View Full Version : Thru Hiker Feet Expanding - 1 size larger shoes?
TheWhiteWalker
03-16-2016, 17:12
I have read several times on here (and elsewhere) that a thru hiker should get purchase shoes one size larger than they normally wear. I am guessing the reason is because the feet will get swollen due to the long distance of a thru hike.
Last week I purchased a size 13 instead of my normal size 12 of the La Sportiva Wildcat trail running shoes. I have tested them out a couple times and I notice my feet are sliding inside the shoe when going downhill and my heels are lifting too high inside the shoe when going uphill. I even tried putting a blue pair of the Super Feet inserts inside the shoe but that did not help. If anything, the inserts made it worse because the top of my foot felt like it was smashed against the top of my shoe and cutting off the blood flow to my foot… so I loosened the laces and my foot started sliding more inside the shoe. Grrrrrr
So here are my questions... how far into a hike (miles or days) can one expect their feet to get swollen? Should I just suck it up and hope my feet expend fast so they fit the shoe or wait until they get swollen and have someone mail me bigger shoes? This isn’t something I can easily test out so your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
lonehiker
03-16-2016, 17:47
I would start with a correctly fitting shoe. Adjust, if necessary, as your hike progresses.
DuneElliot
03-16-2016, 17:53
What concerns me about this phenomenon is all the footwear I currently own and wear. Do feet shrink back to their normal size or are all my pairs of carefully hunted-down knee-high boots going to be useless after a thru-hike?
What concerns me about this phenomenon is all the footwear I currently own and wear. Do feet shrink back to their normal size or are all my pairs of carefully hunted-down knee-high boots going to be useless after a thru-hike?
Your feet lengthen and flatten due to people finally buying footwear to fit their feet. They are never going to shrink back without a lot of painful squeezing. Embrace your new duck feet. You earned them :-)
mattjv89
03-16-2016, 17:58
I agree, it is true that your feet are likely to swell but starting in a size too large isn't going to make the walking fun as you've seen. In the span of time that it takes to wear out a pair I had no problem just loosening the laces and getting a larger size for the next pair.
What concerns me about this phenomenon is all the footwear I currently own and wear. Do feet shrink back to their normal size or are all my pairs of carefully hunted-down knee-high boots going to be useless after a thru-hike?
In my experience, no. Agree with earlier post, buy shoes that fit now. You're going to burn though at least two or three pair between Georgia and Maine.
Knee highs? Really? ;)
displacedbeatnik
03-16-2016, 22:11
I actually had a lot of success going one size bigger with Merrells but there are so many variables that it's tough to say one way or another. Make sure you wear the exact sock configuration you're going to wear on the trail when you try it out. My normal 9.5 fits fine with just a pair of hiking socks but the second I throw on the second layer to avoid blisters, they squeeze the heck out of my feet. And 10.5 fits perfectly with this configuration. Also, each shoe company is going to design their shoes a little differently so there's no magic panacea.
GreenBlaze
03-16-2016, 23:05
I wear an 11 shoe normally (sometimes wide version), so I ordered a new pair of Merrell Ventilators in size 12 based on the same info. When I got them they fit well with a thick sock, and they fit pretty good with a thin sock. Having tried this out, I went to REI and tried on the following sizes of the same shoe (11, 12 wide, 13) and none of them fit as good as the 12s. I also ordered a pair of Soloman Speedcross 3 in size 12 that squeezed my feet with a thick sock. I sent them back.
Keep in mind.. if you go up in size the toe box length is going to keep getting bigger, and that's bad news too no matter how tight you lace them up. I think the one-size up is a good base to start with. It really depends on your foot and the brand/type of shoe you get. Don't just order a size up and expect it to work. Go into the store and try three or four sizes of the same shoe wearing thick socks (or whatever you plan to hike in). That's the only valid way of choosing footwear. The shoe rock in REI gives you a way to test for downhill problems like your toes hitting the toe box, sliding in the shoe, and heels lifting out going uphill.
MuddyWaters
03-17-2016, 00:29
La sportiva comes in european sizes, not US. They also run notoriously small due to narrow toebox, most size up 1/2 size just to fit. Are you sure you have right size?
Yeah, la sportiva has an absurdly shallow toebox.
Try different.lacing that will lock heel down.
Seversl days of high miles and feet swell
rocketsocks
03-17-2016, 01:11
I've also heard that as a person ages the feet can get bigger, mine have become almost a full size larger, which is odd cause other parts have shrunk! :eek: One of life cruel little jokes.:D
fiddlehead
03-17-2016, 01:44
2 points:
I don't think it's swelling that causes your feet to grow, I believe the bones get bigger because of the added weight on your back and using your feet more.
2/ Yes, they eventually go back to normal.
I did 6 thru-hikes from 1989 to 2002 along with quite a few overseas long hikes.
My feet went from a size 10 1/2 to a 12.
Now, I don't get to thru-hike anymore as I have a son (he's 10)
My feet are now a 10 1/2 again.
Shoes that are too small hurt a LOT more than ones that are too big.
My advice would be to start with your size and what's comfortable, and expect to need new 9bigger) ones as soon as you think they might be too small. (a good guess is 1,000 miles later)
Traveler
03-17-2016, 06:09
I have read several times on here (and elsewhere) that a thru hiker should get purchase shoes one size larger than they normally wear. I am guessing the reason is because the feet will get swollen due to the long distance of a thru hike.
