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re salomon spoke to guy who recommended cosmic (545) or quest (550) -which make did you get? there is a ladies comet 3D but clearly not the same stability weighs 480 (size5) do get boots a size larger as your feet get warmI am having some problems with getting footwear that suits my feet. The boots I had for the last 6 months have been giving me knee pain. I was advised to get Salamon boots which I did a few weeks ago. They are very supportive but they are so heavy. Each boot weighs 550gms which feels like I am carrying weights on my feet every time I walk. I have found some Salamon boots that are not quite as high but are much lighter and still have a firm sole. My thoughts are to go with the lighter boots but due to the fact that they are quite expensive I wanted to get the thoughts of people who have walked the Camino.
I have the comet 3D but they weigh 1100gms. The ones I am looking at are X ultra mid GTX.re salomon spoke to guy who recommended cosmic (545) or quest (550) -which make did you get? there is a ladies comet 3D but clearly not the same stability weighs 480 (size5) do get boots a size larger as your feet get warm
have you tried them on yet?I
I have the comet 3D but they weigh 1100gms. The ones I am looking at are X ultra mid GTX.
Yes. I tried them in the shop today. The lighter ones feel so much better and they do still have a good solid sole although a little more flexibility than the ones I have at the moment. They are just heavy and rigid.have you tried them on yet?
Thanks David force advice. Unfortunately I leave in 16 days so need to get this organised ASAP. Don't have a lot of time to visit other shops. I am thinking I will go for the lighter ones as I am really struggling wi the heavy pair I have. It feels like someone has tied weights to my feet when I walk.Boots - so tricky, so personal .... you know, you get pilgrims out there in all sorts of footwear - boots, shoes, trainers, plimsoles, sandals, crocs .... haven't seen clogs yet ..
some (most) wear boots but others say it is just a walk and go with their usual trainers .... tricky ... the Camino is very rough in places so a good footbed is a must, otherwise your feet will really hurt.
Expense doesn't always mean best, or best for you. Hi-Tec are a good company .. I have ridiculously wide feet - clowns ain't in it! - and find the Sierra lites are excellent, made on a wide last - well made, light, and a fraction of the price of the 'top of the range' manufacturers.
I would say go for light where you can - go to a shop that has a foot measuring pad, then buy one size up as your feet will swell - and go to as many shops as you can and try on everything!
Good luck - it really can be a tricky decision!!
Shoes are the most important equipment choice, no doubt. Even if you pick the wrong pack (too small, too large) you can always get rid of stuff or something to compensate. You can always throw away a hat or poncho and get another one. Shoes on the other hand, if you pick the wrong ones there will be a lot of pain involved, and possibly injuries (stress fractures, etc).
Right now I'm debating on whether to go with a pair of Merrell trail shoes or my good old Brooks runners.
I never see New Balance listed. ... Oh, and they're waterproof but we all know the Camino doesn't pay much attention to that!
I walked half the camino in old comfy Vasque mid weight mid height boots, when the sole came off, I bought the most comfortable ones I could find that day, black and waterproof - zero problems with them. I've spent 3 months trying lighter ones, and have happily settled on Merrell Siren Sport 2, low, breathable and a lot less in weight. I would be mentally at least uncomfortable in trainers because of those rocky paths, so I'm looking forward to using these. So as long as they're really comfortable, put an innersole in and make sure they're plenty big enough, I would get them. When I worked in a mountaineering store our rule of thumb was to be able to slide a finger down behind your heel, and your toes should then just about touch the front when you wiggle them. Make sure you kick your heel down into the heel counter before you lace them. If they're comfortably snug in the heel and instep and you can move your toes all around they should be ok. Good luck! And buen caminoI am having some problems with getting footwear that suits my feet. The boots I had for the last 6 months have been giving me knee pain. I was advised to get Salamon boots which I did a few weeks ago. They are very supportive but they are so heavy. Each boot weighs 550gms which feels like I am carrying weights on my feet every time I walk. I have found some Salamon boots that are not quite as high but are much lighter and still have a firm sole. My thoughts are to go with the lighter boots but due to the fact that they are quite expensive I wanted to get the thoughts of people who have walked the Camino.
