View Full Version : FOOT PAIN: Rocks vs. Shoes/Insoles
In 2016 I hiked from Springer to Lake Greenwood, NY (trail name Raiden), where Lyme disease knocked me off trail. I treated it early with antibiotics b/c I was lucky enough to get an obvious bull's eye rash on my hip.
BUT that's not what foiled my thru-hike!
I wore Altra Lone Peaks, the whole way, which I LOVED (along with the whole thru-hiking world). But after being off trail for treatment for a few days, my feet were just RIDICULOUSLY sore. Just that general, all-over-the-bottom-of-my-feet pain which we're all familiar with. It just got REALLY bad. Combined with my weakened immune system and energy levels, it made me quit.
I wore no 3rd party insoles, just what came with Lone Peaks, and no rock guard. Of course, Superfeet are Superpopular also, but I thought they defeated the purpose of the super light and flexible Altras. My base weight was around 11 or 12 pounds with the OHM 2.0, so that was all good.
MY QUESTION TO YOU FINE BACKPACKERS IS: Should I go with the thicker soled Olympus (I love the Altra structure and zero drop)? Or should I just stick a hard green plate in my Lone Peaks... or just shut up and not hike and be depressed?
I hike in Lone Peaks, but I put a steel insole and Superfeet in them! I used to have lots of foot issues, but they have pretty much all gone away with this combination. I wear the Lone Peaks for the roominess and light weight, not for their flexibility.
very interesting - thanks for the feedback. Are you using the Altra rockguards (as your steel insole)?
Dude, the Olympus’ are SO MUCH BETTER.
My feet were messed up through Virginia and I thought it was just that I was new to thru hiking. I upgraded to Olympus from lone peaks then and they felt like pillows on my feet. Lots of ppl I saw switched to them too.
Up in the whites I found LPs on sale so I bought a new pair and they were AWFUL.
The Olympus’ are more comfortable and, in my opinion, have a way better tread. I’d slide down wet rocks that the Olympus’ wouldn’t have a problem with.
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Stock footbeds are similar in my mind to a thin slice of swiss cheese even with the Altras. Combine that with the moderate cush and zero drop of the LP's and a sharp pointy rocked trail like vast sections the AT can be and totally understand..... Try the flexible Altra rock guard and/or after market footbeds for these conditions. PCT, FT, etc are a different story.
very interesting - thanks for the feedback. Are you using the Altra rockguards (as your steel insole)?
My Lone Peaks supposedly have a rock plate in them. I use a steel insole that I got from The Insole Store. It was marketed as a remedy for “Turf Toe,” whatever that is. I suffer from Morton’s Neoroma and I have to have great arch support and a very rigid sole. And they stick to rocks better than any boot I have ever owned.
I only trust the shoe provided inserts for the first 100 miles, no matter what brand. Then they are pulled in favor of Green/Blue or appropriate colored Feet insoles. Most insoles are created without much thought and independent from the shoe itself; where as the Green Feet type inserts are made based on supporting/improving the foot structure. The zero degree drop technology is an improvement in footwear. The use of an insert only improve the technology if needed by the wearer.
Two words: hiker hobble. Seems to me that the pain is normal. I'm sure I'll get lots of argument about that statement but none of the hikers I saw after the first thousand miles or so were free of this. Type of footwear didn't seem to make any difference at all as it seemed to affect everybody. I wore running shoes and my hiking partners were in "proper" hiking boots. They had it at least as bad as me. And...it lasted for several months after the trail. Nothing I did could free me of this pain. As the days wore on it took longer and longer to "work the kinks out" in the morning. The pain was real and it truly was getting in the way of the enjoyment of my hike. I made it to the end but this thread brings back memories of how horrible it was.
nsherry61
11-28-2017, 23:02
Three things:
1) The Altra Lone Peaks already have rock guards in them and being a person that spends a lot of time walking and running through the rock gardens of the White Mountains in NH, I have found the stock rock protection outstanding!!
2) It is likely that the sore feet are not from rocks - i.e. bruises that are immediately apparent when hiking.
3) It is likely that the sore feet are from lack of foot strength and/or support. The Altras have pretty much 0 foot structure support out of the box. They are intended for feet that are strong, fit and don't need any support.
Many of us have found the shape of the Altras to be fantastic, but our feet need a little more support as suggested by all the up-thread comments. Keep the Altras and experiment with different insoles or insole modifications until you figure out a footbed/shoe system that works for you.
great stuff guys, thanks. I'll be doing a lot of experimenting before next June. then I'm back on until katahdin or bust!
also, gbolt, do you delay the insert in order to get your foot strong/in shape?
grubbster
11-29-2017, 08:58
Take a look at the Altra Timp.
I have never done a real LD hike over more than 2 weeks, so maybe my competence is a bit lacking.
