One of the most important things you can do is take good care of your feet. Everyone has different feet. Finding the right fit can be challenging and taking the time to make the best decision will insure a great experience.
What type of footwear to look for depends on what type of outings you have in mind. Dayhiking is doing shorter hikes on less challenging trails. Like a few miles at your local park and a good pair of trail shoes are all you need. If you intend to do an overnight or multi-day hike where you will be carrying more weight, a pair of backpacking boots will best suit your needs.
Viewing the selection at a local outfitters can seem a little intimidating. Making the best choice is based on understanding five components in all shoes and boots and the proper support each part must have.
The outsole is the tread which contacts the ground. Staggered treads are better for traction. The raised tread should not be in uniform evenly spaced rows. When your shoe flexes, a staggered tread releases dirt and debris.
The midsole is a layer of material above the outsole. You can only see the outside edges of it. The purpose of the midsole is to disperse kinetic energy shock. Every time the force of your foot hits the ground, an equal and opposite shock rebounds back up through your anatomy. Without a sufficient midsole, your tendons, ligaments and cartilage would be responsible to radiate and disperse most of that kinetic energy. Without a sufficient midsole, your body tires easily, your joints become sore and your muscles sometimes ache.
How can you tell if a boot or shoe has a good midsole? Hold the back of the shoe in your left hand, put the front of the shoe against the palm of your other hand and apply pressure. The front of the shoe will start to bend upwards. Some shoes produce more resistance than others. The more resistance, the more support the midsole provides. Most footwear without sufficient support just fold in half. Your choice must still be flexible. The stiffer the shoe, the less likely you are to feel trail debris under your feet which can be dangerous. You don't want to loose contact with what's happening under your feet.
Often overlooked, the footbed, AKA insole is an important part of the puzzle. Most shoe and boot manufacturers make good footwear, but terrible footbeds. Once removed, if you can easily twist it out of shape, it will not provide any real support. Before long, those flimsy foam footbeds will be compressed paper thin. Once that happens, you get no support or cushioning. Replace those with a pair that provides actual anatomical support, much better!
The upper is the material of which the main body of the boot or shoe is manufactured. The most common materials are leather, synthetic leather, nylon, ballistic nylon and breathable mesh panels. The upper also contains the tongue, lacing hardware and laces. A shoe or boot made of full grain leather traps more heat, has less breathability and takes more time to break in. Having mesh panels makes for a more comfortable shoe in warmer conditions.
Contrary to popular belief, the height of a boot has nothing to do with ankle support, only abraision resistance and protection from debris, mud, snow, etc. All ankle support is determined by the heel counter. The heel counter is a band-aid shaped piece of material located between layers of the upper, wrapping around the heel area at the back of the shoe just above the outsole.
Drawing a line straight down the back center of a shoe would cut the heel counter in half. Compressing the shoe between your palms with that line in the center gives you an idea of how much ankle support there is. With less ankle support, a shoe would fold flat along that line near the bottom above the outsole. Shoes that have great ankle support will not.
There you go. Now you know what to look for and how to test for it. The only remainder is how the shoe fits and feels and you will have to figure that out for yourself. If you feel YES, when you try on a boot or shoe... you know you have a good fit and I know you will know, when you have a definite NO. There is no MAYBE! - 26706
What type of footwear to look for depends on what type of outings you have in mind. Dayhiking is doing shorter hikes on less challenging trails. Like a few miles at your local park and a good pair of trail shoes are all you need. If you intend to do an overnight or multi-day hike where you will be carrying more weight, a pair of backpacking boots will best suit your needs.
Viewing the selection at a local outfitters can seem a little intimidating. Making the best choice is based on understanding five components in all shoes and boots and the proper support each part must have.
The outsole is the tread which contacts the ground. Staggered treads are better for traction. The raised tread should not be in uniform evenly spaced rows. When your shoe flexes, a staggered tread releases dirt and debris.
The midsole is a layer of material above the outsole. You can only see the outside edges of it. The purpose of the midsole is to disperse kinetic energy shock. Every time the force of your foot hits the ground, an equal and opposite shock rebounds back up through your anatomy. Without a sufficient midsole, your tendons, ligaments and cartilage would be responsible to radiate and disperse most of that kinetic energy. Without a sufficient midsole, your body tires easily, your joints become sore and your muscles sometimes ache.
How can you tell if a boot or shoe has a good midsole? Hold the back of the shoe in your left hand, put the front of the shoe against the palm of your other hand and apply pressure. The front of the shoe will start to bend upwards. Some shoes produce more resistance than others. The more resistance, the more support the midsole provides. Most footwear without sufficient support just fold in half. Your choice must still be flexible. The stiffer the shoe, the less likely you are to feel trail debris under your feet which can be dangerous. You don't want to loose contact with what's happening under your feet.
Often overlooked, the footbed, AKA insole is an important part of the puzzle. Most shoe and boot manufacturers make good footwear, but terrible footbeds. Once removed, if you can easily twist it out of shape, it will not provide any real support. Before long, those flimsy foam footbeds will be compressed paper thin. Once that happens, you get no support or cushioning. Replace those with a pair that provides actual anatomical support, much better!
The upper is the material of which the main body of the boot or shoe is manufactured. The most common materials are leather, synthetic leather, nylon, ballistic nylon and breathable mesh panels. The upper also contains the tongue, lacing hardware and laces. A shoe or boot made of full grain leather traps more heat, has less breathability and takes more time to break in. Having mesh panels makes for a more comfortable shoe in warmer conditions.
Contrary to popular belief, the height of a boot has nothing to do with ankle support, only abraision resistance and protection from debris, mud, snow, etc. All ankle support is determined by the heel counter. The heel counter is a band-aid shaped piece of material located between layers of the upper, wrapping around the heel area at the back of the shoe just above the outsole.
Drawing a line straight down the back center of a shoe would cut the heel counter in half. Compressing the shoe between your palms with that line in the center gives you an idea of how much ankle support there is. With less ankle support, a shoe would fold flat along that line near the bottom above the outsole. Shoes that have great ankle support will not.
There you go. Now you know what to look for and how to test for it. The only remainder is how the shoe fits and feels and you will have to figure that out for yourself. If you feel YES, when you try on a boot or shoe... you know you have a good fit and I know you will know, when you have a definite NO. There is no MAYBE! - 26706
About the Author:
James Warner is a distance hiker and mountain guide. He feels that the more of an active outdoor lifestyle one leads, the happier and healthier they tend to be. If you are new to hiking with comfort and safety, visit: hiking with comfort and safety guide
