[pct-l] Foot Expansion

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Feb 1, 2013, at 11:03 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> I?m also wondering what actually goes on when the feet swell ? is  
> it flattening, fluid, callus, muscle??


All of them.

I get edema from drinking a beer. I suppose you might get a little  
from hiking in the heat, too.

Your feet may spread apart if given the space. Otherwise you may  
simply realize that you have always bought your shoes too small. My  
toes no longer touch each other, especially there is about a pinky  
finger space between the big toe and 2nd toe that wasn't there before.

After hiking with a little sand embedded in my wool socks for 700  
miles, then crossing streams and walking in wet snow and snowmelt  
with wrinkly skin, my skin became hard as a rock, thick and tough. I  
could withstand almost anything.

After many hundreds of miles, my feet were more muscular.

Some of the enlargement may subside after a while, especially the  
edema, callus and muscle.