In July, my daughter and I walked from Leon to Santiago - I wore Keene's boots, and she wore Brooks tennis shoes. I had HORRIBLE blisters for nearly the whole time, but she had none. When we got to Sarria, a shoe shop said that the blisters were caused by moisture and heat, which the boots promoted. They said the part of the walk starting at Leon does not need boots, and I found that to be true. I have always been a real fanatic about ankle support, etc., but the lady at the shoe shop fitted me with Teva sandals, which I would have sworn I could never wear on even a short hike, but they worked wonderfully for the blisters (although I was still in pain, the blisters didn't get worse,) and I walked the next 50-plus miles in them. If I were to do the walk again I would wear tennis shoes for sure, if it is during the warmer months.I am having some problems with getting footwear that suits my feet. The boots I had for the last 6 months have been giving me knee pain. I was advised to get Salamon boots which I did a few weeks ago. They are very supportive but they are so heavy. Each boot weighs 550gms which feels like I am carrying weights on my feet every time I walk. I have found some Salamon boots that are not quite as high but are much lighter and still have a firm sole. My thoughts are to go with the lighter boots but due to the fact that they are quite expensive I wanted to get the thoughts of people who have walked the Camino.
Actually Kanga they worked fine in both hot and cool weather. I just switched socks depending on how hot or cool I thought it would be. Look Ma, no blisters!New Balance make some great shoes and they suit lots of people. Just think about the waterproof aspect; if you are walking in warm weather you want shoes that don't make your feet sweat. And, regardless of what the marketers say, a lining that is waterproof will not be as breathable as some others. But fine in winter and cold weather or if you don't feel the heat or sweat much.
Dave,I have massively wide duck feet and find that New Balance is one of the few vendors that make 4E widths. That being said, I'm trying to break in a heavier pair of leather hiking boots right now. Since I won't be there until September I have a bit of time if I want to switch things up.
Hi - it's good to hear someone with medical training weigh in on all of this. Out of more than idle curiosity, do you agree with obinjatoo's comment that wearing a stiff boot can potentially lead to more problems? That was my analysis too after my walk - my feet were constantly really swollen, which has never happened to me before. Did five weeks not flexing my ankles very much contribute to this? They started to swell after about 3 days, then got worse and worse. Took me over 2 months when I got home to get them back to normal, and that included doing foot exercises (bending up and down, circles in both directions) daily. That's why I've just switched to lighter low boots. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this if you don't mind - thank you, CherryHi all. I'm planning to walk the Camino in late August/Sept 2015. It feels a long way off but it has been great reading so many of your posts which is the next best thing to being there.
I'm also a Podiatrist so I take a special interest in discussions concerning footwear & lower limb injuries. I love the discussions on footwear & do agree that it is incredibly "individual specific". The ideal is to plan a long way out & trial footwear. Obviously, until you walk 30+ days in a row you wont really know. I also acknowledge those who have walked 30+ days bring a knowledge that I don't have so Im learning from you as well.
Specifically regards knee pain, that will be affected by many things including:
- previous knee injury
- current state of knee strength/health
- your biomechanics from the hip to your foot (how you walk)
- footwear -> supportive/unsupportive, high cut/low cut, flexible/rigid sole
I have a pair of Teva sand lies for the nights. They are great.In July, my daughter and I walked from Leon to Santiago - I wore Keene's boots, and she wore Brooks tennis shoes. I had HORRIBLE blisters for nearly the whole time, but she had none. When we got to Sarria, a shoe shop said that the blisters were caused by moisture and heat, which the boots promoted. They said the part of the walk starting at Leon does not need boots, and I found that to be true. I have always been a real fanatic about ankle support, etc., but the lady at the shoe shop fitted me with Teva sandals, which I would have sworn I could never wear on even a short hike, but they worked wonderfully for the blisters (although I was still in pain, the blisters didn't get worse,) and I walked the next 50-plus miles in them. If I were to do the walk again I would wear tennis shoes for sure, if it is during the warmer months.
That's how I feel Lisa. I have spent so much money on shoes and they are not right. It s a pain that you don't really get the feel of them till you walk out with them and then you can't take me back. Hopefully I might be able to sell the ones I won't be using.Hey Mark.
I bought over five pairs of shoes before my second Camino. I wasted so much money. In the end I took my Brooks addiction which I have used for over a decade. And they were awesome.
Trust in your feet and what you know already works for you.
I didn't to start off with and got myself in to such a muddle. .....a very expensive one.
