Anyone's feet got bigger twice?

[billreillyjr]

In 2000 my foot size went from11 to 11.5 after 1,000 miles.Now after 14,000 miles they went up again,to size 12,possibly 12.5. Has his happened to anyone else?

[tiptoe]

Yes, indeed. I've been hiking the AT since 2006 and have completed close to 1900 miles. When I started, I wore a size 7.5 or 8 shoe. Now I'm in the 9.5 to 10.5 range. I think it's a fairly common phenomenon.

[nsherry61]

1980, size 12.5 at age 18
1990, size 13
2002, size 14
2014, size 15 (probably more like 14.5, but they don't make that size shoe, heck, most don't even make 15's, grrrr).

[burger]

Yep. I gained a half size when I started running in. Another half size when I did my first long AT section (900 miles) a few years later. Thankfully, no changes since then despite several thousand additional miles.

[colorado_rob]

Yet another data point: I had been size 9.5 through about age 40 or so, started creeping up to mostly size 10 shoes at 50, then I started hiking long distances (vs tons of running and shorter hiking earlier); now I'm size 11 and actually considering ordering my next pair of hiking shoes at 11.5. So, 1.5-2 sizes in the last 10 years, pretty much since I started hiking LONG stuff.

[Malto]

My feet didn't get longer as much as the are now wider. I will be adjusting future shoes for width.

[Leo L.]

I believe that the body (the frame) continues growing some small amount in width (not in heigth) even when you are old.
My feet grew 1 size in overall measure compared to when I was ~20 (service time) and due to very much walking and hiking I'm doing since ~10 years the feet grew noticabley wider too.

[Nodust]

Mine have gotten bigger. I was a 9.5 and now 10.5 in most shoes and boots.

Other than getting older I've averaged walking 2 miles more per day than two years ago.

Getting older may be some of it. Not really sure.

[Mr. Bumpy]

You feet are full of muscle and hiking is weightlifting for your feet. When I started running in five fingers my gait changed because you tend to run more on the balls of your feet. Within a year I had to go up on my hiking boots 1/2 a size on length and went from D to E on width.

[Wyoming]

Well sort of but not all that much compared to many.

At 18 I wore a 9 1/2 wide and today at 61 I wear a 10 1/2 wide. That is with about 15,000 miles of hiking, a good 5000 miles of running, 10 years of rock/mountain climbing, and life in general. Plus my feet do not swell while doing long distance hiking as some have issues with.

I wonder that a big factor in the large size gains might be those that start out with higher arches which flatten over time.

[RockDoc]

Yes, mine went from 10.5 most of my life to 12.5 now, although that includes the effect of running 45 ultras and 26 marathons, and all the training needed to do that. So it's not just hiking. I think running has a bigger effect, actually.

[handlebar]

My feet went from size 10.5-11 in 2006 to 12-12.5 today after 12,500 miles on (mostly) long trails.

[LuckyMan]

Mine used to be 11.5, then 13 and now 14 since I started hiking a lot

[m_factor]

Yes. It's not that unusual. There are even people whose feet shrink somewhat after they get off the trail only to get bigger again during future hikes.

From my web page on the subject: "The pounding long-distance hikers put on their feet in a few months is similar to the wear and tear most people put on their feet over many years. As you age, the connective tissue in your feet loosens and your feet tend to get wider, longer, and flatter. Depending on your physiology, this can happen in a relatively short period of time on the trail."

This is one good reason why buying replacement shoes or boots prior to starting the trail often doesn't work. Buy them as necessary and always remeasure your feet before buying new shoes.