[pct-l] Foot size increase on PCT

[kimber at boalthall.berkeley.edu (Kimber Rodgers)]

I hiked all of the AT wearing lightweight boots -- Vasque, Garmont 
and Lowa brands, a mixture of fabric and leather.  I didn't wear out 
any of the pairs; I was switching boots a lot to try to find 
something that would work better with my feet. I hiked all of the PCT 
in trail runners, New Balance (4 pairs and my last pair is still 
good).  My feet haven't gotten any noticeably larger after either 
hike.

Also, I tried the theory of wearing shoes a half-size to a full size 
larger than my feet to help w/ feet swelling and/or blisters. That 
didn't particularly work for me, either.  My feet had a hard time 
getting used to whatever shoes I wore. With each new pair, I had pain 
and blisters until they were broken in.

As with everything else, everybody's feet are different -- and what 
your feet want may change.  I started out wearing only Fox River 
liner socks but around Etna, I started to lose the padding on the 
bottom of my feet. Switching to thicker, padded Smartwool socks 
solved the problem.

French Fry