[pct-l] Top thru hike shoes

Fri Apr 17 16:23:50 CDT 2015

Hey Mademoiselle,

For me, the zero drop heal forces me into a softer gait.  With very little
padding for the heel, I simply can't hike with my old "heel strike" the way
I used to .  Coming down hard on a zero drop heel hurts.  This causes me to
come down more on the side of the foot and the balls of the feet and toes.
This is done by hiking with a slightly flexed knee.  Sounds weird, but it's
what we do naturally when walking or running barefooted.  It hurts to come
down hard on your heel when barefooted.  My walk becomes more of a shuffle,
albeit a fast one, and this stops the pounding on the knees.

What this new gait does for my knees is tremendous!  Slam down hard on your
heels in your old shoes and you're probably coming down straight legged.
Heel hits, ankle jams, and the force goes up the leg, knee jams, hip jams
and do that 6 million times and you're in Canada!  For me, the softening of
the gait, has taken all the slam out of hiking and my knees never feel pain
or soreness at all and I routinely run down a 4,000 foot mountain that is
nearby.  If I did that with a heel-toe strike, my knees would be killing me
at the bottom, and I probably wouldn't do it for long.

I used to have terrible knee pain and swelling with any serious run or
hike, but I haven't experienced  this in many years.  Part of it is going
to a softer gait.  I find myself being pushed into this style of walking
and running when I'm wearing my Altras because it's uncomfortable to walk
heel-toe.  I began walking with a different gait years ago, long before I'd
heard of a zero drop heel, after meeting Bigfoot on the PCT and listening
to him talk of overcoming serious physical problems through changing his
gait.  I hike this way with my other shoes as well, but they don't make me
do it the way the Altras do.  This is the difference in these shoes.  The
company warns that it may take some breaking in, but in my experience of
getting people into Altras on trail in the midst of their long hikes, is
that they put on the shoes and never look back.  No break in was ever
needed.  But be aware that nonetheless they may take some getting used to.
  In the long run, the whole reason for the zero drop heel is to bring us
into a more healthy stride and ultimately save our knees, ankles and hips
from the pounding and damage caused by the heel-toe footfall we've become
used to with the thick, higher heel in most shoes.  That's the theory at
least, and it's my experience with the shoes so far.  But with all shoes,
it is so personal.  Find something that doesn't give you blisters or PF and
you're good to go.

Hike on!

Shroomer

On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 9:57 AM, <isabella at bendnet.com> wrote:

