Tips on Using Hiking Boots for First Time

• How to break in your brand new hiking boots
• Great tips for lacing your day hiking boot
• How to waterproof your day hiking boots
• Prepare your feet to avoid injuries on hike
• BONUS: Lighter pack a great reason to day hike

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Tips for Selecting the Best Hiking Socks

• Right socks mean no blisters for hiking kids
• Know types of hiking socks to ensure you select best one for your trail
• Know your fabrics to select best hiking sock
• Three simple rules for buying hiking socks
• How to select the best socks for hiking kids

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

3 Great Tips on Hiking Kids’ Footwear

• How to select the best hiking boot for kids
• How to select the best socks for hiking kids
• When to replace your kids' hiking boots
• BONUS: Five great quotations for hiking kids

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Tips for Maintaining Your Hiking Boots

• Keep boots in shape with proper cleaning
• How to repair minor damage on hiking books
• Tips for replacing laces on fave hiking boots
• When to replace your beloved hiking boots
• Hiking sandals work for water crossings
• BONUS: "If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand." – Buddha

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

6 Tips for Selecting Your Next Hiking Boot

• Know parts of hiking boot to find best one
• Consider boot cuts when choosing hiking footwear
• Maximize hiking comfort by knowing advantages of sole's parts
• Knowing types of eyelet can help you select best hiking boot
• Consider tongue design when buying boots
• Three ways boots can come waterproofed
• BONUS: "The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The next best time is now." - Chinese proverb

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

9 Tips for Buying New Hiking Boots

• Different types of footwear available for hike
• Guidelines for purchasing hiking boots
• Hiking boot basics for making best footwear choice
• Factors to consider when buying hiking boots
• Select best boot for terrain you're hiking
• Select ideal hiking boot for trail conditions
• Select best boot for weather you're hiking
• Don't just grab your shoe size
• Guidelines for hiking boot sizes in U.S., U.K.
• BONUS: "Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world." - John Muir

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Know how to avoid, treat foot-related injury

One of the quickest ways to turn a family member, friend or yourself off to hiking is to injure a foot while on the trail. Something as simple as a tiny blister can make a hike unbearable. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to prevent foot-related injuries – and should one occur, you can treat it to so the walk can be completed with a minimum of discomfort.

To keep your feet healthy on a hike, you should:
• Prepare your feet in advance of the hike. This includes trimming your toenails and tying your boot laces properly.
• Keep your feet dry and warm on a hike. Always wear the proper socks and understand when to change them.
• Follow common sense to avoid sore feet, legs and back during the hike. Whenever hiking, maintain good posture and stay hydrated.
• Carry a first-aid kit for your feet. Should you suffer an injury, a couple of lightweight items can go a long way in dealing with a blister or sprained ankle.
• Know how to treat common foot injuries. Blisters, a twisted ankle, and frostbite all can be treated when on the trail to minimize the pain.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Hiking boots: Don’t just grab your shoe size

Perhaps the quickest way to ruin your hike is to buy hiking boots simply because they come in your shoe size. While there’s an off chance that they might work well, you’ll find a better fitting boot if you take your time and follow a few guidelines to ensure they’re best for you. Among the considerations are the boot’s weight, size and waterproofing.

In addition, if buying hiking boots for kids, the shape of their developing feet requires special considerations. And last but not least, you’ll want to follow some simple rules when picking up socks to go with your new boots.

The following articles can help you make the best decision when purchasing footwear for a hike:
• Guidelines for purchasing hiking boots
• Buying hiking boots for children
• Hiking boot weight
• Hiking boot sizes
• Signs that hiking boots don’t fit
• Ways hiking boots come waterproofed
• Guidelines for purchasing hiking socks

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Guidelines for purchasing hiking boots

Adults always should wear hiking boots, especially if they have either a child carrier or a backpack strapped over their shoulders. If lugging about nothing more than a small daypack, you probably can get away with wearing crosstrainers, trekking shoes or trail-running shoes so long as you stick to fairly level, short footpaths.

Shop for hiking boots in the afternoon when feet are slightly swollen from having been walked on earlier that day. Also wear the socks you plan to don when hiking. If you wear insoles or orthotics, make sure they go into the boot as well.