But I've had foot pain more than once. It was especially bad when once doing too much walking in safety workshoes with stiff steel inlays.
What really helped me was to change footware for some time, or even to take off the shoes completely and continue barefoot.
My above mentioned bad experience with those stiff safety shoes (and the good one with Walking barefoot) leads me to the conclusion, that the solution is rather to make the shoes softer than more stiff.
great stuff guys, thanks. I'll be doing a lot of experimenting before next June. then I'm back on until katahdin or bust!
also, gbolt, do you delay the insert in order to get your foot strong/in shape?
I delay because I have found that new shoes are rigid, tight, and at their peek for foot support. If I put an insert in at this point, it is over kill and actually weakens my foot. So in a way I guess I do delay to get my foot in shape. I have just found that not only does the stock insole wear down quickly, but the entire shoe “stretches” and then a rigid insert really cradles the foot for hiking. 100 miles on a shoe is usually when I notice some foot fatigue/pain, leading to the inserts and a different stress on my feet that usually disappears in a day or two. I just know that the Zero Gravity Technology is worth experimenting with; yet, their is no one perfect shoe, method, or insert for every person. Like so many have stated, it is personal choice and specific to each persons foot gait.
nsherry61
11-29-2017, 12:29
1) I find switching shoes every day or so can help. Different shoes with different structures lead to different sore muscles, tendons, and irritated nerves.
2) Aftermarket food-beds, like SuperFeet, or the like, are a great way to start and experiment. One could even swap food-beds instead of swapping shoes every day or so as noted in #1 above.
3) I am to the point with my feet where podiatrists have failed and stock aftermarket foot-beds have failed. So, I now start with either the shoe's stock insole or with my closest-to-favorite aftermarket foot-bed and modify them with holes and bumps appropriate to further reduce the stress on my feet and allow me to keep going.
4) For what it's worth, my current custom foot-bed system for spending time on my feet is a pair of stock SuperFeet with a metatarsal arch support pad added under both my feet and a hole cut out under by 3rd and 4th metatarsals for my left foot. My feet, mostly my left, suffer from symptoms similar to Morton's neuroma combined with extreme pressure sensitivity under my 3rd and 4th metatarsals. For more active trail hiking the SuperFeet are a bit bulky and stiff and I have been pretty successful with a reduced version of the same general foot support structures, but customized by me onto the bottom of my stock Altra insoles.
Note: The non-standard toe-box shape of the Altra shoes does make finding aftermarket insoles that fit almost impossible. I have some newer SuperFeet specifically designed for wider toe-box running shoes that fit okay.
TX Aggie
11-29-2017, 23:24
In 2016 I hiked from Springer to Lake Greenwood, NY (trail name Raiden), where Lyme disease knocked me off trail. I treated it early with antibiotics b/c I was lucky enough to get an obvious bull's eye rash on my hip.
BUT that's not what foiled my thru-hike!
I wore Altra Lone Peaks, the whole way, which I LOVED (along with the whole thru-hiking world). But after being off trail for treatment for a few days, my feet were just RIDICULOUSLY sore. Just that general, all-over-the-bottom-of-my-feet pain which we're all familiar with. It just got REALLY bad. Combined with my weakened immune system and energy levels, it made me quit.
I wore no 3rd party insoles, just what came with Lone Peaks, and no rock guard. Of course, Superfeet are Superpopular also, but I thought they defeated the purpose of the super light and flexible Altras. My base weight was around 11 or 12 pounds with the OHM 2.0, so that was all good.
MY QUESTION TO YOU FINE BACKPACKERS IS: Should I go with the thicker soled Olympus (I love the Altra structure and zero drop)? Or should I just stick a hard green plate in my Lone Peaks... or just shut up and not hike and be depressed?
Three things:
1) The Altra Lone Peaks already have rock guards in them and being a person that spends a lot of time walking and running through the rock gardens of the White Mountains in NH, I have found the stock rock protection outstanding!!
2) It is likely that the sore feet are not from rocks - i.e. bruises that are immediately apparent when hiking.
3) It is likely that the sore feet are from lack of foot strength and/or support. The Altras have pretty much 0 foot structure support out of the box. They are intended for feet that are strong, fit and don't need any support.
Many of us have found the shape of the Altras to be fantastic, but our feet need a little more support as suggested by all the up-thread comments. Keep the Altras and experiment with different insoles or insole modifications until you figure out a footbed/shoe system that works for you.
Quick question: were you wearing Zero drop shoes prior using the Lone Peaks? What shoes did you wear during your Lyme recovery?
It’s possible that is your recovery shoes had more support than your Altria’s that they were the cause of your foot issues. I regularly wear Zero drop shoes, and if I go to a regular shoe for multiple days my feet get sore from the pressure on my arch.
Just a thought.
I used altras for about a year before my hike, during, and after it! thanks for the thoughts again everyone!