Last week I purchased a size 13 instead of my normal size 12 of the La Sportiva Wildcat trail running shoes. I have tested them out a couple times and I notice my feet are sliding inside the shoe when going downhill and my heels are lifting too high inside the shoe when going uphill. I even tried putting a blue pair of the Super Feet inserts inside the shoe but that did not help. If anything, the inserts made it worse because the top of my foot felt like it was smashed against the top of my shoe and cutting off the blood flow to my foot… so I loosened the laces and my foot started sliding more inside the shoe. Grrrrrr
So here are my questions... how far into a hike (miles or days) can one expect their feet to get swollen? Should I just suck it up and hope my feet expend fast so they fit the shoe or wait until they get swollen and have someone mail me bigger shoes? This isn’t something I can easily test out so your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Everyone has different issues when it comes to their feet and footwear. I have had to get a full size larger hiking boots and shoes due to one foot being snug in the 12.5 half size where the other is snug in the size 12 and had the same problems with foot slide and heel lift. To cure this, there are several different lacing techniques that can be used to address these issues. I found using two techniques combined solved the problem and my feet have not slid or heel lifted since.
However, there are a variety of lacing methods and I had to find the one that worked for me. If you Google "How to tie shoes to prevent foot slide and heel lifting", you will see a number of sites pop up that address these issues in trail running shoes, hiking shoes, and boots. It didn't take me long to figure out the methods I needed to use and was an interesting process.
DuneElliot
03-17-2016, 08:59
In my experience, no. Agree with earlier post, buy shoes that fit now. You're going to burn though at least two or three pair between Georgia and Maine.
Knee highs? Really? ;)
Yes, knee-highs...I'm a woman and I like my flat knee-high boots with skinny jeans. But I have skinny calves and buy boots that fit when I find them (which isn't often) and then put them in my closet. I've got at least 3 pairs that haven't been worn and that's a lot of money to waste if my feet no longer fit in them!
DuneElliot
03-17-2016, 09:01
Your feet lengthen and flatten due to people finally buying footwear to fit their feet. They are never going to shrink back without a lot of painful squeezing. Embrace your new duck feet. You earned them :-)
Ick. Well, we'll just have to see I guess. That would be $500 of new boots (not the hiking kind) that would be wasted.
And haven't earned them yet...not due to attempt my PCT thru-hike until 2018.
Sandy of PA
03-17-2016, 09:23
I started serious hiking in 2011. My feet gained a full size on that hike and never went back. I had to replace all of my shoes.
displacedbeatnik
03-17-2016, 11:56
Yes, knee-highs...I'm a woman and I like my flat knee-high boots with skinny jeans. But I have skinny calves and buy boots that fit when I find them (which isn't often) and then put them in my closet. I've got at least 3 pairs that haven't been worn and that's a lot of money to waste if my feet no longer fit in them!
What hiker child of the 1990s hasn't thought about hiking in Doc Martens. And then quickly reconsidered. I still think about it though.
Puddlefish
03-17-2016, 12:04
What hiker child of the 1990s hasn't thought about hiking in Doc Martens. And then quickly reconsidered. I still think about it though.
I went on a planned hike with a date; she showed up in traditional leather motorcycle boots. I picked the shortest trail, and she didn't complain once. She eventually she got less nervous about appearing badass and bought some sneakers.
I would start with a correctly fitting shoe. Adjust, if necessary, as your hike progresses.
+1 I'll add that you can get temporary swelling of feet, generally after high mileage day(s), that resolves with rest and elevation. However, it is common to get permanent enlargement of feet that stays with you. I have not done a thru hike, but have gotten out for 350-450 miles on trail each of the the last 6 years or so. My shoe size used to be 10.5-11.0 2E and is now 11.5-12.0 4E. YMMV.
DuneElliot
03-17-2016, 12:44
What hiker child of the 1990s hasn't thought about hiking in Doc Martens. And then quickly reconsidered. I still think about it though.
I have a pair...they're one of the pairs I own now that I haven't worn yet. Unless it's a crazy long trail, I have actually spent a fair amount of time walking and hiking in my day boots!
The Solemates
03-17-2016, 13:20
i think people whose feet increase in size do so because they were never active before. our feet have never changed over thousands of miles. but we are extremely active. i'm on my feet 7 days a week.
DuneElliot
03-17-2016, 13:49
i think people whose feet increase in size do so because they were never active before. our feet have never changed over thousands of miles. but we are extremely active. i'm on my feet 7 days a week.
That's something I was wondering too...I'm always on my feet on concrete of all things. I wonder if it does make a difference regarding what you do the rest of the time when not hiking.
oliviamariana
03-17-2016, 15:50
Yes, knee-highs...I'm a woman and I like my flat knee-high boots with skinny jeans. But I have skinny calves and buy boots that fit when I find them (which isn't often) and then put them in my closet. I've got at least 3 pairs that haven't been worn and that's a lot of money to waste if my feet no longer fit in them!
I feel your pain so much! I have toothpick calves and if I find a pair of riding-style boots that don't have a 2 inch gap behind my calf I buy them on the spot, no questions asked, in every color. I'd be pretty unamused if they never fit my feet again after the trail
displacedbeatnik
03-17-2016, 15:50
I have a pair...they're one of the pairs I own now that I haven't worn yet. Unless it's a crazy long trail, I have actually spent a fair amount of time walking and hiking in my day boots!
I hike in a pair of work boots sometimes. I considered taking them on the trail since their steel toes make me worry less about creepy crawlies and such. But they are just way too heavy. Doc Martens have some nice arch support though.
DuneElliot
03-17-2016, 16:11
I feel your pain so much! I have toothpick calves and if I find a pair of riding-style boots that don't have a 2 inch gap behind my calf I buy them on the spot, no questions asked, in every color. I'd be pretty unamused if they never fit my feet again after the trail
You totally get it!!!! :banana Even if I don't need boots at the time, boots that fit my legs are such a rare find that I buy them anyway so yes, like you, I'd be really unamused if I found I couldn't wear them!
You do realize your legs are going to get bigger, too, right. Muscle mass will grow from the waist down and your legs will eat the upper part of your body.