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Couldn't find the original topic of boots that I commented on sometime last year. Hi-Tek was my brand of choice for boots (for my size) as suggested by Gail in the thread I can't locate.
It is a nightmare trying to find good quality children's size 2 boots suitable for trekking Kokoda. But I think we did it. Is Zamberlan a good brand?
They are a 'Skill GT Dark Brown' leather type with Gore-Tex lining and Vibram soles. They were $389.95 but had a whopping 80% off as no-one was able to fit them. They must've been meant for me – because I fit them – toes, heels, sides/width of feet, pronation of feet, ankles – every which way, I seemed to fit them
We only paid $78 for them – so naturally, couldn't go past such a discount. Would you? I have been wearing them all day with the new hiking socks I will be using on Kokoda and even kept them on when I had a 30 min cat-nap.
They are not so bad when I walk around (a bit uncomfortable, but that is to be expected) but I noticed after my feet were slightly inactive while I was resting for that 30mins that they became very painful across the tops of both my feet about say, 3rd notch down from the top on the laces (I don't think I have tied them too tight).
If I flex my feet in the boots (point my toes upwards), then right across the first knuckle on my big toe hurts as it strikes the top of the boot – but this is only on my left toe. Both of my feet and my left toe are still hurting. Is this because it is my first day wearing them and the leather hasn't stretched yet or is there something wrong with my feet? How long will this last?
I'm also breaking in my new Scarpa trek boots. I purchased them about 3 months ago and have worn them heaps without any problems whatsoever. They were a little uncomfortable to begin with but the more I wore them the better they got. So I was absolutely horrified yesterday when I went for a hike in them ( complete with my new daypck, loaded with water and 1KG packs of brown sugar for ballast, but alas no band aids) to find I developed huge blisters on the backs of my heels. WHY?? I was wearing a new pair of wigwam hiking socks, the ones with a built in liner, eliminating supposedly the need for the thin undersocks. I think it was Times Two who recommended them on this forum last week. SO……. what can the problem be? socks?. Do I now wait till these blisters have healed and try again with 2 pairs of socks plus the vaseline?? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Cheers all.
Hi there, I guess with boots its all about trial and error as what works for some does not work for others. In my case I too wore 'Scarpa boots' with thick socks purchased from a camping store but found the souls of my feet gave me problems. Someone suggested purchasing a pair of inserts from a chemist and a pair of ankle straps for added support.
One day on the track I left in the inserts but was too lazy to put on the ankle strapping which leaves the heel exposed but is like a thick bandage when applied and boy did I notice it. The following day I did not make the same mistake and walked off with inserts and ankle support inside my scarpa's and did not miss a beat.
In the beginning I was pulling the laces too tight and one of our porters suggested to loosen them a little. I did this and had no further problems. Even now I sometimes pull them too tight and after a couple of hours find myself undoing the laces and loosening them.
Getting back to blisters, it might be a good time to try out the blister packs you can purchase from a chemist as regular walkers say if you treat a blister straight away its not nearly as bad as waiting until the skins wears away from your heel. In years of welcoming trekkers back off the track I have seen quite a few blister problems and they are not pretty! In fact a guy who walked with us competes internationally in triathlon's and he had to be air lifted off the track due to blisters! His girlfriend also a triathon competitor came off the track with him in support so both did not finish all due to a blister. In fact the blister did not coz him to give up but it caused him to walk differently resulting in him rolling his ankle a day or so later so he could no longer walk.
Glad to hear you are trying different things now rather then waiting until you are out on the track!
Hi
Not wanting to "reinvent the wheel" I got the following from the Paddy Pallin site as is generally what I have always followed when buying new or "running in" new boots at 70 I have been through a few pairs.
Fitting footwear
Once you have narrowed down the options to a handful of boots or shoes, the best way to decide between them is to try them on, as every boot model is built around a different "last" (standard foot shape), so each one will fit you a little differently. Don't rely solely on your usual shoe size when searching for the best fitting boots or shoes as one manufacturer's sizing may vary from another's.Boots or shoes must fit well, so don't be rushed into buying a pair that only might do. Try to be certain. Following are some tips that apply mostly to boots.
Before fitting, test the flex of the sole, it must bend where your foot does, at the ball of the foot. Allow for some initial stiffness of the sole.
