[pct-l] shoe sizing, cont.....

[Yoshihiro Murakami]

In short, there are following characeristics:
boots....rigid sole, ankle fixation
Shoes...soft sole, ankle is free
The fit is important problem for the both kind.  So, we can eliminate
unfitted boots or shoes problem.

Boots restrict ankle movements, then forces us to change gait style,
and we must use upper large musles. And we cannot perceive the details
of surface structure of earth.---depending these characteristics,
boots are suitable for heavy load, and long distance walking. Some
people cannot change their walking style, then they hate boots.

Shoes are light and free. We feel the detail structure of earth from
foot, and we can walk as usual, we need not change our walking style,
so many people like shoes. --- But, we feel fatigue, since the sole
are soft, me must pay attention to the surface structure of the trail.
Ankle is free, so we must use the calf mustle. Then, shoes are
suitable for light load and for the strong calf person.

There are many varibles concerning footware. But, basically these are simple.
Imagin the animals. The feet of Ox, cow, deer, horse, etc are as like
wearing boots, they are the long distance runners. And the feet of
cheetah,  mountain lion, etc looks alike wearing shoes, five finger
shoes. They are fast, but many are not the long distance runners,
because they use all musles at once. The small muscle is easily
exhausted. The cheetah is the exception.
The backpacking boots are the intermittent category between running
shoes and mountain boots.
---I am writing by timy mobile phone NOKIA , now in LA.

2010/7/29, Tortoise <Tortoise73 at charter.net>:
> A couple of comments:
>
> When I first started hiking and backpacking I wore boots -- first pair were
> Piveta Muir Trail (relatively light weight) and then later a different one.
> My feet grew both longer and wider wearing the boots to the point that the
> boots were uncomfortable.
>
> The hiker I took from Scott Mountain Summit because of foot problems
> (blisters) said he was wearing boots. He had on a new pair that he had not
> broken in for lack of time, but the boots were the same make and model as
> his previous boots that never gave him problems.
>
> Fit may not be everything in boots and shoes for hiking, but it's very
> important.
>
> Tortoise
>
> <> Because truth matters! <>
>
> On 07/26/10 15:48, Yoshihiro Murakami wrote:
>> Dear Ned
>>
>> This may be the same discussion carried out in Feb. 17.
>> I also have no experience of feet enlargement. At first, I thought
>> this phenomena can be observed among only PCT thru-hikers, but I think
>> there is a latent variable.---shoes vs boots.
>>
>> Many people who asserts the feet enlargement wears shoes, but I and
>> Ned wear boots, and report no enlargement. ( I am  60 years old, so
>> very old guy ). My Japanese friend who hiked from Tuolumne to Yosemite
>> reported feet enlargement and blisters and he wore shoes.  I wore
>> heavy duty boots last summer, and I hiked thru JMT with no trouble.
>>
>> This summer,  I have selected ASOLO Expert GV GTX Mountaineering Boots
>> and heavy duty pack( Mountain Hardwear Solitude, with heavy camera
>> http://psycho01.edu.u-toyama.ac.jp/SolitudeNow.jpg ), because I must
>> guide my wife from Tuolumne to VVR, and I must carry 14 days foods.
>> (28-30 Kg : ca 60 pound )
>>
> [following material deleted]
>


-- 
Sincerely
--------------- --------------------------------------
Hiro    ( Yoshihiro Murakami )
HP    http://psycho01.edu.u-toyama.ac.jp
Blogs http://completewalker.blogspot.com/
Photo http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/CompleteWalker/
Backpacking for 30 years in Japan
2009 JMT, the first America.
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