> Another question?  Anyone know how “no drop” and some “drop” affect knees?
>
> Mademoiselle
>
>
>
> *From:* Scott Williams [mailto:baidarker at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, April 15, 2015 8:01 PM
> *To:* Todd Evans
> *Cc:* Isabella; <Pct-l at backcountry.net>; Brian Gill
>
> *Subject:* Re: [pct-l] Top thru hike shoes
>
>
>
> And just to add to the Altra thread once more, Purist's experience is not
> atypical.  The Lone Peaks are some of the most comfortable shoes I own, but
> they seem to break down quicker than some others.  The original Lone Peaks
> were more robust than the current incarnation.   Friends I hiked the CDT
> with in 2012 had them last many hundreds of miles before needing
> replacement.  The current ones just don't last as long.
>
>
>
> In comparison, I had one new pair of Montrail Sabinos (I bought 12 pair on
> sale for $40 each back in 2010 so this pair was "new/old") last from
> Springer Mt. Georgia and I didn't retire them till the White Mountains of
> New Hampshire, 1,700 miles later.  I wanted newer tread for the Whites as
> that is one very rocky trail from there on.  As they hadn't fallen apart, I
> mailed them home and I've been using them all winter for training shoes and
> probably added another 5 or 600 miles!  Granted, the AT is a very leafy
> trail before the Whites, but still.  More of our best trail runners ought
> to be built that strong.
>
>
>
> I haven't tried the Altra Olympus, but for around home and on my local
> trails, I love the Instinct which is also pretty soft of sole, so I'll
> probably like the Olympus.
>
>
>
> The Altras are wonderfully comfortable and have fixed blisters on every
> person we've gotten into them on trail, but be gentle with them if you
> don't want to replace them too soon.
>
>
>
> Shroomer
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 15, 2015 at 8:50 AM, Todd Evans <Todd.Evans at a-dec.com> wrote:
>
> Altra also makes a shoe called the Olympus which has tons of cushion and
> is still flat. The insole does provide a minor amount of arch support but
> without it it's flat and comfortable. Right now the old version is on
> clearance at REI. So far it's been a very durable for me, I have over 200
> miles on mine and they are not showing any wear.
>
> Team Evans
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pct-L [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Scott
> Williams
> Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 7:48 AM
> To: Isabella
>
> Cc: <Pct-l at backcountry.net>; Brian Gill
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Top thru hike shoes
>
> Hey Mademoiselle,
>
> I've got the same issue.  I can't hike with arch support or I end up with
> PF and how I solve that with the Lone Peaks, Altra Instincts and my old
> Montrail Sabinos is to pull out the insole.  That gives me a flat platform
> in all of these shoes.  Since I don't have the old insoles, I can't tell
> you how much of an arch they had with the insole in, but without it,
> they're flat and very comfortable.
>
> As for cush, the Instincts are the softest of these three that I hike in.
> The Lone Peaks have what they used to call a Rock Guard, which gave more
> stiffness, but there are lots of shoes out there with a more stiff sole.  I
> wouldn't call the Lone Peaks, cushy, but the Instincts definitely are.  One
> way Ken Powers adds a little cush when he needs it, as he's hiking in very
> minimalist shoes last I heard, is to carry a Dr. Scholls foam insert to
> drop in when he's on pavement or nasty rocks for a bit.  I've used them too
> on a long road walk, and that's all I need.
>
> Have a wonderful Hike!
>
> Shroomer
>
> On Wed, Apr 15, 2015 at 7:34 AM, <isabella at bendnet.com> wrote:
>
> > Do Altra Lone Peaks have arch support?  I have a weird issue and need
> > a shoe with NO arch support.  Hard to find.
> > Also, are the Altras cushy at all?  Stiff sole?
> > Thx, Mademoiselle
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Pct-L [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Scott
> > Williams
> > Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2015 3:12 PM
> > To: Brian Gill
> > Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> > Subject: Re: [pct-l] Top thru hike shoes
> >
> > Hey Brian,
> >
> > The most popular and commonly seen shoes on some of the greatest
> > hikers I know are the Altra Lone Peaks.  With their zero drop heal and
> > wide toe box, they're some of the most comfortable out there.  At last
> > years ALDHA West Gathering, the largest group of Triple Crowners in
> > one place ever, we took pictures of everyone with their shoes stuck in
> > the shot as a big rosette of Altra shoes.  Just to name names of those
> > who hike in Lone Peaks, the list includes, Lint, Snorkel, Freefall,
> > Allgood, Dirt Monger, Swami, Why Not, and it goes on and on.
> >
> > There are other great shoes out there as well, however, and shoes are
> > soooo personal.  If they feel great and you don't get blisters, go for
> anything
> > else.   I train in Altras, Knocked out 14 miles and 4,500 vertical in
> them
> > yesterday, but I still use my old Montrail Sabinos, when I'm thru hiking.
> > The Sabinos were the widest toe box I could find back in 1009 and when
> > they did me so well on the PCT in 2010, I bought a big stack of them
> > at $40 a pop when Montrail changed the pattern later that year and had
> > them on remainder.
> > So, I'm just too damn cheap not to use them although I take out the
> > insoles to approximate the feel of the Altras.  $40 or $110 per pair
> > over a thru hike saves me a bit of cash.  I had one pair last me from
> > Georgia to New Hampshire on the AT last year.  I only traded 'em out
> > because I needed a bit of tread to hit the Whites. But I sent them
> > home and am still waking around in them. The Lone Peak is not that
> > robust, just the most comfortable shoe out there.  But the Montrails
> > still do me well. Once I use 'em all up however, I'll be using
> > whatever Altras I can find in the bargain stores.
> > Last year, when the Lone Peak was upgraded, I was able to find the
> > original Lone Peaks at Sports Basement at $40 a pair.  I called the
> > people I knew who used them and bought up whatever sizes fit.
> >
> > Altra is by no means the only great shoe out there, but many of the
> > greatest thru hikers in America are using them this season  and have
> > been for the past 2 or 3 years.
> >
> > Have a wonderful Hike,
> >
> > Shroomer
> >
> > On Tue, Mar 31, 2015 at 8:27 AM, Brian Gill <pctpanama at aol.com> wrote:
> >
> > > What's  the top three shoes for a thru hike now days?  Panama
> > >
> > > "Sent from my iPhone"
> > >
> > >        Brian
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