So true Mark. My daughter is training to be a podiatrist and she came with me to look at the new shoes. My problem is technically not knee pain but a pain below the knee on the outside, where the tendons etc meet. I am sure that biomechanics have a lot to do with my walking.Hi all. I'm planning to walk the Camino in late August/Sept 2015. It feels a long way off but it has been great reading so many of your posts which is the next best thing to being there.
I'm also a Podiatrist so I take a special interest in discussions concerning footwear & lower limb injuries. I love the discussions on footwear & do agree that it is incredibly "individual specific". The ideal is to plan a long way out & trial footwear. Obviously, until you walk 30+ days in a row you wont really know. I also acknowledge those who have walked 30+ days bring a knowledge that I don't have so Im learning from you as well.
Specifically regards knee pain, that will be affected by many things including:
- previous knee injury
- current state of knee strength/health
- your biomechanics from the hip to your foot (how you walk)
- footwear -> supportive/unsupportive, high cut/low cut, flexible/rigid sole
We do sometimes recommend a rigid sole as this can encourage a "smoother weight" transition which can be helpful for people who have arthritic changes in the ankle & foot. A rigid sole can sometimes be referred to as a "rocker sole" where it tends to be rigid & has a curve from heel to toe.
BUT, having practiced for over 22 years, you learn more & more that EVERYONE is an individual & what works for one dos not work for another.
She is in 3rd year at Latrobe.Firstly I hope your Camino experience is everything & more than hope you for.
Where is your daughter studying Issy? All the best to her too.
That's a great place to study - hope she's enjoying itShe is in 3rd year at Latrobe.
Agreed Kanga. I was recommended these very sturdy and rigid shoes. They are so rigid I get the feeling if I fell over my shoes would not move. They feel like wearing ski boots. Every time I walk in them my feet are so sore. Know I could not walk the Camino in them. Loving this forum to get other peoples advice who have actually walked the Camino.So true Mark. A rigid shoe was recommended for me (by a conclave of "experts" in a specialist shop, not a podiatrist) and after a week or so they were agony. I had to stop every couple of paces and wriggle my foot and toes.
I do think unexpected things happen on such a long walk. If you haven't walked the Camino yet you are in for a professional treat! Take lots of photos of Camino feet and you could claim the trip as a tax deduction. Although, if you don't want to be inundated with requests for free professional attention don't tell people what you do.
She is loving it Mark. I think 2nd year was a little stressful but this year she is doing more practical and loving it. She had done a podiatry assistant course a few years ago and had worked for a podiatrist in Melbourne. It is so nice to have my own podiatrist to do my feet and nails before I leave.That's a great place to study - hope she's enjoying it
I have New Balance WP leather hiking boots that are very comfortable. However, after they are not very breathable and I am worried about getting blisters. My Camino walk with be from mid-Sept to mid-October and I am wondering if it is necessary for WP boots. Can anyone offer some advice?OK, I'll weigh in again. If you like running shoes don't bother to read this. I never see New Balance listed. That's probably because they're made in Maine! The ones I wore (410g) are no longer made anymore but the following two are pretty close, one lighter and one heavier: 959 (382g) and 956 (468g). They both have the ADZORB tech which makes you feel as if you're walking on a mattress and super lateral stability for those rocks. The 956 has the metal loop shoelaces which I prefer but they're heavier. Almost a tradeoff but I like the metal loop laces as they give an even snugness when laced. Oh, and they're waterproof but we all know the Camino doesn't pay much attention to that!
Hi Janet,I have New Balance WP leather hiking boots that are very comfortable. However, after they are not very breathable and I am worried about getting blisters. My Camino walk with be from mid-Sept to mid-October and I am wondering if it is necessary for WP boots. Can anyone offer some advice?
I am on my way to pick up my hand made leather boots by Esatto Boots which were highly recommended on a Camino forum about a month ago. They will definitely be heavier, but they will be a perfect fit with enough room in the tow box and a place for the bone spurs near my big toes. I will have a couple of months to break them in. I sure hope they work.
