has
> a
> thin forfoot and makes for a bigger roomier toe box; not necesarrily a bad
> thing, but what I'm saying is it has poor for foot padding, and changes the
> entire fit
>
> of a shoe.? I used them with some success for while with an Odor eater
> underneath
> the Superfoot for a little necessarry padding under the ball of the foot
> with
> mid weight hiking boots. I haven't bothered with them in years and now just
> try
> and get a good fit to begin with and spend the thirty bucks on gas to get
> to
> the trailhead.? ? ? ? ?
>
> If you've read this far then you appreciate how important I feel it is to
> take
> care of the foot.? After all the planning, training, and arranging of
> lives to get out on the trail, it is then to our feet that we ask the
> most.? With a pack full of food, guns and ammo, mothballs, bear cans,
> alcholic cooking devices, special poison ivy and wildlife avoidance
> devices,
> permits and green cards, prescribed but unmarked controlled substances,
> spare
> 3D glasses, official Morton salt umbrella, hacky sack, man overboard
> whistle
> (oops that's sailing), flare gun, grenades and U.S. flag, it will probably
> be
> the feet which have the last say in direct proportion to the level of fun
> expressed in the daily attitude.? Of course, food and diet are really
> important too, so don't forget the freeze dried mayonaise popsicles and
> Tang
> !!!? ???
>
>
>
> I hope I'm not up for too much of a thrashing, but I'd like to hear some
> comments on the subject I've knocked around here.? Was this helpful,
> hindrence, waste of space, or good practical experience??
>
> It's just how I think about it.? All the planning in the world wont get me
> one step along the trail wihtout I take it putting my best foot forward.?
> The other one's not so good so it gets the second step, and besides I'm
> left
> footed...? ? ? ???
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>