Pick the right socks. Wear the type of socks and sock liners that you will be using when you plan to use them, whenever you try on boots.
If one foot is larger than the other (which is quite common), fit your larger foot first. You may need to use extra socks or an insert to take up extra space in the other boot. Slide your feet forward in the unlaced boots – one finger should fit behind the foot, but not two.
Kick the feet back in the boots and lace up firmly. The 'ears' of the boot at the lace holes must be well separated.
Do some deep knee bends. The heels should not rise in the boots more than about 3mm.
Stand with the heels hooked on the edge of a step and your mass pushing your feet forward in the boots. Your toes must be free to wriggle and should not touch the front of the boots.
Stand flat on the floor with someone holding the boots to restrain them from moving. Try to move the front of the feet sideways with the heel as the pivot. No side movement of the ball of the foot should be noticeable.
If your feet feel like they are "floating" inside the boots, try a pair half a size down. If your foot feels cramped or your toes make contact with the front or sides of the toe box, try the next size up. If the boots are a little tight sideways, remember that, they often stretch in width, but never change in length – the fitting of heels and toes is more important. New boots may feel a little stiff at first, but they should still be comfortable.NB. Most manufacturers design footwear for both men and women. Women's are usually distinguished by a narrower heel cup and foot-bed.
Important to note, feet often swell becoming longer and wider, with both walking and the carrying of a load. Your footwear may need to be larger than that usually worn.
Breaking in new boots
Shoes and hybrid lightweight boots usually need little breaking in. It is disastrous however, to start a trip with new leather boots that haven't been worn-in. All too often people buy boots a day or so before departure and the resultant blisters and discomfort ruin the whole trip. If you have not been walking regularly, you may also need to break in your feet. Even joggers can cause rubbing to tender feet on a long walk.The process of breaking in boots involves getting them to soften and mold to your feet, instead of the factory's, and that basically involves wearing them. The following procedure will work, but it may take longer with tougher boots.
Apply a waxed-based leather conditioner and warm the boots in the sunshine or a warm room so it soaks in.
Put the boots on with your walking socks, lace them up and walk them in on generally level ground.
Keep doing plenty of short walks before going overnight and always keep them laced firmly to prevent movement.Boot care basics
Keep your boots and shoes clean between uses by brushing offHi Fluppy,
If you are getting sore on the tops of your toes, you might want to try what worked for me, have the laces comfortably loose along the top of your foot, then pull them fairly tight around the two hooks around the ankle, and then do them up to the top of the boot, i was told this stops your foot from moving forward especially going down hill and I can tell you it works, I had all sorts of problems with my boots when I first got them ( can't tell you what model they are) and to tell you a funny story, i wore my boots everywhere to wear them in, including to work, one day I was running late for work, and intending to go for a hike after work, threw all my gear in the car only to get to work (40 minutes away) and found I had not only forgotten my boots, but was still wearing my fluffy pink slippers, so all day I had to stay behind the desk!
try this link
http://www.hitthetrail.com/boot_lacing.phpThanks guys for all your support. I have discovered much over the last few days breaking my boots & feet in. I found the problem with my toe (rather my boot) was that the tongue on the left boot was more bulged at the bottom than the right boot. Some gentle stretching and manipulating of the tongue fixed this.
Now however, that same tongue is sliding sideways down my boot no matter how tight (or loose) I have them. How to fix a sliding tongue??
Next issue: The balls of my feet are now extremely painful. No blistering, but a sensation very much like standing on hot bitumen for an extended amount of time. They didn't feel like they were rubbing very much but as I was on an uneven slope at the time (rocks, grass, broken concrete etc), it became apparent that yes, they were rubbing. They now feel like they are burning.
I have just looked at the balls of my feet and there is some thick padding of skin there – except mine kind of look like that padding has been pushed aside. I am thinking maybe a corn is developing? Should I wear some corn pads when I trek? Do they still work if they are wet?
I remember getting these as a child and just did what any unthinking child would do – grabbed a pair of scissors and just cut them off (along with large chunks of thick skin) – much to my mother's horror. The skin always grew back, so I never really saw this as an issue. Should I just start doing this again or will I make it worse?
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