[pct-l] NOT shoes...

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Jan 2, 2011, at 7:55 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> What kind of socks do people wear with their trail runners?

I wore all kinds. At first I went with toe socks and liners on the  
outside. (I recently saw they make liner toe socks now!)

Once I got to the High Sierra and hiked in wet feet all the time, my  
feet got tough as nails and I just wore a pair of ordinary, ankle- 
high wool socks, usually the ones marked for bicycling.

I finally settled on carrying a thin pair of wool bicycle socks, a  
thicker pair and one pair of liner socks. I would rotate these socks  
and wear them one at a time. The liner socks were for days when my  
feet felt swollen and I wanted more room in my shoes. The thicker  
socks were for days when my feet felt tired and I wanted more  
cushioning in my shoes. The thinner ones had fun colors and patterns  
and were for days when I wanted to know I was wearing something  
colorful.

I also carried multiple pairs of insoles. I favored cushioned insoles  
over supportive ones. I could add a layer of cushioning for road  
walks or remove a layer for swollen feet days.

(Actually, my feet weren't swelling, they were growing, as I  
eventually figured out. They grew in musculature, the skin grew  
thicker and they just got bigger. The skin and muscle died down and I  
was left with feet just a little longer and quite a bit wider.)