[at-l] my feets hurt

[Amy Forinash]

On Sep 26, 2008, at 10:41 AM, Mara Factor wrote:

> Hi Amy,
>
> On my thruhike in '99, my feet hurt most of the time.  The worst of  
> it (heel pain) was alleviated when I got a pair of Superfeet at  
> Trail Days.  Since my size is a women's 14+ with a 5A ball and 6A  
> heel which doesn't really exist, I end up wearing a men's 13 2A.   
> For my hard to fit feet, I needed a pair of custom fit insoles.   
> Most people can use the off-the-shelf version and save some $$$.

I have a beef with the Superfeet guys.  I got custom Superfeet from  
them in 2001 or 2002, and they sucked beyond belief.  They had sharp  
edges that shredded my shoes AND my feet.  Plus they advocated boots  
that were so tight they were painful just putting them on at the shop,  
let alone after you've walked some and your feet have swelled.

That said, I used to use regular Superfeet and liked them.  Now I have  
custom "soft" orthotics I get through my chiropractor.  The orthotics  
I paid much more for through a podiatrist gave me blood blisters and  
had no cushioning to speak of.  I disliked them intensely.

>
>
> Since my thruhike, I've reduced my pack weight and gotten out of  
> hiking boots.  I primarily wear New Balance running shoes - either  
> all terrains (800 series) or regular street runners (900 series) -  
> because they fit my feet better than most of the alternatives.  As a  
> result, I now have very little foot pain when I hike.

I've hiked in New Balance running shoes, and they gave me a lot less  
sole pain but a lot more blisters.  I think the extra cushioning in  
the shoes is a good thing for soles, but I have been unable to control  
movement in the shoe.  I hiked in Merrell trail shoes last year and  
had less foot pain on the flat, but they couldn't hold my foot in  
place on downhills so I slid down into the toes.

My most pain (non-blistery) ever has been hiking in any kind of boot.   
I think it's the relative lack of padding.  Are there boots out there  
that have the same kind of squishy foot as a running shoe, but hold  
your foot in place like a regular boot?

> Only after hiking 400 miles when I got home, I realized that the  
> pain was due to pressure on some swelling on the top of the base of  
> my big toe caused by a minor break in a bone under my big toe.

Owie!

>
> I reiterate the suggestion to make sure your shoes fit right.  Talk  
> to someone who knows how to fit shoes for hikers.  It's different  
> than for in town.

I am really not sure how to proceed here.  I typically buy shoes from  
REI and the people there don't seem to know any more than me.  The New  
Balance store people weren't helpful.  The Superfeet people at Trail  
Days were completely off their rockers IMO.  I live in Central  
Maryland.  Anybody have a recommendation for good shoe fitters I could  
get to?

>  Also make sure you're using the right socks for your feet.   
> Different weaves, different padding, and whether or not you use  
> liners can all affect how your foot feels in your shoe.

I *think* I'm okay on that front.  I have a combination of thin liners  
and wool socks that I think is working for me.

> If you're coming to the Gathering, I'll be giving a talk on Footwear  
> (tentatively scheduled for Saturday morning) and will cover these  
> and other options in more detail.
>

Unfortunately I won't be at the Gathering to hear your talk.  Thanks  
for your help, though.

-amy