[pct-l] Trail Running Shoes so great?

[Scott Bryce]

montypct wrote:
> There's a big drop off right here in Warner Springs (mile 110)

I talked to two people who dropped out Warner Springs this year. One
whose wife had bruised her heels so badly that she needed a wheel chair
to get around town. Another developed knee problems after leaving town,
and backtracked to WS.

> Use to be a much bigger percentage of hikers dropping off the trail 
> here. Almost every case was foot problems.

I was having foot problems by WS. I wound up taking three zeros to let
my feet heal.

> Usually what I saw was a person not wearing shoes a size and a half
> to two sizes bigger than their normal size.

I was wearing my usual off-trail size. I don't know if that was a
factor. I was not taking care of my feet, I was hiking during a heat
wave and I had not trained adequately. That is what eventually took me
off of the trail.

> Shoe size appears to be the number one killer here.

If I try again, and I hope to, I will have to take shoe size more
seriously. In WS I ordered shoes 1/2 size larger and had them sent to
Idyllwild, but I never picked them up. I was off the trail before the
shoes arrived there.

> Too many miles on unconditioned feet works its way in there too.

Guilty as charged.