View Full Version : Shoe tying techniques
There was a discussion awhile back about how to tie ones shoes when you have the double eyelets at the top of the shoe which I would have put this in if I could have found it.
I found this link today when looking up something and it has a variety of techniques described which cover some different foot requirements ... wide with narrow heels, to prevent slippage, narrow feet, high insteps, etc. Could be very useful to some.
https://www.verywell.com/lace-your-shoes-to-fit-right-3436348
I mentioned earlier I always have a double eyelet installed on my shoes if they do not come with one and I am also tying a square knot mid eyelet to allow the foot of the shoe to be loose and the ankle of the shoe to be tied very snug via the double eyelets.
If you have blister or rub sores on the out sides of your big and little toes where it rubs on the shoes like me. You can re-lace your shoes so you eliminate that bottom X by skipping it or routing in around the bottom eyes without a cross over. This will put less pressure on the sides of your feet. Give it a try
Platypus2016
04-23-2016, 22:56
If you have blister or rub sores on the out sides of your big and little toes where it rubs on the shoes like me. You can re-lace your shoes so you eliminate that bottom X by skipping it or routing in around the bottom eyes without a cross over. This will put less pressure on the sides of your feet. Give it a try
OMG , I hope this works, my pinky toe stays hurting/with blisters. Thanks
Platypus
nsherry61
04-23-2016, 23:12
OMG , I hope this works, my pinky toe stays hurting/with blisters. . .
If the lacing technique doesn't work, I am a big, big fan of using skin lube on my toes to eliminate blisters. Body glide produces are the most visible, but cycling chamois butter works much better (lasts longer, lubes better, leaves skin in better conditions). Yes, I am talking about the butt lube long-distance cyclists use. You can get it in little sample packets that last for a week or so of toe treatments. It also works extremely well on other parts of your body that chafe.
OMG , I hope this works, my pinky toe stays hurting/with blisters. Thanks
Platypus
Well the thought has occurred to me that those pinky toes really are more for looks than function. A little cosmetic surgery would solve this problem and a whole new set of shoes that don't come in wide widths would become possibilities. :D
Platypus2016
04-25-2016, 10:59
Well the thought has occurred to me that those pinky toes really are more for looks than function. A little cosmetic surgery would solve this problem and a whole new set of shoes that don't come in wide widths would become possibilities. :D
Hey hey, if you know a guy.... Let me know lol
-Platypus
Odd Man Out
04-25-2016, 12:12
Here is a great web page with gazillions of lacing and tying options.
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/
As for tying shoes, I now always use Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot. They never come untied and it uses a bit more of the lace so there's less extra flopping around.
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm
Here is a great web page with gazillions of lacing and tying options.
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/
As for tying shoes, I now always use Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot. They never come untied and it uses a bit more of the lace so there's less extra flopping around.
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm
Wow. That is the best site I have ever seen. Lots of new ideas to try. Txs!
fastfoxengineering
04-25-2016, 16:13
Darn toughs and breathable trail runners...never had a blister yet. Furthermore, call me crazy but my shoes are tied loose enough that I can slip em right on and off. Not tight whatsoever. Prob just me but I like my feet feelin a little free in my shoe.
If I wear boots I go with the proper usmc fashion
Darn toughs and breathable trail runners...never had a blister yet. Furthermore, call me crazy but my shoes are tied loose enough that I can slip em right on and off. Not tight whatsoever. Prob just me but I like my feet feelin a little free in my shoe.
If I wear boots I go with the proper usmc fashion
Well, of course, under the right (wrong?) conditions anyone no matter how many miles a day they hike nor how tough their feet are can and will get blisters. Even the ultra runners get blisters along with the folks setting the FKT records.
Re: Darn Toughs. I am curious where you hike at. Based upon the reviews of Darn Toughs I bought a few pair and tried them out while hiking in very hot conditions and in direct sun (I live in AZ). In my experience they are much hotter than an equivalent SmartWool sock and one becomes more prone to blisters. I did this experiment on the AZT and when I did it I had very good callus's and was using shoes with medium wear on them. One the first day using them I started to get hot spots on the bottoms of the ball of my foot and the heels after about 2/3 of a day. I switched back to the SmartWool the next day and had no further problems. Trying the Darn Toughs another day the same thing happened. In addition to being hotter the Darn Toughs seem to hold more moisture which would also help promote blisters along with the extra heat.
When one compares the two brands in the same category (ankle height and lightest weight) it turns outs the Darn Tough weighs 2 times what the SmartWool sock does (not that either kind weighs much but there is a big difference between them). One can feel the much denser weave with ones fingers.
I have continued to experiment with the Darn Toughs on various lengths of hikes in various weather and have come to the conclusion that they do not perform as well as the SmartWools in very hot conditions. In cool conditions they seem ok. I have not used them yet in conditions where one has to walk all day with soaked feet.
fastfoxengineering
04-26-2016, 05:05
I hike in the northeast. The hiked the LT in Vermont in darn tough hiking socks (med cushion I believe, not thin at all) and my new balance trail runners. With all the moisture, my feet were wet all 26 days, and rugged terrain that Vermont provides I never had a blister. Before that... My merril boots gave me blisters on day hikes. I like a wide shoe with a generous footbox. Also, letting my feet air out at night definitely helps. I carry camp shoes. I've also been using Wigwam ironman ultrasomething synthetics socks this year as recommended by Joe at zpacks. Super thin nylon. They certainly won't be as durable as my darn toughs. Also, initially, there not as comfortable. After a few miles you forget your wearing them. They actually dry overnight as well pleased so far Anyways, I still dont tie my shoes tight
Just one hiker hiking his hike. Blisters suck, and so far my preference has served me well
I only hike in boots during the cold, and my wool socks haven't caused any issues. I also have never been out for more than 20miles in the winter.
I also would say the weight of your pack has a great impact on what kind of abuse your feet are taking. I travel pretty light. But that's a whole 'nother story.
Regards
Fast fox
fastfox
Sounds good. Like many I have gone the full range of possible combinations of sock materials and thicknesses. People just find different things which work best for them. When I was a kid in the 60's we only wore the super thick rag wool socks - even in summer. They are nice when it is minus 30 but they suck when it is 100 degrees. I am best with the closest I can get to no socks at all - and I am always thinking about trying to go sockless when it is real hot, but I end up thinking the wicking nature of the thin sock still makes the foot dryer and the little bit of slip it gives me reduces friction. But many guys I knew who served in Vietnam swore on going barefoot in their boots as the best option in high heat and lots of moisture. I too am trying out some ultra running socks - they feel kind of funny but seem to work fine. I am just the opposite of you in that I tie my shoes tight enough that the heel does not move and my toes cannot hit the end of the shoe even if I kick something. I am always trying different lacing ideas and currently use a combination of 2 of the ones illustrated in the link. I like a very loose tie at the forefoot and very snug around the ankle so I have a knot half way up the lacing to keep the front of the shoe loose and use double eyelets at the top to get a tight cinch around the ankle.
For some reason people also get wildly different amounts of miles out of their socks. When I thrued the AT I took 3 pair of thin smartwool socks and none of them were completely wore out when I finished. In the desert that will never happen due to the abrasiveness of the sand/dirt one cannot keep out of the shoes even with gaitors. Some folks wear out Darn Toughs in just a few hundred miles on the PCT when they don't keep the sand out of their shoes. I won't wear a Gortex shoe unless it is winter and I am going to be walking in snow and shallow water. In the desert wearing gortex shoes is begging for bad blisters due to the excessive heat retention - I have read about folks cutting holes in the sides of their gortex shoes to try and relieve the problem.