it would seem more than logical that
the primary concern in terms of comfort
and strength for a long journey
would quite naturally be the feet
especially if one is walking
the feet
in order to test the boots i have
i took them along with me to montana
on two occasions i was given to longish hikes
5 - 6 miles up and down small mountains
the boots i had worked great for this
they were strong in the ankle and have good soles
my feet did not suffer a bit
but yesterday i walked 8 miles with very little by way of rest
and my feet took a beating
at one point i was forced to take my boots off and walk in my socks
on the flat asphalt road
blisters of serious magnitude had accrued on heel(s) and toe(s)
it became apparent that i had to do some strategizing
so with blisters and pain i determined to get some
lightweight hiking shoes with ankle support
and i did not hesitate
i took me to the local SHEELS and set about shopping
and trying things on
i arrived at a shoe/boot made by KEEN
a very lightweight boot
i judged a full 1/3 the weight of my CHACOS
the sole is very strong and the insole was removable
and i allowed the salesman to convince me that
some special hightech insoles would serve me well
he seemed so pleased with his sales acumen
i bought them
and i am pleased
this one act of necessary conspicuous consumption
will free me to consider other less pressing worries
like bedbugs
i know these boots are made for walkin
the weather i cannot control
the status of lodging is beyond my influence
but my shoes my feet
this is something i can do something about
and i have
did someone say something about a walk
jh
glad to hear you have some good footwear
ReplyDeletedon't forget about socks
it could be a good investment
to splurge on some new socks
i like to wear a thin liner sock
inside a SmartWool sock
and i carry moleskin
and try to discipline myself
to put that on at the very first sign of discomfort
i have also heard smearing vaseline
on the feet each morning
or of putting duct tape
on the places where blisters
are likely to form
i walked with my old friend reggie
ReplyDeletereggie has a lot to say about a lot of things
he kept telling me i should've brought some tape
then he said
john the boots won't work
we have to go shopping
then he took charge of the shopping
he asked all the questions
he insisted that i walk walk walk around the store
he was like my own living consumer report
i'm more conviced than ever about foot care on the camino
i just hope i'm making some good decisions
my feet are still too blistered to walk in the new shoes
but i'm gearing up
maybe this weekend
life is a bit of a swirl these days
i don't know where it's all going
ah well
sometimes it's about riding out the storm
eh rocinante
we've seen worse ole pal
some wine some sleep some dreaming
what else is there
ah
tomorrow
jh
let's hear it for reggie
ReplyDeleteit sounds like you are in good hands
don't push yourself too hard
let those blisters heal
i also read that walking more slowly
taking one's time instead of being in a hurry
helps to prevent blisters
sometimes i also stop and change socks a mid-day
putting on a pair of clean, dry socks
can feel like a real luxury on the trail