[pct-l] Foot Swelling

[Mary Kwart]

Rhiannon:

My feet got bigger after switching to lighter weight boots. They have
stayed that way throughout the year--they don't shrink in the off
season. They are much bigger in ball of foot width and in length
because they have flattened out. I did not loose my arch, though.
Someone on the list serv mentioned that an increse in foot size could
be from lack of exercise before the hike--but I worked out a lot
before my long distance hikes, so it wasn't because of sudden exercise
that my feet got bigger. Even if you are very active, unless you go
out and carry a weighted pack day after day, you won't have the same
effect.

While on the trail, I noticed my feet getting bigger after about 500
miles. I wore high top leather logging boots for 30 years in my work
career--they were custom made "White's" boots. I can attribute the
development of a bunion and other foot problems to their design--a
higher heel for stable walking on logging debris on steep slopes which
pushed my foot down into the narrow toe of the boot when I was on a
flat surface or going downhill. This was no doubt exacerbated by
wearing heavy leather hiking boots for many years. It was like
recovering from a form of Chinese foot binding--when I didn't have to
wear that stuff anymore, my feet breathed a sigh of relief, but I was
stuck with some structural changes.

--Fireweed