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If you are a hiking enthusiast, you may know what it takes to trail through those bumpy patches. But would you dump your backpack for sore legs? Well, sure you wouldn’t want to unless it gets that excruciating. An uncomfortable hike can often be caused by nothing more than a foul pair of footgear. The earlier you detect the problem, the longer you can enjoy a limp-free trek.
Most hikers would agree that ill-fitted shoes can salvage trekking plans. Investing in a pair of hiking boots that can support your feet through any terrain is worth it. Be it walking, running, or cycling up and down the peaks and forests, your feet can accompany you without complaining much about the right boots. Here are a few things to consider when picking your new mountaineering shoes.
Frequency
If you are a professional hiker or someone who has the itch for it, you may need boots that are durable and resistant to harsh weather and terrain. If you are one of those who occasionally goes hiking with friends and mostly during the day, you may consider footgear that’s good enough to sustain you through your trial runs. Once you chart the frequency, you can effectively plan what shoes would befit your needs.
What suits you
There are countless options in the market, but the trick is to make the most befitting pick. The first feature that would make the shoes befitting would be its measurement. It isn’t uncommon to pick a shoe that’s a tad bigger or smaller than their feet but then that can be harmful when it comes to hiking. Instead of doing the guesswork, it would be best to do the real math.
Hiking doesn’t mean you have to give up on fashion. You can always pick up trendy boots designed for the higher altitudes. If you choose walking shoes for hiking, you may consider stepping on the incline board in the shoe store to check the comfort level. Wearing shoes for a couple of hours, walking around in them casually, or just running up can help your feet get acclimatized with the footwear.
Read ways to go backpacking a https://www.wikihow.com/Go-Backpacking.
While you may come across boots in various cuts, your footwear for trekking needs to be customized for the purpose. Among the cuts that you may consider is the low cut one. These are quite similar to the running shoes and make an ideal fit for casual trekking. The flipside of this cut however is that it can make you susceptible to ankle injuries. If the trails that you tread are well carved, the low-cut boot design can make a good choice.
You can pick from the mid-cut shoes if you expect a relatively uneven terrain, especially one with debris and stones. The mid-cut boots can offer enhanced support to your ankles. For adventurous hikers who frequent the trails too often, the high-cut footwear can provide the necessary balance and ankle support required to tread the rockiest of paths
Are your socks right?
Sometimes despite the most comfortable pair of boots, you may feel irritation on your toe. It can be quite bad at times, so much so that you may simply want to toss them down the cliff after a 30 minutes’ walk. The culprit, however, may not be the footwear but the socks.
Regardless of the weather, it would be a good option to select synthetic socks over cotton ones as these are less likely to cause sores as opposed to their cotton counterparts.
Material
Choosing the right material of footgear makes a lot of difference. The wrong fabric can either make you feel hot or too uncomfortable. Some shoes can make your feet cramped and make things worse. Hence, it is important to find the appropriate material for a comfortable hiking experience.
Materials such as polyester and nylon are lighter, provide the comfort of slipping in easily, and are easy to dry. However, they may not make the best option for sweaty feet and are less resistant to water.
For the mountains, split-grain leather as well as full-grain leather boots make a smart choice. The former is crafted of a breathable material although it’s neither water-resistant nor durable. However, on the other hand, shoes made of the latter material are common for hiking. These are relatively more durable and can support your feet even on the most unsteady lands.
Full-grain leather footwear is comparatively less breathable and quite heavy. Find more on the secret of good hiking socks.
The best way to find get used to your new boots would be to wear them while running errands as this will allow you to conveniently break the ice as you slip into them.