footwear used on SECOND Camino

Yes, I changed footgear for the second trip. On the first trip, I had stout boots that were very well broken-in, and I replaced the insoles. But during the 3 weeks of the walk, I developed significant pain on the soles of the feet. This was assessed as plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the ligaments under the arch of the foot. Turns out the boots were too well-broken-in (didn't provide enough support), and the insoles did not have enough arch support.

So this year I have fresh boots (same maker, I liked their fit). I have new insoles (better resilience) and new orthotics (really good arch support and good heel cushioning too). It has taken me several months of experimentation to get the details sorted out -- which is another reason to not wait until the last minute to start getting your equipment set in order. One must leave time for all the small adjustments!

I had a kind of hybrid walking/hiking shoe, with a Vibram sole and just enough ankle support. I will do the same again. Only time I had a problem was when I was walking in 'streams' for three days and my feet got saturated so I got some blisters. But only the once. I have thought of trying the goretex version but am worried they will get too hot. So I imagine I will just do a new model of the same shoe. (After 1500+km, the Vibram soles are still perfect, but the fabric around the ankles is quite worn out...)
Margaret

I used the same low cut New Balance boots on the second one, but with new insoles. The heel stitching deteriorated after 2,000 km, so I replace them with the same brand/model for the third one. Never a blister...

I wore my New Balance trail shoes both times and LOVED them.
Wore them out of the store and onto the trail... no breaking in.
I am buying a new pair next week as I plan for my next Camino.
YAY!

We took Hi-Tec Altitude IV WP (waterproof) boots again this year, Terry's third time and my second on the Camino. Both pairs were new, Terry's original pair finally wore out and mine were well worn. We had to search for them, to get exactly the same, but it was worth while. Very lightweight, waterproofed leather with ankle suport etc.
We did wear them for our final training to check that there were no problems. We'll take the same boots again next year, just need to decide exactly where!