Look for the following qualities in a hiking boot:
• Fit – Ill-fitting boots means blisters and foot pain. A boot should feel snug, yet you should be able to wriggle toes and have no pressure points.
• Support – A good boot for day hiking will have a soft collar to support the ankle and to keep pebbles or other debris from getting into the shoe. Ankle-high boots will give good support without restricting movement. If the boot allows your foot to flatten out, then it’s not providing enough arch support.
• Sturdy – The sole and the boot’s upper part should be firmly attached. It ought to be flexible enough that you have a full range of motion but not at the price of the boot stressing so it can’t provide support.
• Water-resistant – A boot needs to keep moisture from getting to the foot, but it also needs to breathe so the foot doesn’t get swampy, as this can lead to discomfort and blisters. Waterproof boots won’t breathe. For winter hikes and trails in wetlands, waterproof boots are a must, however.
• Traction – You want thick, nonskid rubber soles, which are good for keeping your footing on a variety of terrain, such as slippery wet rocks, mud and sand. The outsole should have deep tread to improve your grip on slippery surfaces.
• Durable – The boot should last a few years. Children and teens always should be able to outgrow a boot.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Hiking boot basics for making best choice

Every one’s feet, as well as the way each person walks on them, is slightly different. Because of that, getting the right hiking boot is more than just finding the right shoe size.

Indeed, no two boot designs are alike, as each is geared for specific terrains and weather – and there are a great variety of landscapes and climates that one can hike.

So, to make the best decision about what kind of boot you should purchase, you’ll want to think about:
• Parts of a boot – When checking out a hiking boot at a store, the salesperson may use various terms to describe the boots’ parts. Or, to explain what is wrong with a pair you’ve tried on, you might want to know what a specific part is called to better communicate your concerns. A hiking boot consists of six general parts.
• Boot soles – The hiking boot’s sole (the bottom part of the shoe between the ground and the foot) is made of a few different parts. Being aware of these different sections can help you choose the best hiking boot for your trail needs. The sole consists of four parts.
• Boot cuts – A boot’s cut refers to how high it goes on the ankle. In general, there are three types of boot cuts.
• Types of eyelets – As with any shoe, to ensure your boot fits tight, you’ll lace them up and tie a knot. With hiking boots, however, you can choose from a variety of eyelets that the laces run through. Each eyelet types offers various advantages and disadvantages.
• Tongue designs – An often overlooked consideration to make when purchasing hiking boots is the tongue design. Generally, there are two types of tongue designs.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

How heavy should your hiking boots be?

The first thing you’ll probably notice upon picking up a hiking boot is that it’s heavier than the standard shoe. Made of sturdier, layered materials and with tread, a hiking boot can’t help but be heavier. Given that you’re not walking on pavement or a floor but over rocks, roots and dirt, you’ll want the extra stability and protection that a hiking boot offers despite its weight.

Still, especially for day hikes, such a boot can slow you down and limit how far you go. Adding a couple of (or even more) pounds to every step takes its toll after a few miles.

You always want to go with the lightest hiking boot possible, balancing that against the benefits a heavier boot offers. Determine that by considering what type of terrain you’ll hike in. If you only do flat, well-maintained trails in dry weather, you won’t need the deep treads and the thick layers of someone hiking up and down slopes in potentially wet backcountry.

Generally, trail runners and hiking shoes will be the lightest shoes. They’re still heavier than a running shoe but also offer more protection via a thicker sole and reinforced fabrics. Most children can get by with a hiking shoe.

A mid-weight hiking boot is heavier than trail runners or hiking shoes. By offering extra ankle support, reinforced and typically waterproofed fabrics, and stiff foot support, they will be fine on a trail of moderate difficulty so long as you’re only day hiking. I personally use them for day hikes of up to seven miles.

For those on multi-day hikes or who bushwhack, a heavy hiking boot is necessary. They usually have increased ankle support and knobby soles that provide extra grip. Their construction also will do a better job than mid-weights of keeping your feet dry. When backpacking longer than seven miles or on an overnight, I grab my pair of heavy-weights.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

When to replace your beloved hiking boots

When should your hiking boots be replaced?

