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...and that's just what they've done* - I reckon nearly 500km in the last two years, and a fair bit before that. They're a pair of Karrimor KSBs, bought... er... between seven and ten years ago, I can't remember, but I've only started using them regularly since I came to Glasgow a couple of years ago (before that it was occasional walking holidays). Anyway, since the end of the summer, I've noticed that my feet get very sore, particularly on descents or on long walks on roads. I'd assumed that the shock-absorbency was starting to go, and bought a new pair of insoles (the old ones had worn paper-thin in places, and you could see the imprints of my toes very clearly). Unfortunately, the new ones were cheapass, and though they helped at first, the beneficial effects only lasted a few weeks. So I went back on Friday and bought some more expensive ones. I wanted the ones with extra shock-absorbency in the ball and heel, but they didn't have any in my size, and the bloke in Tiso reckoned the problem was more likely to be lack of arch support (hmmmm) and that I should therefore buy some other ones which were three times the price (again, hrmmmm). I wore these last week, and they did bugger all - as soon as we started descending, my feet started hurting. So, taking them back and claiming my sixty-day money-back guarantee would seem to be indicated. But is this likely to be a problem that new insoles can fix, or is it more likely to be indicative of worn-out boots? What do you reckon, guys?
[I'm particularly looking at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
elvum, half_of_monty and michiexile here, but all comments welcome.]
[Edit: and, of course,mrpjantarctica, mi_guida, susannahf, and anyone who's ever owned a pair of walking boots. I'll stop naming specific people in future, as with you lot being so multi-multi-talented I always leave someone out :-)]
UPDATE: the voting so far is that the boots themselves are wearing out, and that insoles probably won't help much. Bah. But they're still waterproof, and besides, I just bought a new jacket...
* And one of these days these boots are gonna walk right up your tum. *Horn break*
[I'm particularly looking at
elvum, half_of_monty and michiexile here, but all comments welcome.][Edit: and, of course,
mrpjantarctica, mi_guida, susannahf, and anyone who's ever owned a pair of walking boots. I'll stop naming specific people in future, as with you lot being so multi-multi-talented I always leave someone out :-)]UPDATE: the voting so far is that the boots themselves are wearing out, and that insoles probably won't help much. Bah. But they're still waterproof, and besides, I just bought a new jacket...
* And one of these days these boots are gonna walk right up your tum. *Horn break*
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However - and this is a big however - precisely what goes wrong depends a lot on what kind of pain you experience. Particularily the lack of arch support is something more or less indicatable by the zones where the pain occurs / peaks. But if they told you that insole X should resolve your pains, and it doesn't, then go claim the guarantee by all means. However, with it being something popping up somewhat lately, for boots you've used semiregularily for 10 years, I'd be more prone to suspect the boots than the insoles.
Curiousity: I got Quality Boots (tm) for my confirmation when I was 15. By the time some 8-odd years had gone by, the soles broke (to the tune of "I'm walking more on my socks than on the boots"), and since then I haven't used them. I'd suppose that 10-odd years is a reasonable time frame to actually look for new boots...
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I think that answer justifies my confidence :-)
The pain is mainly in the balls and heels, with some in the toes. It feels like repetitive impact pain to me. I was hoping I could get away with the boots for a while longer - they're still extremely waterproof and the soles are only mildly worn. But maybe this is a sign that something's worn down inside. Damn.
And from what I hear, Karrimor kit isn't nearly so good since they went bankrupt in 2004 and were bought up by another firm. Which is most annoying - I have a lot of Karrimor kit, and I've been extremely pleased by it.
My kit's a mixture of a) stuff my Dad bought in the early Seventies and passed on to me, b) stuff that was bought for me in my teens, c) stuff I've bought in the last couple of years. The stuff in group a) is mostly indestructible but obsolete (eg my gaiters) and the stuff in group b) is starting to show signs of wear but still mostly decent (eg my rucksack and my old waterproof jacket). Group c) is still too new to have worn out, but I'm not expecting it to last as long as either of the other two groups - outdoor kit seems to be engineered for performance rather than durability these days.
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Fuzzy pain, most of it "in the middle" => definitely a case for arch support.
