View Full Version : Foot Pain
maxNcathy
02-06-2008, 10:31
I would like your advice on minimizing foot pain on a long long hike.
Thanks
alcohol swabs on your feet at the end of the day followed by a rub-down with powder usually works pretty well.
Make sure your boots are broken in and comfortable.
Mrs Baggins
02-06-2008, 11:39
I would like your advice on minimizing foot pain on a long long hike.
Thanks
I had foot pain so bad I had to get off the trail last year. Insteps were all inflamed and swollen and arches were collapsing. I tried Super Feet and they didn't work. Got prescription orthotics ($$$$:eek:) and while they worked they also broke down pretty fast. So I bought the highest arched insoles I could find and then added another arch support under them. So far so good. Zero instep and ankle pain. I may add the old Rx orthos to the mix to see how that goes. They developed an extremely annoying and loud squeak and I was getting instep pain again, but another $300 is just too much.
Blissful
02-06-2008, 11:49
What kind of foot pain? Blisters or skin cracking? General aching? Muscle or joint problem?
Good insoles for foot aches (your feet will tell you if the insoloes and shoes are wearing out). Airing out your feet when you stop and drying out your socks and insoles. And don't push it if your feet haven't adapted to the strain. Cut your mileage and cut the weight you are carrying.
whiterockjock
02-06-2008, 12:14
Try hiking in Chaco sandals......start with short distances and work up...my feet never have felt better!
maxNcathy
02-06-2008, 14:50
Many thanks, everyone, for your ideas.
Have any of you experienced a change in foot size due to hiking?
jersey joe
02-06-2008, 14:57
On my thru hike I hiked too long in my original pair of boots and they started to eat up my feet. Switching to a new pair of footwear certainly helped. Lesson Learned = Don't keep footwear TOO long...
maxNcathy
02-07-2008, 09:44
My 42 yr old niece is coming hiking for 6 weeks with me.She has never backpacked before. She wears size 71/2 running shoe normally. I am wondering how large of shoe she should buy for the strenuous hike on the AT.
Any ideas?
Do you prefer socks alone or socks plus liner socks?
My 42 yr old niece is coming hiking for 6 weeks with me.She has never backpacked before. She wears size 71/2 running shoe normally. I am wondering how large of shoe she should buy for the strenuous hike on the AT.
Any ideas?
Do you prefer socks alone or socks plus liner socks?
Get a half size larger. You want the extra room in the toe box for those downhills.
I use socks alone. But I've never gotten a blister yet, (knock on wood)
I had foot pain so bad I had to get off the trail last year. Insteps were all inflamed and swollen and arches were collapsing. I tried Super Feet and they didn't work. Got prescription orthotics ($$$$:eek:) and while they worked they also broke down pretty fast. So I bought the highest arched insoles I could find and then added another arch support under them. So far so good. Zero instep and ankle pain. I may add the old Rx orthos to the mix to see how that goes. They developed an extremely annoying and loud squeak and I was getting instep pain again, but another $300 is just too much.
Try wearing Crocs.
jersey joe
02-07-2008, 11:26
I have tried sock liners on several occasions and I find myself MORE prone to getting blisters with them than without them. Just wool or wool blend socks work best for me.
ChinMusic
02-07-2008, 11:54
Stretching of the calves a few times a day can help prevent plantar fasciitis. Your calves with get stronger as you hike and tighten up. This can contribute to plantar fasciitis down the road.
Mrs Baggins
02-07-2008, 13:17
Try wearing Crocs.
I wear Nothinz - - 6 oz, like walking on air puffs, don't creep me out like Crocs....
I wear Nothinz - - 6 oz, like walking on air puffs, don't creep me out like Crocs....
When I got my inserts for my boots, the doc told me that the reason Crocs are so good for plantar fascitis is the thick rubber instep. He said that gives them the ability to support the arch. I've never seen Nothinz, so I don't know if they have the same density of rubber. I'm bettin not.
maxNcathy
02-08-2008, 10:54
Do feet actually grow during a 2000 mile hike or is it just swelling that subsides in a short while?
If growth occurs I am thinking Jack Tarlin and Warren Doyle and many of you must have very large feet by now.
I wear Nothinz - - 6 oz, like walking on air puffs, don't creep me out like Crocs....
Crocs are a "croc"... :D
(my wife luv's em, I think they are funny looking):p
a tendon that holds the arch in your feet sometimes stretches a bit, flattening your feet out. I think this flattening is a one-time deal, if it happens at all. Your feet will also swell up a bit, making them larger, and the extra weight of a pack will put more pressure on your feet and make them larger.
some people swear by switching out shoes halfway through a day. I've thought about putting insoles in halfway through the day as a lighter alternative, and will report on that in the future, but neither of these should be an issue if you're not walking very long daily mileages.
properly fitting trail runners that are thru-hike suitable should do the trick.
Bare Bear
02-08-2008, 13:02
I did experoience a one size increase in foot size that stayed.
I also found that the North Face "hiking boots" broke down in the first 175 miles, replaced them in Franklin; then they fell apart after another 75 miles. A third outfitter (NorthFace dealer near Catawba) told me that "these aren't designed for trail use"! HUH? $140 boots are not for trail use? I never got anywhere getting a refund from NorthFace. They will never get any of my business in return.
ChinMusic
02-08-2008, 13:16
Your feet will also swell up a bit, making them larger, and the extra weight of a pack will put more pressure on your feet and make them larger.
some people swear by switching out shoes halfway through a day.
I have played with the idea of starting the day with 2 pairs of socks and switching to a single pair as the day goes on, as my feet swell. This would be an adjustment for the volume difference.
Foot management is something that seems to be a struggle.
the heat from the 2 pairs of socks would cause more problems than they would help
they really shouldn't change that much under normal conditions. Lots of heat, and something silly like waterproof footwear, would also cause more heat/problems.