About foot size changes

[Elaikases]

For those of you who practice traditional martial arts and have already had your feet go up a size, how much more does the AT increase your foot size?

I'm wondering, since it seems to me that since my feet have already spread out from years of karate, they shouldn't expand that much more from hiking.

But since I don't know, I'm asking.

Thanks.

[Puddlefish]

It's an individual thing, that can't be predicted in advance. I day hiked consistently before my AT attempt, albeit without the heavy pack. After 600 miles my feet didn't change size even a tiny bit. Other people apparently either add some muscle to their feet, or the bones spread out, or who knows what. Probably some other factors involved concerning age, number of miles hiked, pre-hike activity, weight, etc.

All I can suggest is not to buy multiple pairs of shoes in advance. I saw a lot of hikers switching shoes and socks early in their hike. Blisters, to or from water proof materials, wider shoes, narrower shoes, better traction, narrower heels, lighter, sturdier, etc.

I switched from my beloved Merrel Moabs to Altra Superiors, just because it was taking the Merrels a day and a half to dry in the conditions at the time. There's no one brand for everyone, everyone has different foot shapes and hiking styles I suppose.

[newtgirl]

I'm a field biologist. My feet grow about half a size every season in the beginning of the season.

[Old Grouse]

So over a 20 year career......!

[SGTJones]

Almost everyone changes their footwear multiple times, either to replace worn out shoes, change brands/styles, or change sizes. Just one of the realities that you'll need to budget for.

Outdoor 76 in Franklin NC is really good about finding you the perfect pair of shoes for your needs.

[HooKooDooKu]

My feet have never increased in size due to hiking...

I've been a casual back packer for over 20 years... but that means I did two or three back packing trips per year.

This year, I did a JMT thru hike. But to prepare for that 200+ mile thru hike, I hiked over 1,200 miles walking the neighborhood, practicing with a heavy pack (heavier than the 'average' AT thru hiker... because I want the 2nd half of the JMT without a resupply).

I have simply worn a 9-1/2 shoe for my adult life, and I've always worn a 10 boot for hiking to allow for your feet to swell after a day of walking. Hiking the JMT and the mileage I put in before the hike made no difference in boot size (and my size 10's still felt quite comfortable at the end of my JMT thru hike).

So my advice would be to simply go shopping for boots/shoes toward the end of the day (when you're feet are likely to be a little swollen from a days walking around) and make sure to try on footware using the socks you plan to hike in.

[Seatbelt]

When I first started backpacking (10 yrs ago), I wore a size 12 everyday and 13 to hike in. Now it is 14 everyday and 15 to hike in. Probly weigh too much, might have something to do with it.

[Christoph]

While I made it 750 miles last year, my feet were in pretty good shape for the most part. Minus a few blisters and discoloration, they didn't really spread out as much as I thought. Others around me weren't so lucky. The only issue I really had is one certain toe (next to my little one) liked to bend under another the next one over and kept getting stepped on, resulting in a HUGE callous on the inside, tip. It took about a month or 2 for it to finally go away. But now, it's all back to normal. I figured it was the shoe but then on a section earlier this year, different shoe, same toe did the same thing. Might have to band-aid it to the outer one or something on my next section and see how that goes. As for size difference, I didn't really notice anything. Even though my trail name is Thumper due to the fact that I run the darn things into every rock and root there ever was on the trail. More surprised I didn't break any of 'em.

[Traveler]

For those of you who practice traditional martial arts and have already had your feet go up a size, how much more does the AT increase your foot size?

I'm wondering, since it seems to me that since my feet have already spread out from years of karate, they shouldn't expand that much more from hiking.

But since I don't know, I'm asking.

Thanks.

Good question, having few real answers. If doing long distance hiking you will find out how stable your foot size(s) are or how much it will change. If on the AT, there are outfitters along the way where you can easily get a larger or wider shoe/boot to accommodate the change. If there are no changes, thats even better.

[Elaikases]

I'm planning on buying new shoes as I go on the trail. Probably more Vasques of the model I've put 500 miles on so far, and just size them.

Guess I'm more curious about my dress shoes that I have and wondering if they will still fit me after I hike. They are a lot more expensive than trail shoes or boots. Guess that since I'll be retired it won't matter as much, but I've got six pairs of them ... anyway ...

Thank you to everyone for the feedback and comments.

[MamaBear]

My personal experience is that my feet were wider and larger when I completed the AT, but by December or so my feet were mostly back to normal and my shoes fit. The only shoes that fit when I got home were my hiking shoes and my Teva sandals. None of my regular/nice shoes fit, from tennis shoes to ballet flats to platform heels, so I went out and bought a pair of tennis shoes and a few pair of black flats (one casual, one dressier) to wear until I knew what my feet were going to do. Mine did return to pretty much normal, but took a while, like I said, December or so. I have heard this phenomenon called "Christmas feet".

That said, based on the responses above and other similar threads in the past, it depends on the person and how their feet adjust to the mileage/load placed on them. You won't know until you get out there and hike the miles. Good luck!

[Elaikases]

My personal experience is that my feet were wider and larger when I completed the AT, but by December or so my feet were mostly back to normal and my shoes fit. The only shoes that fit when I got home were my hiking shoes and my Teva sandals. None of my regular/nice shoes fit, from tennis shoes to ballet flats to platform heels, so I went out and bought a pair of tennis shoes and a few pair of black flats (one casual, one dressier) to wear until I knew what my feet were going to do. Mine did return to pretty much normal, but took a while, like I said, December or so. I have heard this phenomenon called "Christmas feet".

That said, based on the responses above and other similar threads in the past, it depends on the person and how their feet adjust to the mileage/load placed on them. You won't know until you get out there and hike the miles. Good luck!

Thank you again.

My wife has me convinced to retire earlier than I would have so we can do more hiking together. We did a short fifty miles on the AT in Virginia this spring and she suddenly decided she wanted to through hike it in a couple years. So we are walking every day, I've lost thirty pounds since January, and we are slowly collecting gear and practicing with it. I've changed my shoes, have thought about changing my pack, and the next thing to do is pick up a weight vest to walk in.

I had just got to thinking about foot expansion. I'm amazed at all the foot problems people have (at least when I read books and journals). Bad fit, losing toenails, nerve damage, etc. We met a through hiker in Virginia. While they were hitting thirty miles a day, they also were only averaging much less because of the amount of time they were losing from foot trouble (900 miles in 90 days ... you can calculate the average ...).

I returned the Merrills I had tried, they were great on carpet, but not so great on rocky soil and had tread wear through at 60 miles. The Vasques I picked up are sturdier, I can walk on cement or rocks and my feet are not beat up. Over 500 miles on them and the soles look new.

Though I wear them every day (usually I rotate shoes when I walk so that they will wear better), as I'm trying to really get a feel for them, and whether to change shoes.

Enough, I've got to go to work so I make it to early retirement. ;)