Preparation

[lamperter]

This is my first Camino Frances walking, cycled once before
I am now 16 days in and my advice to anyone thinking or preparing to hike.
Spend some time choosing and buy proper fitting hiking boots or shoes and good quality socks
The number of pilgrim's with blisters and injuries and foot problems is upsetting to see. To enjoy the experience then you should be able to walk at least 4 hours a day without worrying to much about blisters for at least 5 to 6 days in a row.
If you intend hiking with your pack be ruthless, 10kg max and do not feel bad if you need to send it by transport when tired.
Top athletes always take rest days to stop injuries, you should as well. Listen to your body and most of all remember this your Camino.

 

[tomnorth]

Good advice all around. I held fast to my 10kg limit for pack weight. I’m glad I did.

 

[Rover]

This is my first Camino Frances walking, cycled once before
I am now 16 days in and my advice to anyone thinking or preparing to hike.
Spend some time choosing and buy proper fitting hiking boots or shoes and good quality socks
The number of pilgrim's with blisters and injuries and foot problems is upsetting to see. To enjoy the experience then you should be able to walk at least 4 hours a day without worrying to much about blisters for at least 5 to 6 days in a row.
If you intend hiking with your pack be ruthless, 10kg max and do not feel bad if you need to send it by transport when tired.
Top athletes always take rest days to stop injuries, you should as well. Listen to your body and most of all remember this your Camino.

Pilgrim, good advice but isn't it ironic that the same questions and answers continue to come up time and again? Someone should write a book with nothing more that questions and answers from seasoned peregrino's for those thinking about walking the Camino for the firs time.

 

[t2andreo]

The footwear questions come up repeatedly because many folks choose to use footwear they already own, or automatically buy their customary size, or they excuse away the advice given freely here. IMHO, here are the concrete aspects of Camino footwear:

1. All shoe style and manufacturers lasts run either smaller, true, or larger than the listed size. IMHO, there is no such thing as a perfect size 9, etc. I have shoes in my closet that run from 1/2 to 2 full sizes smaller than listed.

• You MUST try the shoes on wearing the socks you plan to wear on Camino.
• You really should add a further half-size more to allow for two pair of socks, or the actual socks you plan to wear.
• You should be able to wriggle and spread your toes in the toe box.
• Consider footwear that have a broad, high toe box. Keen boots are famous for this.

Basically, this amounts to a shoe or boot that is about one full size larger than the supposed size when considering them. This would be one full size MORE than the Bannock foot measuring device suggests. So, a size 9 becomes a size 10, etc. And many, including me, argue for additional space beyond that. But, I realize that ALL feet are different.

2. Many people fail to understand that their feet WILL swell from heat and long distance under load for several weeks. Some people do not have this issue. But, you know who you are, Caveat emptor...

• Walking the Camino every day is waaay different than being on campus or shopping in a city or mall setting.
• If your feet are prone to swelling at the end of a work day or full day wear shoes, you MUST add extra sizing for this expansion.

3. Too many people fail to understand the physics of foot travel in the shoe or boot, especially on a downhill. When you walk downhill, your feet slide forward in your shoes or boots. You can limit, but not stop, this tendency.

Forward motion is stopped only by (1) proper lacing, or (2) your foot striking the inside front of the 'toe box.'

• Repeated striking of the toe box causes: lost toenails, blisters, infection, bleeding, and 'black toe.'
• Avoid this by wearing shoes with enough space in the toe box, and learn to properly tie your shoes.
• See You Tube for videos on how to tie hiking boots.

Take a copy of this with you when you shop for shoes or boots. It will save a lot of pain and inconvenience later.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jomas]

Excellent advice from T2andreo.
Especially downhill your foot slips forward and with the weight of your body along with that of the backpack (however light you managed to do) urges unpredictably the foot. And even if you are not subject to blisters (like my case) if your shoe / boot is too "perfect as a size" you will have pains in the joints and bones that will prevent you from walking loose and quiet. Also bringing consequences to the rest of the physical state.
It happened to me coming down from the cruiz de fierro. And I was wearing a shoe with half a size more.
The descents are more demanding than the climbs.
ciao

 

[Malachiuri]

Foot architecture differences makes diligent footwear research absolutely necessary. Personally, because of the shape of my foot, I can't find a shoe that will work for me on steep downhill sections, regardless of size or lacing. My feet demand a low cut boot at minimum.

It is sooooo important to work these things out before departing. My failed 2017 CF was largely because I trained on mainly flat ground in my Merrell trail shoes and thought them adequate. Ended up with terrible foot pain, blisters and shin issues.

Spent 8 months researching my personal needs and in 2018 did the full CF with not a single blister or day of foot pain in my Merrell low boots.

 

[Kathar1na]

To enjoy the experience then you should be able to walk at least 4 hours a day without worrying too much about blisters for at least 5 to 6 days in a row.

That is often not emphasised enough. People with a largely sedentary lifestyle and no prior hiking or trekking experience often think that 30 separate days of walking (or even less!) is the same as 30 consecutive days of walking. After 5-15 days in Spain they realise that it's different.