[at-l] bad shoe advice...

[yugrekih at yahoo.com (Richard Mann)]

i went to the TIMBERLAND store at the north georgia outlet mall in
dawsonville georgia, and asked about how they would fit a shoe for
hiking on the AT.  the young man was very convincing, though his advice
was horrible.  he said that you take your street shoe size, then go
*DOWN* half a size, so that the shoe was snug and would not rub any
part of the foot...

WELL, this advice is the exact opposite of how you should be fit for
the AT.  you should be going *UP* at least a half size from your street
shoe, and probably a full size.  this allows for toe room, so those
little pinkies won't jam-up on the down hills.  plus, it allows room
for multiple sock layers (if you do that sort of thing), and it allows
for the inevitable spread of your foot (yeah, your foot will grow a
bit)...

SO, be very careful when getting fit for shoes for the AT.  if you live
on the east coast, go find an outfitter within spitting distance of the
trail - you'll have a fighting chance of getting it right.  if you
can't get to the east, use your head and buy something a bit larger
than your street shoe.  fortunately, the shoe manufacturers have a good
bit of experience with AT hikers, and often go out of their way to
ensure you are satisfied with their product.  after you begin your
hike, if your shoe turns out to be the wrong size, or if it fails in
some way during your hike, give the manufacturer a call, let them know
that you are on the AT, and you should get taken care of...

pittsburgh, barb, ryan

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