Hikers love their boots with a passion, and letting go of them can be as unthinkable as a professional athlete giving up his jersey number. Still, no pair of boots last forever, and while they often can be repaired, the time does come when they need to be replaced.

Hiking boots that are falling part simply don’t provide the support and protection that they should. Repairing a boot often will be more expensive than simply buying a new one. In short, no matter what great adventures they’ve taken you on, they need to go.

Your hiking boot is past its prime when:
• Blisters form on your feet every time you wear them despite that you’ve hardly gone any distance. This indicates that the boots have been stretched so much from wear that your feet are shifting inside the boot as you walk.
• Feet, legs and hips ache whenever walking short distances in them. In such cases, different parts of the boot (especially the sole) have worn to the point that they no longer fit properly. In fact, wearing them has become more harmful than helpful.
• Debris (twigs, tiny rocks) and water get inside your boot. The boot either has significant holes (though the holes may look tiny) in them, are tattered at spots around the tongue, or the fabrics that offer waterproofing protection have worn through.
• Treads no longer provide grip or traction. The lugs probably have worn to a nearly flat plain, increasing your chances of falling.
• Boot sits baggy and shapeless when off your foot. This means the boot’s structure is giving way. The boot’s ability to provide you stability fades with the loss of this structure.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Consider tongue design when buying boots

The design of your hiking boot's tongue can help keep out water.

An often overlooked consideration to make when purchasing hiking boots is the tongue design.

You’ll want to purchase hiking books that have a gusseted tongue. Such a tongue is attached at its sides to the boot’s upper. Compare this to a tennis or a dress shoe in which the tongue is attached only at its base to the upper. A gusseted tongue is necessary because it helps keep debris and water from entering the boot. This isn’t a significant problem on sidewalks and buildings where people work, so a gusseted tongue isn’t needed for tennis or dress shoes.

There are two types of gusseted tongues. In a half-gusseted type, the stitching connecting the tongue to the boot’s upper stops before reaching the ankle support area, also known as the scree collar. A full-gusseted type has stitching that goes all the way up to the ankle support; this sometimes is referred to as a bellows tongue.

If you’re mainly day hiking on dry terrain, a half-gusseted tongue is sufficient. The rougher the terrain gets, and especially if you must make a water crossing or will encounter snow, then a gusseted tongue is needed. You can cross creeks and walk through snow with a half-gusseted tongue, but splash from your footfalls likely will seek into your boot; further, if the water level rises above the stitching, moisture will enter your boot no matter how tightly you’ve laced the boots.

Regardless of which type of tongue you go with, always ensure it’s padded. In addition to preventing hot spots and blisters from the aces on the top of your foot, a padded tongue will help prevent heel lift.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

How to break in your brand new hiking boots

Always break in hiking boots before wearing them on the trail.

Rarely does a pair of hiking boots perfectly fit your feet straight out of the box. Instead, they need to be broken in, meaning they need to be used so that they better conform to the shape of your foot. If you hike in a pair of brand new hiking boots without breaking them in, the boot’s form likely will fight your foot’s shape, leading to blisters and sore feet.

Breaking in a boot takes time, so you’ll need to be patient. Hiking boots, because of their heavier construction, will need more time than athletic shoes or work boots to be broken in. Submerging your new footwear in water or exposing them to extreme heat to speed up the process usually only leads to a damaged boot.

Begin by purchasing your boots, which fit fairly well at the store, several weeks in advance of when you plan to hike in them. Should a boot fit poorly at the store, you’re very unlikely to ever get it to conform to your foot’s shape. And giving yourself a few weeks in advance of the hike allows you the time needed to break them in.

Once you have the boot home, lace it up and wear it for about 10 minutes. A combination of walking and sitting work well. Each day, increase the amount of time you wear you boots by about five minutes.

Leather conditioner also can be applied to the boot to help it bend and move easier. It works like moisturizer on your skin, by hydrating the hard surface.

After a couple of weeks, begin taking very short hikes in the boots, maybe of just a few blocks. Gradually increase this distance each day. Once you get back from the walk, don’t take off the boot, however. Leave it on for a few minutes, perhaps while you sit and rest.

