[pct-l] shoe shopping question

[Jackie McDonnell]

Amanda -

I recommend that women wear men's shoes when thru-hiking.  Mango mentioned
the toe box in his reply.  I've found that the toe box on men's shoes is
wider than on women's shoes.  For me, this is a good thing.  The larger toe
box prevents my toes from squishing together, which prevents those
oh-so-painful between-the-toes blisters.  The toe socks are supposed to
prevent those blisters, but I find toe socks to be very uncomfortable.

My regular shoe size is women's 10.  For hiking, I wear men's size 10.
 Yeah, they feel different when you try them on.  In fact, they feel too
big.  But they're just the right size for hiking.

Yogi
www.pcthandbook.com

On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 9:20 AM, Amanda Schaffer <okapi.ams at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>  I'm planning for a thru-hike and anxious to start testing some new shoes
> (I've previously been doing longer trips in Asolo boots but have come to
> realize they're way too heavy for serious mileage). I have some questions
> about the recommendation to get shoes 1 1/2 sizes bigger than normal -  how
> can you tell that they'll fit well? Do you try on shoes at your current
> size to see if they're comfortable, then buy them larger, or try on the
> larger size? Do you wear extra socks the first day or two to keep your feet
> from slipping and causing blisters?
>
> I always struggle with choosing shoes, so any tips are greatly appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
> Amanda
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