Every time I do a major hike with a new group of clients, there’s a better than 50/50 chance that someone on a trip is going to have a gripe about their feet hurting.
Now, there’s a part of me that wants to get all Marine Corps Drill Sergeant on them and tell them to suck it up. It’s a small part, but in the interests of never having to succumb to that temptation on a trail, I’m going to help with some tips on how to keep your tender tootsies from hurting.
First, your feet need strengthening. Before you start a 10 mile hike, prepare. Start walking more every day. If you have a job where you have a choice between sitting down or standing up, always stand. Jog a little bit.
You want to build up your muscles and tendons in your feet and ankles over time – ideally you want to start this training regimen a month before a major hike. (Remember when you were a teenager, and your feet never hurt? Yeah, this is why – when you were a teenager, you’d hang out with your friends, walk around school, walk to the car, run around more…same thing applies here.)
Another great way to strengthen your feet is through Yoga. All the balance work you do in a Yoga routine while barefoot does wonders for the muscles and tendons in your feet.
Second, pack lightly and pack smart. Your hiking pack is going to be heavier than you expected; build up to it. Start with short hikes and lighter loads and eventually build up your feet and leg muscles.
While you’re at it, make sure that your backpack load is balanced evenly between your left and right shoulders. Most people don’t do this – they put more weight on their primary shoulder, and this causes backaches, and makes it likelier that they’ll injure their ankle on that side of the body from trying to compensate for it.
Third, pay attention to your footwear. You don’t have to get boots - hiking shoes that are low cut work just as good - especially since boots don’t tend to work for everybody, including me.
Your shoes or boots should fit close and snug without cutting off circulation. They need to provide ankle support and cushion your arches. You want to have a little bit of space – about a quarter of an inch or more- between your toes and the end of the boot; this will let your foot expand inside the boot for sweat and load bearing.
This also means breaking them in well; taking them to a podiatrist or leather shop can speed this along, because they’ll stretch the leather so it doesn’t rub. Go to the gym and use a stair-climber for about 10 minutes in your boots and see where they rub, and then adjust.
Likewise, get good socks. You want wool or polypropylene, something that will move moisture away from your feet. Try out a few pair with your shoes or boots and make sure that they work for you. You may want a double liner sock or two socks.
Always wash your socks each day, and try to change them out every day. (Real pros may only show up with two sets of underwear for a hike, but they always have two sets of socks for each day, and they change them after 6 hours.)
Lastly, when there’s a break, swap out from your boots to camp sandals (or Crocs, like me), and let your feet breathe. Sit back, enjoy the view. It’s why you came here, anyway.
Tags: backpacking boots, Backpacking equipment, backpacking gear
