Earlier this week I booked a shuttle for an upcoming backpacking trip on the AT, going from the NOC to Fontana Dam. This got me thinking about how woefully unprepared I was on my first backpacking adventures.
The absolute worst experience just so happened to have been my first – On the Camino de Santiago. My last post was about my first night on the Camino, and I made it sound like all was beautiful. Well, that first night was. But by the end of the first day hiking I realized I had made a very bad mistake.
This is a tale of painful feet because of improper shoe selection.
In early 2016 I bought this pair of hiking boots:
These are men’s Vasque St. Elias GTX Hiking Boots, and I bought them through REI for $189. They are great boots. They were just not right for me, for long treks, for several reasons. I spent a couple months trying to break them in, and I thought I was successful. Within the first day in Spain, my feet were in amazing pain. But by the time I had reached Santiago, all of my toenails had popped out from the intense swelling. I was in agony.
So where did I go so wrong? Again, these are perfectly fine boots. But, for starters, I should have bought them at least one full size larger than I normally wear. These may have been just a half size larger than my normal size, and there was little give in the construction materials. Second, had I worn these on some local hikes I would have known the problems – Instead I only wore them for long walks in the park. Third, I realized that I am not comfortable in a boot – They rubbed my ankles raw. But once I got back I tried to break them in more. But in the end I had to buy a different pair of shoes.
Side note – REI has AWESOME return policies, of which I knew nothing. I ended up giving these to a clothing drop at Goodwill. But I could have returned them for a refund.
The second shoes I bought were these:
These are men’s Merrell Phoenix Bluff Hiking Shoes, from REI garage sale and I spent $54.73 on them. They have been AWESOME – So awesome, in fact, that I have nearly worn them out:
These shoes are appropriately sized, good insole, comfortable around the ankle, and have great traction. Also, one of my initial concerns, and the primary reason I first went with a boot, was that I would roll my ankle while hiking. I’ve had some flubs, sure. But the fear of being lame on the trail far from my car because I rolled my ankle has never materialized. Knock on wood.
My purpose in bringing this up is not to write a primer on what sort of shoe you need. That is far too complex of a topic for my skill set. Plus, we are all different! My purpose is to point out the critically important task of making sure you have the right shoe, and that you have tested the shoe on trail – Especially of you are setting off on a long trek. After all, the old saying is that every great adventure begins with the first step – But the adventure is going to be really short if the feet aren’t happy.
If you want to know more, much more, about shoes and how to select the right hiking shoe for you (and hiking socks too!), allow me to introduce you to “Dixie.” She is on Youtube as Homemade Wanderlust. Go to her page and search “boots” and eight videos will pop up. She’s awesome, and I highly recommend that if you are serious about hiking and backpacking then you need to give her a follow.
Here are a couple of links to additional resources on selection the shoe that is right for you:
https://www.backcountry.com/explore/how-to-choose-the-right-hiking-shoes-backpacking-boots
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/hiking-boots
As I mentioned earlier, REI has a great returns policy. And Backcountry is just an all around great company too – But I’ve never had to return anything to them.
Anyhoo, I hope you find this post helpful.
Happy hiking!
#Hiking #GenX #GenerationX #Retirement #Adventure #Backpacking #Camino #Gear #HomemadeWanderlust #REI #Backcountry #Merrell
Will's GenX Adventure 