Best way to toughen feet?
If you planned on hiking or running 30 + miles every day for the length of the AT, what would you do to toughen your feet up?
Do some of the same in training?
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Piss on 'em. Moises Alou does that for his hands, and he's played in a few All-Star games.
Walk barefoot as much as possible, preferably in sand.
I jogged on the beach barefoot for 2 months before my first 100 mile race and had no foot problems.
Also, i believe it's important to have shoes that are plenty big. (mine are 2 sizes bigger than i normally take)
Most all of the foot problems i've ever had was because the shoes didn't fit properly.
Originally Posted by lobster
put those BOOTS on & put one foot in front of the other....hike, man, hike!
besides that...i've been told that applying "rubbing alcohol" on feet & heels also toughens them.
Have a someone hit me repeatedly until I decided not to do it.
Run extensively, but without socks. Shoot for something like 25-30 miles a week. I'd start a year or two in advance.
Toughen your feet.
You have a good concern to toughen your feet up before you hike. During my 2001 thru I never got a blister on my feet. I attribute this too having well broken in boots and most of all; I spent as much time walking barefoot as possiable before my hike.
Grampie-N->2001
======================================
Well ...if it was me I'd consult a psycholgist first. Then I'd start doing a lot of barefoot walking.
'Slogger
The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.
It is my opinion that having broken in feet is equally important to broken in footwear. Just be specific (and deliberate). If you want to prepare for long hikes with a load, then take some hikes of length to prepare feet, engaged muscles, etc.
When I began my thru-hike I did do the rubbing alcohol thing beginning about two weeks prior to the hike and continuing treatment two weeks into the hike. I didn't have any blister problems what-so-ever. I'm not ready to attribute that 100% to the alcohol treatment, but I doubt that it would be harmful.
first of if you are running thirty a day, you are gonna be training by doing things like running twice a day, with huge weekly mileage. not to rain on your parade but when i train for track at ~50 a week i am burnt out. i think it is doable but takes a lot of training. and to build up your feet do as much as pssible barefoot .
You might want to look at those new Nikes that supposedly simulate what its like to be barefoot. I dont have any personal experience but from what Ive heard they do as they claim and strengthen your feet while offering the protection of normal shoes.
i'd go lay down in my hammock until the feeling went away.
but if i still had it after a few months of hammock therapy, i'd start slowly and build up to walking 30 miles a day with whatever load you plan on carrying with whatever footwear you'll be wearing... your shoulders and back also need to get used to the strain of the weight and the rubbing of pack straps as well...
soak em in dog paw toughener
I heard a stint in a Turkish Prison will toughen your feet up.
If you don't have something nice to say,
Be witty in your cruelty.
Has anybody tried that dog paw toughener? Name of stuff?
Here's one version....
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...1&N=2001&Nty=1
~CynJ
"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
dont get nike frees, if you want to simulate running barefoot, go to a local field and do some laps barefoot. frees wont toughen your feet, and the high heel doesnt help. if you want to train and build up your feet, train in road racing flats.
It's obviously important to walk several miles a day before your hike, but walking over 10 a day isn't feasible for most people with full time jobs. Furthermore, in the colder regions of the country, walking barefoot in the winter and early spring isn't really possible either. For those who have tried it, what does rubbing alcohol do to your feet? I've heard that it's supposed to toughen the skin, but I've never been given a reason why. Before I rode my bike cross country two summers ago, I was told to rub it on my butt to preven sores. Anyone have a clue? How many times a day do you need to apply it? How long does it take to see changes?
never tried it, and i think its dumb, but i have heard of people doing it. if you are an active person before a thru, there really is no reason to toughen your feet.
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