[at-l] Boots and Blisters

[askowronek at mindspring.com (amy)]

On Wednesday, September 22, 2004, at 06:25  AM, W F Thorneloe wrote:

> Amy takes issue with Phil Oren's well known fetish for tightly fitting 
> boot and shoes.
>
> He was that way for me also. He is also not gender specific in 
> recommending male/female boots, not that there is anything wrong with 
> that.
>
> He explained that hiking tends to punish the feet, increasing foot 
> size, smashing arches and other nasty things. He was very clear that 
> wearing loosely fitting comfy sandals, Topsiders, moccasins, slippers 
> and loafers would only make matters worse. He felt that keeping hiking 
> feet in more constricting boots and shoes would be more functional and 
> comfortable over the long haul. In other words, he likes foot binding.
>
> I'm not buying that either. I think the insoles are valuable, but that 
> you might try going up a half size above his recommendations, 
> especially if you catch him in the morning for a fitting. Then again, 
> he might be right.

I think his foot problems have warped his mind a little.  :)  On the 
one hand, Leapfrog
got boots using his method and loves them.  I found the experience of 
getting
fitted fascinating but frustrating.

My feeling about squishing my foot into a boot so it can't move even a 
little is that
you might as well not have that lovely complex design of bone and 
muscle and tendon.
Just stick some blocks at the end of your legs and be done with it.

I had the custom insoles made and frankly thought they were *worse* 
than the off
the shelf ones.  They didn't add any extra support where I needed it 
(at the arch
under my forefoot) and there were sharp edges at the heel that cut 
through both me
and my shoes.  I love Superfeet and I'll keep getting them, but I won't 
be getting
any more custom ones.

>
> We will know when hobbling around the nursing home with our Leki's.

That's a lovely image.  The hiker nursing home.  Old folks with bad 
knees
but remarkably strong legs, staring at topo maps and wishing they could 
get
out for just one more 500 miler.  And complaining about how the jerky 
wasn't
so tough in their day.

-amy