Ideally, your boots are broken in when you’ve incrementally reached the amount of time and in one outing the distance of your target hike. If the target hike will be take four hours and is eight miles long, then you would want to be able to wear the boots for a four-hour stretch and a walk of about eight miles. So long as you’re close to the time and distance without suffering any blisters or rubbing that leads to hot spots, though, your boots will be good to go.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Items to consider when buying hiking boots

Our feet mark the most important “piece of gear” any hiker can have. After all, if your feet are sore, the hike quickly will become a death march rather than a pleasurable activity. This is even truer for children, who typically lack an adult’s ability to resist physical pain to achieve a goal. Given this, selecting a good boot and being aware of footwear issues is vital for any hiker.

Choosing a good hiking boot is hardly a simple matter, though. While the mechanics of the foot are essentially the same for every person, individual shape, gaits and preferences means that a hiking boot one person swears by will be a nightmare for another to wear.

To make the best possible decision for purchasing hiking footwear, you’ll need to know a little about the types, cuts, sizes, and parts of a hiking boot. Understanding a little about socks also is useful.

But ensuring your feet are taken care of on a hike isn’t just a matter of selecting the right boot and sock. You’ll also want to know a little about taking care of your boot following a hike and how to avoid and treat foot-related injuries when out on the trail.

During just the past few years alone, I’ve hiked well over a few thousand miles on trails with surfaces ranging from hard asphalt to desert sand a few inches deep, from perfectly dry, compacted paths to muddy, root-laden routes. Because I approached each of those hikes with footwear at the forefront of my planning, my feet neither were uncomfortable nor suffered an injury. I hope you’ll approach your footwear with same zeal so that when hiking you can focus on the reason you hit the trail – the fresh air and beautiful scenery.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Carry a first-aid kit for your feet, ankles

When hiking, your feet are your most important piece of “equipment.” After all, injured or sore feet means you may not be able to walk, or doing so will be extremely painful and only further aggravate the injury.

While you should always hike with a general first-aid kit, making sure you have items in it specifically to treat your feet is a good idea, especially if heading deep into the wilderness.

Items you should include in a first-aid kit for your feet include:
• Adhesive bandage – To cover blisters and cuts
• Alcohol pads – For cleaning an area before applying bandages to it
• Antibiotic ointment – Place over blisters and cuts to prevent infection
• Cotton swabs (such as Q-tips) – Use to apply antibiotic ointment
• Gauze – For applying to sprained or strained ankles
• Extra pair of dry socks – In case your feet get wet
• Ibuprofen – Relieves pain following an injury
• Mole skin – For placing over blisters
• Nail clippers – For trimming hangnails
• Resealable plastic sandwich bags – For storing medical waste created during treatment
• Safety pin or gauze tape – For holding gauze together
• Scissors – A small one can be used to cut bandages into place
• Sewing needle – For lancing blisters or helping to remove splinters
• Soft padding – Place over a sprained or strained ankle, with gauze securing it
• Tweezers – For removing splinters

Always carry out any waste created during a medical treatment. This might include used cotton swaps, the plastic covering of an adhesive bandage’s sticky parts, and excess, cut-off gauze.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

How to keep your feet warm when hiking

As an extremity, your feet likely will get cold before any other part of your body. That chill can make for an uncomfortable walk and quickly sap your energy. Combine it with wet feet, and you've got a potentially dangerous situation, especially in winter, as hypothermia or frostbite can set in.

Keeping your feet warm and dry during a hike starts with how you dress. Always layer your foot with a wool sock – not cotton, which is a poor insulator and retains moisture, actually worsening the chill – and a waterproof boot over them.

In addition, make sure there is no gap between the boot top and the bottom hem of your pants. Wear mid-cut hiking boots with waterproof pants – rather than denim, which doesn’t dry quickly – with elastic bands that can be rolled over the boot top. This will keep snow and rain from dripping into your boot and will help block the wind from striking the lower calf.

For infants and toddlers who you’re lugging in a child carrier, consider insulating their feet with merino wool socks and a down bootie. Also watch for a gap between their boot and pants, as this is more pronounced when one is sitting.

If your feet tend to sweat, wear a different sock and shoe when driving to the trailhead. Once you arrive, towel off your feet then change into your wool socks and waterproof hiking boots so that you start the hike with dry and warm feet.

