MILLION $$ SHOE ??'s

[MissMagnolia]

I saw that book in the library(book store)and walked on by,think I'll take another look,thanks

I've discovered what I think is the most helpful book I've read about how to prepare my feet and body for my thru-hike and beyond. The title may not sound applicable, but the information in here is fabulously helpful. I say this because of the barefoot shoe discussion, which he talks about extensively among many other subjects like building endurance, what to eat and when for endurance events, muscle imbalances, breathing, music therapy for athletes, etc, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Endur.../dp/1616080655

Of course, he says that if you go minimalist you have to rebuild those leg and foot muscles you've lost by wearing supported shoes. I'm working on that now, with nine weeks until I leave on my thru.

[rocketsocks]

Miss Magie,While I am not an endurance runner or anything that resembles one LOL,That book looks good ,I will look for and pa ruse as well.Interested in how prosthetics can actually do more harm than good(or so I've heard)Thanks,and good luck on your hike.

[Outdoor76]

Interested in how prosthetics can actually do more harm than good(or so I've heard)Thanks,and good luck on your hike.

Assuming you mean orthotics? Lots of people walk into a store that sells "arch" supports and shop off of 2 motives
#1 - If they don't know what they are looking for, they are typically attracted to the inserts with the most support
#2 - they go off shoe size

Here's the problem(s).
#1 - The systems of connective tissue, muscle and bone in your foot act like a bridge. Bridges are designed to support weight from above. Think of the BIG gateway arch in St.Louis. The capstone at the very top has gravity pushing down on it, thus keeping the entire structure stable. If you were to push up on it from below, the entire arch would collapse. The same is true in your foot. Too much arch support applies negative vertical load to the foot system and can cause over supination on the wrong feet. That's one reason why its CRITICAL to be properly fit. I try to be very cautious promoting footwear products, but its one reason we love Sole footbeds. Heat molding an insert allows almost every insert to become conformed to you specific foot. Many other inserts are(as you all know) pick a color or swap-an-arch... This leaves lots of room for improvement in the function of an individual orthotic ...that's just our opinion.

#2 - Picking an insert based on your shoes size = major NO-NO. Remember, this is an ARCH system support. Almost 90% of people have a different arch measurement than the measurement of their foot length. On a Brannock device, that little slide with an arrow on the side is critically important - and few people use it, let alone know what it does. That's essentially tells the length of your arch. More often than not, a hiker that comes in with a size 11 measurement at the toe will have an arch measurement of 12 ..or maybe even a 13. It is VERY common to see men and women off by as much as 2 sizes between arch and foot length measurements. A few other factors (more volume oriented) play into it as well, but try to stay as close to your ARCH size as possible - not your shoe size.

99 times out of 100, a well-fit orthotic will only benefit your hike. You can wear a more neutral shoe - as the insert takes the neutrality out of the shoe. Neutral shoes tend to be lighter too. Dean Karnazes, one of the best LD runners on the planet, just got done running across the country and he runs on OTC Sole inserts. They (a good insert, not just Sole) make your gate more efficient as less energy travel is lost in absorption in pronation - even natural or "healthy" pronation. They make energy travel from your heel to your toe much better.

Again ...fit, fit, fit.

[pyroman53]

It is VERY common to see men and women off by as much as 2 sizes between arch and foot length measurements. A few other factors (more volume oriented) play into it as well, but try to stay as close to your ARCH size as possible - not your shoe size.
Again ...fit, fit, fit.

So how do you measure this when shopping for an insert? I could see putting my foot into various sizes of insert and seeing which size seems to "fit" my arch (with my heel in the heel cup). And then what? Trim off the excess if its larger than my shoe?

[rocketsocks]

Assuming you mean orthotics? Lots of people walk into a store that sells "arch" supports and shop off of 2 motives
#1 - If they don't know what they are looking for, they are typically attracted to the inserts with the most support
#2 - they go off shoe size

Here's the problem(s).
#1 - The systems of connective tissue, muscle and bone in your foot act like a bridge. Bridges are designed to support weight from above. Think of the BIG gateway arch in St.Louis. The capstone at the very top has gravity pushing down on it, thus keeping the entire structure stable. If you were to push up on it from below, the entire arch would collapse. The same is true in your foot. Too much arch support applies negative vertical load to the foot system and can cause over supination on the wrong feet. That's one reason why its CRITICAL to be properly fit. I try to be very cautious promoting footwear products, but its one reason we love Sole footbeds. Heat molding an insert allows almost every insert to become conformed to you specific foot. Many other inserts are(as you all know) pick a color or swap-an-arch... This leaves lots of room for improvement in the function of an individual orthotic ...that's just our opinion.