* And one of these days these boots are gonna walk right up your tum. *Horn break*
Re: * And one of these days these boots are gonna walk right up your tum. *Horn break*
You want <em>my</em> advice?
Thought we established last month my expertese on hiking boots:
-bought a pair once for 60 quid;
-they were effective and waterproof for serious hikes that summer;
-the soles came off in under a year;
-glued them back on;
-continued gluing them back on for 5 years, wearing them occasionally for wussy walks, until their inevitable demise.
So, does closer examination reveal that the problem with your hiking boots is a failure of the soles to connect to the uppers in various key places? I can help! I recommend that: you clean the area in between; buy some shoe glue from a little specialist hardware shop; put loads on both surfaces; leave to become tacky; press together; leave for 24 hours.
I suspect your problem is in fact more subtle than this. But it does sound likely that
Re: You want <em>my</em> advice?
Re: You want <em>my</em> advice?
As I say in response to
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It sounds to me like something on the inside of the soles has been crushed somewhat - as you say, you have had them 10 odd years, and I reckon that, especially with a lot of walking on them recently, it mgiht be the boots themselves.
But hey, I'm no expert, I walk off 4 foot terraces *grin*
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Arch supports
For rigid skiing and winter mountaineering boots, you can (as I did) have a custom-moulded rigid footbed (~£30) which holds your feet in exactly the right way, and I must say that my ski boots are extremely comfortable, even when I've had to abandon the skis and walk up mountains in them (they're ski-mountaineering boots, so they flex and have a proper walking sole). Obviously in ordinary hillwalking boots you need something that has arch support and also flexes. This firm (http://shop.sandpit.com/) will sell you a pair of heat-mouldable insoles for £35 a pair. You bake them in the oven for 2 mins at 90 celcius, then stick them in your boots, put them on, lace them up and stand still for two minutes. Hey presto, customised footbeds!
Re: Arch supports
Re: Arch supports
Re: Arch supports
Re: Arch supports
[Though I have been getting blisters on the pad of my foot while walking recently. Tape usually fixes it]
Re: Arch supports
Damn, that sounds useful. Why aren't all ski boots like that?
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I have two pieces of advice for getting/wearing in new boots based on my experience and seeing it happen to others.
Firstly, *don't* buy boots while your feet are still sore/damaged in any way. You'll buy boots that fit sore feet, which are probably swollen/shaped differently to normal, and they won't fit your feet when they're not sore (causing more problems). Also, if possible, try walking on an incline in them before buying. The place I buy from (in Preston) has a massive ramp rather than stairs to get to the first floor, which is perfect for testing boots and checking that a large rucksack won't tip you over on a hill.
Secondly, if your current boots are still waterproof - don't throw them out, and if you can, take them with you the first time you walk seriously in your new boots. I've seen someone who thought her new boots had been broken in by walking around town have them literally eat through her heels once she started walking on inclines. Took her ages to get down because they were continually making things worse. Having a spare pair would have been a godsend.
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When my flatmate's old boots were on their last legs, he started packing a pair of sandals in his rucksack. When they eventually fell apart (completely: total sole-to-upper bonding failure) he took out the sandals and wore them for the last hour of the walk. A bit lighter than a full pair of walking boots :-)
When we got home, the boots got ceremonially dumped in the bin :-)
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Though I found a pair of fantastic waterproof ones and they didnt have my size:(
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A couple of points that seem vaguely germane: the best boots I've ever owned for walking in are the Salomon Super Mountain 6 - they have a sharp rolling radius right under the toe, and when you get used to the slightly different gait required, you can really stride about in them. The best boots for galloping down hills in are my Salomon Super Mountain 9 Guides; they do a fantastic job of absorbing impact energy, even running at full pelt down mountain paths. In fact, they're generally fantastic boots for any walking/mountaineering activity below about 6,000m, with only two caveats: they weigh about a kilo each, and they cost a bomb.
Footnote: looks like they've revamped the range since I last went boot shopping - the Alp 6 and Ice Light respectively seem to be the closest equivalents.
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This set me to wondering how much my boots weigh, so I got out the kitchen scales and had a look. My Karrimors and my spare boots (aka my Dad's old Dolomites from 1971) both weigh just under a kilo per boot, it turns out. Hell, my DMs are 900 grams each :-)
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