Finally, keep a pair of dry wool socks and a hand towel in your backpack. Should your feet get sweaty or chilled during the hike, you then can switch out your socks. Before changing, take the socks out of your backpack and tuck them into your shirt against your body so that they warm up.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Hiking sandals work for water crossings

High quality hiking sandals are good for short hikes on groomed trails and
for water crossings. Photo courtesy of Photoree.

Q: Are sandals okay to wear on a hike? – SDHiker92

A: Run-of-the-mill sandals are ill advised for a hike. They leave too much of the foot exposed to rocks, brush and sunlight, increasing the chances of scratches, cuts, stubbed toes, and sunburn. Sandals also lack cushioning on the soles, meaning the foot likely will suffer blisters for any walk of extended endurance.

On dry, flat, groomed especially over short distances where you won’t be lugging a backpack, sandals made specifically for hiking are feasible. Because sandals are lighter than hiking boots, your legs do not have to work as hard, making for a more comfortable walk. If you carry a backpack or a child carrier, however, even these high quality sandals should be eschewed, as they lack ankle and foot support. In addition, if wearing hiking sandals, always stay on the trail.

Any hiking sandals you wear should feature strong straps that are sewn rather than glued, sturdy tread, a tough sole, cushioned footpad, and molded arch supports.

A hiking sandal is a good idea to bring along if you plan to make any water crossings during your trek. They will protect your feet from sharp rocks and other debris at the bottom of a creek or low river, which going barefoot won’t do. If staying overnight on your hiking trip, hiking sandals also can make a good camp shoe.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Is trendy barefoot hiking the way to go?

To go barefoot or not to go barefoot, that is the question.
Photo courtesy of Photoree.

Among the hiking trends of the early 2010s is barefoot hiking, in which hiking boots, shoes and sandals are left at home. Instead, the trail is hit just as our ancient ancestors did it – with the sole of the foot literally hitting the dirt.

Those who champion barefoot hiking say it allows you to get better in touch with nature, as you literally remove the man-made materials separating your body from the environment. It certainly adds to the sensual experience of a hike, as the sole feels the ground’s different textures; indeed, that’s among the chief reasons many like to hike barefoot through a beach’s warm sand. Another reason to barefoot hike is increased agility and movement, which is easily achieved given that each of your boots and thick socks adds a few pounds of weight to your feet.

Still, unless walking across a clean beach or the grass of your own backyard that you’re familiar with, I’d advocate against barefoot hiking. Going barefoot may actually get you too in touch with nature, with pointed twigs, sharp rocks and insects piercing your skin, leading to infection or disease. The sole’s skin is very soft and thin, so even if nothing cuts through it, you’ll feel every small bump – from a pebble to half-buried stick – that you step on, and it’ll be irritating at first and then just plain painful. The padding and support a hiking boot delivers also helps absorb the shock on the sole and knee joints that comes with walking across rough terrain, especially if you’re lugging a backpack or a child carrier.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Signs boots you might buy don’t fit properly

Before hitting the trail, always test and break in your hiking boots to ensure
they fit properly. Photo courtesy of Photoree.

Among the biggest problems novice hikers face is finding a boot that fits properly. It’s also a significant issue for long-time hikers whose favorite brand of boots is no longer sold. In either case, if the boot doesn’t fit just right, the enjoyment of the hike will be quickly diminished.

One good test to use while in a store is to tightly lace the hiking boots on your feet. If there’s more than a quarter-inch (on small feet) or a half-inch (on large feet) of lacing between the eyelets, the boot isn’t wide enough. If there’s less than that amount, the boot is too wide.

Once you get the right width, walk around the store with the boots on. If they feel uncomfortable in any way, they are the wrong kind to buy; don’t let the salesperson convince you that the boot will become more comfortable once broken in.

Even if the boots felt comfortable in the store, always wear them around the house and yard to break them in and so you can see if they fit properly before heading into the wilds.

After walking about the house or yard for an hour or two, check your feet to see if there is any rubbing against the skin. Particularly look for redness on the top of the foot, the back of the heel near the Achilles tendon, and on the toes. Redness in any of those spots is a sign that the boot doesn’t fit right. If that’s the case, return the footwear and try another size or brand.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.