[at-l] I'm a trail shoe failure

[gbryant@lcisp.com (George Bryant)]

    I can sympathize with this, about every year or so when I have to buy
shoes/boots it always goes like this:

1: Try on a ridiculous amount of shoes, none of which fit
2: Get sick of looking and just buy the first thing I see
3: The shoes suck, I endure
4: After a while either my big hobbit feet have bashed the shoes into shape
or the other way around, but my feet and the shoes start getting along
5: Far too soon after #4, the shoes die and I have to start all over again

Preparing for my thru-hike, I looked and looked at trail running shoes but I
couldn't find anything that fit right. So, I ordered a pair of 804's, which
sorta fit. I'm hoping that before I head off to GA they'll end up at #4. If
not, I'll be the bare-foot guy freezing to death.

btw, New Balance does make their shoes in VERY wide sizes. Did you try a
next wider size up? Good luck with your shoe shopping.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Amy" <askowronek@mindspring.com>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 8:21 PM
Subject: [at-l] I'm a trail shoe failure


> Hear my tail of woe.
>
> I've been through four (or five, I've lost track) pair of
> REI Spirit boots.  The last pair was the goretex version,
> which I've had resoled once.  I had to get goretex because
> they changed the last on the regular version, but not on
> the goretex version.
>
> Now they're changing the last on the goretex version.  I
> tried to buy a pair before they sold the remaining boots
> from this year, and they were out of my size.  So no
> more Spirits.  (boots.  plenty of scotch on the shelf.)
>
> But I'd been pondering trail runners, so I bought a pair
> of New Balance 804 ATs.  I wore them with their original
> insoles, some old Vasque insoles that I quite like, and
> Superfeet.  No matter what, they caused a burning feeling
> deep inside my foot.  Turns out they're a smidge too narrow
> for me.
>
> I went to a New Balance store, explained my problem to the
> nice salesman, and tried on a bunch of other shoes.  The
> 904s seemed pretty comfy, so I bought them and wore them
> for a while.  So far I've only worn them with the cushy
> New Balance insoles I bought in addition to the shoes.
> Despite comfiness in the store, my toe keeps touching the
> end.  I've retied and retied and etc.
>
> But worse than that, some bone in the top of my foot
> is very unhappy with them.  It ached yesterday with the
> shoe on, then all last night in bed, and all day today
> while I wore my boots.  I'm concerned that if I keep
> wearing them, that bone will actually break.  (Which
> is what happened to me with my Vasque Clarion Highs,
> years ago.)
>
> Both pairs of shoes I tried out in the store, jumping
> up and down and on the furniture and etc.  They seemed
> fine there.
>
> I am very sad.  My boots won't last forever, and trail
> shoes aren't looking like an option.  Now what?
>
> -woefully, amy
>
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