Stories
1.
Layering For Winter
2.Blistering
Choices
3.Bear Essentials
4.Walking From Canada
To Mexico In A Day
5.As Good As It Gets
6.Soaked To
The Skin
7.The Desert Strikes
Back
8.Eating Dust
9.Cycling The Trans Canada
Trail Across British Columbia
10.Cycling From
Victoria To The Yukon - Part 1
Trip Reports
'Boots can be a hiker’s worst friend'
I remember a trip on Vancouver Island where my trusted hiking boots shredded
my feet so badly I had to finish the remaining 40 kilometers in sandals.
I learned that over time your feet will age and change just as your boots
will. What works for you today may be inappropriate two years from now.
Each year outdoor enthusiasts look to specialty stores to purchase the
proper foot wear for their upcoming hiking season. There is a myriad selection
to choose from and it is easy to spend upwards of $200 for a pair of boots
that may only be worn a dozen times in a given year.
When looking to purchase the perfect footwear remember the following basics:
1. Ask yourself what type of activity you are likely to be doing. It is
not necessary to buy a heavy duty high ankle boot for day trips in the
local mountains.
2. Select your socks first and use them when trying on any footwear.
3. Have the salesperson measure your foot size seated and standing with
weight on your back similar to what you would carry for most of your trips.
Note any difference in length, width and arch support.
Like all footwear, there should be toe-wriggling room, a snug heel. If
your boot does not feel like comfortable slippers in the store, do not
buy them. It is a myth that you should allow for stretching until your
feet grow accustomed to the new fit. The boot needs to conform to your
feet, not the other way around.
High ankle support versus mid or low ankle support. If you have ankle
problems, a high ankle support is probably appropriate. If you believe
you need high ankle support because you are carrying a heavier pack, lighten
your pack. Keep your boot weight to a minimum. Slogging for 12 hours through
wet brush and muddy trails is made only harder with additional weight
attached to your sore feet.
A single piece of leather is more water resistant than many pieces of
leather sewn together. It is however, much more costly. A rand (wide rubber
strip protecting the stitching that holds the upper to the sole) will
lengthen the life of your boots. Take my word for it. The sole can be
stiff and hard, flexible, medium. The important thing to remember in this
wet coastal terrain is that it must have a good grip. A lug pattern (deep
or shallow) on the sole will help to provide you traction when you gingerly
cross that slippery smooth log over that fast flowing river.
Can you wear regular runners? Absolutely. On one West Coast Trail trip
a friend wore an old pair of sneakers when he wasn’t walking in
bare feet.
Remember that boots do not have to be miniature tanks capable of overcoming
every imaginable terrain you may encounter. They simply need to keep your
feet reasonably dry and blister free.