#2 - Picking an insert based on your shoes size = major NO-NO. Remember, this is an ARCH system support. Almost 90% of people have a different arch measurement than the measurement of their foot length. On a Brannock device, that little slide with an arrow on the side is critically important - and few people use it, let alone know what it does. That's essentially tells the length of your arch. More often than not, a hiker that comes in with a size 11 measurement at the toe will have an arch measurement of 12 ..or maybe even a 13. It is VERY common to see men and women off by as much as 2 sizes between arch and foot length measurements. A few other factors (more volume oriented) play into it as well, but try to stay as close to your ARCH size as possible - not your shoe size.

99 times out of 100, a well-fit orthotic will only benefit your hike. You can wear a more neutral shoe - as the insert takes the neutrality out of the shoe. Neutral shoes tend to be lighter too. Dean Karnazes, one of the best LD runners on the planet, just got done running across the country and he runs on OTC Sole inserts. They (a good insert, not just Sole) make your gate more efficient as less energy travel is lost in absorption in pronation - even natural or "healthy" pronation. They make energy travel from your heel to your toe much better.

Again ...fit, fit, fit.

Prosthetics ,what a dope.Orthotics,thank you.Your post not only cleared up some of the questions I've been asking myself(when I should have asked someone else)but even went beyond.I have custom Orthotics that were formed to my foot via casting,all my(most of) foot problems have disappeared.And I guess what I'm wondering now is "Why the heck didn't my podiatrist just say what you so eloquently said"Thanks,you da Man/Woman...and I'm gonna tell all my new friends

[rocketsocks]

YO YO YO,Now listen up!y'all when ya down in NC don't go to the mall,cause there's a guy/girl down there and the answers they have all.Yooo yoo get ya fitted on...yooo yoo get ya fitted on....With ....Outdoor 76...Thank you

[Zipper]

I wore five fingers (barefoot shoes) almost nonstop for 6 months prior to my thru. It's not a scientific experiment, so I can't say for sure that it made a difference, but I believe that it strengthened my foot muscles and contributed to healthy feet during my hike.

One other thing I would point out because I really didn't realize it - with whatever trail runner type shoe you get, you must, must, must replace them every 400 miles or so. My feet started hurting pretty severely and it was because the internal support in the shoe had broken down. This was not visible at all. Once I got new shoes, the pain went away. Don't wait for the tread to disappear. I'm no expert, but this was my experience.

I also made the mistake of buying another set of the same pair of shoes I'd started with because they were working so well. However, by the time I got them mailed to me, about 1200 miles into my hike (they were pair #3 at that point) my feet had stretched out and the shoes were too small. Funny, they fit me fine now as my feet have "shrunk" back to their original size.

I've also heard that it's best to get a different brand and model every time you replace your shoes. Don't know if there's much truth or value in that, but I ended up doing that, not as much on purpose but just how it worked out and it went well for me.

[English Stu]

Can running shoes come into the equation? I find suitable trail shoes harder to get in the UK. I run and and have done day walks in those shoes but not done Multi day walks in them.

[Outdoor76]

Can running shoes come into the equation? I find suitable trail shoes harder to get in the UK. I run and and have done day walks in those shoes but not done Multi day walks in them.

Technically, any shoe can come into the equation - we saw a nobo last year that came in with dress shoes that he cropped the heels on!
This too is a generalization, but more often than not, the only major differences you see in a "running" shoe vs a trail shoes (for running) is a more aggressive outsole and possibly a higher density EVA core throughout the shoe for more stability and taking the pressure of more high pressure points (rocks and roots, vs flat pavement. Some trail shoes also have a shank system that stiffens the midfoot or helps the shoe rebound better. ...again, not always the case, but that's the grey delineation.

Bottom line, the one thing that WILL help your situation is getting as many miles in as you can across the pond on shoes that you do know work for you. As mentioned, so much of your success will be attributed to good foot conditioning. The reason why FIT IS SO CRITICAL is that most people are never able to condition with out causing some sort of an issue because of improper fit and lack of attention to the biomechanic needs for their individual feet. I'm not saying that conditioning is the answer because you can always cause an overuse injury no matter how good in shape you are.
2nd piece of advice, if youre not able to get the conditioning you need before you attempt your hike, TAKE IT EASY for atleast your first 100 miles. The 20+ mile days that you'll be able to attain with stronger feet in Virginia and beyond will make up for it

[Blissful]

This is precisely why you need to go to the people who know shoes and can fit you right. Pays off in the end.

[Tinker]

Wear what I wear, Hike my hike, blah, blah, blah.

I just typed something to bring the issue to the forefront.

Read the OP.

Thanks.