[pct-l] sandels,,,,OH NO,,,,!

[msaenz at mve-architects.com (Mike Saenz)]

Amen to that, Brother Roy!

Another point: Have your footwear of choice professionally fitted by those properly trained to do so.
That would include the rare ability to listen to what kind of use the wearer expects to put the footwear through.

When I shopped around for my latest pair, I was originally looking for a heavyweight Vasque. The gal at REI (a very young thing who I would have never believed that she knew so much about boots) asked me questions, almost prying information out of me, about what kind of hiking I usually did. Though the trails I now hike are almost always well marked/trodden paths, my machismo convinced me that I would be returning to my college age orienteering/off trail adventures. Besides, I boasted (trying to impress the girl), I was on my way to Colorado to bag some 14'ers! I needed some serious stompers!
After admitting that just about all my trips for the past year (or two...or three...) have been to our local mountains (I'm the guy who takes his pack onto the Tram from Palm Springs), the gal indulged me by fitting a few heavy weights, then deviously suggested I try on some mid-weights.
Wow. Besides the fact that the mid-height boots eliminated the annoying rub at the top front of my ankles, the construction of the boot made it feel like it was as broken in as my beat up (but beloved) old pair! And waterproof???!!!

I bought the Montrail Torre GTX. I love `em! Light, comfortable, sticks to granite slabs like goat hooves. And they are DAMN cool lookin'!

While fitting them, I was repeatedly asked to wiggle around on the incline board. She laced them up and told me to get back on the incline while she made a couple adjustments in the lacing pattern. This kid knew her stuff!

And I can honestly say that I have NEVER gotten a blister hiking. Of course, I don't to the 20+ mile days that "you crazy thru-hikers" do...

And finally, I wear liners under my socks.

M i c h a e l   S a e n z
McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e    P l a n n i n g    I n t e r i o r s
w  w  w  .  m  v  e  -  a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s  .  c  o  m

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	ROYROBIN@aol.com [mailto:ROYROBIN@aol.com] 
Sent:	Thursday, February 05, 2004 9:41 PM
To:	pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net; rsmithat99@cox.net
Subject:	Re: [pct-l] sandels,,,,OH NO,,,,!

<You crazy thru-hikers amaze me!

<I'll keep my boots. They're VERY comfortable. Even after many, many miles.


And here, of course, is the key to all this hiking boots (light or heavy) vs. 
running shoes (sandals, racing flats, trail runners, whatever).  We hike in 
whatever our feet tell us is the tool for the job.  

Answering one lister's question on this subject, I hiked half of the trail in 
'97 with heavy hiking boots because that was what I knew about it.  One 
morning near Palm Springs, I put them on carefully so as not to further abuse my 
feet, and was able to hobble less than a hundred yards before I had to take them 
back off and do some more bandaging.  Closest I came the whole trip to 
quitting, right there.  

The boots were not the problem.  They were good boots -- the same boots 
others happily walked the whole trail with.  If your boots are "VERY comfortable", 
by all means use them.  My problem was, wrong insoles, wrong socks, pack too 
heavy, and, if you'll pardon the emphasis, NOT PROPERLY TESTING THE FOOTWEAR 
BEFORE STARTING MY HIKE.  

I've since found a system that makes my feet happy.  It probably won't make 
your feet happy.  Find the solution that works for your feet.       
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