[pct-l] Trail Running Shoes

[Fuzz McPherson]

The issue with blisters has more to do with the fit of the shoe and what you do when your feet get wet than whether you wear trail running shoes or more traditional hiking boots.

I like trail running shoes because of two things.  I wear them a lot is one because I run trails so I'm used to them.  The other is the heel tends to be lower on that on a hiking boot which means when you do tip and twist your ankle there isn't quite as far for you foot to roll over to the side before your twist stops, meaning you're less likely to really hurt your ankle.

I found wearing nice Gortex hiking boots caused my feet to be so warm that they'd get super sweaty unless it was very cold outside.  So, they were not wet from water from the outside of my boot, but from the sweat inside.

To deal with blisters you can make sure of three things, generally:
1) your feet are dry (change your socks often if it's wet whether you wear boots or shoes)
2) your water / electrolyte intake ratio is in balance (take in salt and other electrolytes as you take in water to replace what you've used)
3) your shoes or boots fit you

I'll forward a recap of some items a number of ultrarunners shared today specifically in response to a post about an ultramarathon that is notoriously miserably wet and muddy, with distances of the events ranging from 50k to 150 miles.  There are some pretty unique and creative approaches they listed that could easily be prepared for with little additional weight.

Fuzz