I have to get some boots/shoes for my camino and was interested in your comment here , however I have a plate in my ankle (outside) and arthritis in the inside ankle due to a dislocation so I am nervous about this purchase and take on board what you say about the sole and sizing but worried about the ankle support I am a small/medium frame and have small ankles and big feet! So am worrying about not having the ankle fully supported? Thoughts???A boot or shoe should be comfortable out of the box. I go mostly with a sturdy low top now. They make me more mindful of walking and where I put my feet. A sturdy sole is probably the most important aspect to ankle support. Unless you have real problems there. I was a guide in the mountains of the Inner Mountain West of the US for years and always wore high, stiff boots. After 10 years of carrying a stupid heavy pack, I began having problems with my feet. They were spreading and I was needing a bigger size every year or so and my arch was collapsing. Finally, someone explained that the muscles in my feet were beginning to atrophy because my boots were so stiff. I switched to a lighter, softer low top and the problems have resolved. I've gone back down a full size ( feet still spread with age), my feet are stronger and healthier and do not get so fatigued after walking all day. Feet also need to breathe. Air em out once a day while walking. Let them cool off, stick them in water, love them, massage them. Buy them roses and chocolate. Ok, that's too much but you get the idea.
I have to get some boots/shoes for my camino and was interested in your comment here , however I have a plate in my ankle (outside) and arthritis in the inside ankle due to a dislocation so I am nervous about this purchase and take on board what you say about the sole and sizing but worried about the ankle support I am a small/medium frame and have small ankles and big feet! So am worrying about not having the ankle fully supported? Thoughts???
Thank you for all your good advice, tomorrow I am going to cycle to Exeter and do a mass try on of footwear -I have always been in boots which incidentally is how I came to break and dislocate my ankle in the first place, so I am going to look at shoes now.... more on that subject laterAnnie, I'm not a fan of boots either, but everyone has different needs. I'm not sure how it works in the UK but in Australia podiatrists are very well qualified - rigorous science based university degrees followed by post graduate training. If you have similarly qualified people in the UK I would go and see one - preferably someone with experience in sports medicine - and get professional advice. Don't rely on this forum. Or salesmen in a hiking store, no matter how good they seem. It is important to explain to the podiatrist what you need the shoes for - but that involves a look at your feet and gait and an accurate picture of the Camino. It is not mountain climbing. It is not rock hopping. It is not nearly as difficult as a bushwalk here. Very few people need boots. For the most part you are walking on well formed paths in reasonably gentle country. It is the distance and repetitive movement that makes the Camino arduous, not the ground. There are a few more difficult bits with loose scree, and for those I'd advise you to get some walking poles and learn how to use them properly. They are far more likely to save your ankles than boots or shoes.
And for the record I've never understood how boots gave "ankle support" unless they come up so high they completely enclose the ankle - and that could lead to tendonitis which definitely will stop your Camino.
I go back to my old advice - if you already have walking shoes you find comfortable, take them!
Annie, I'm not a fan of boots either, but everyone has different needs. I'm not sure how it works in the UK but in Australia podiatrists are very well qualified - rigorous science based university degrees followed by post graduate training. If you have similarly qualified people in the UK I would go and see one - preferably someone with experience in sports medicine - and get professional advice. Don't rely on this forum. Or salesmen in a hiking store, no matter how good they seem. It is important to explain to the podiatrist what you need the shoes for - but that involves a look at your feet and gait and an accurate picture of the Camino. It is not mountain climbing. It is not rock hopping. It is not nearly as difficult as a bushwalk here. Very few people need boots. For the most part you are walking on well formed paths in reasonably gentle country. It is the distance and repetitive movement that makes the Camino arduous, not the ground. There are a few more difficult bits with loose scree, and for those I'd advise you to get some walking poles and learn how to use them properly. They are far more likely to save your ankles than boots or shoes.
And for the record I've never understood how boots gave "ankle support" unless they come up so high they completely enclose the ankle - and that could lead to tendonitis which definitely will stop your Camino.
I go back to my old advice - if you already have walking shoes you find comfortable, take them!
I suggest you strongly consider trainers (Asics, Brooks, or similar). No need to haul all that extra weight across Spain and no break in time required. If they do get wet, for whatever reason, stuff newspaper inside overnight and all will be well. This has worked for us for several thousand Camino miles. Buen Camino!I am having some problems with getting footwear that suits my feet. The boots I had for the last 6 months have been giving me knee pain. I was advised to get Salamon boots which I did a few weeks ago. They are very supportive but they are so heavy. Each boot weighs 550gms which feels like I am carrying weights on my feet every time I walk. I have found some Salamon boots that are not quite as high but are much lighter and still have a firm sole. My thoughts are to go with the lighter boots but due to the fact that they are quite expensive I wanted to get the thoughts of people who have walked the Camino.
I went ahead and purchased a pair of boots right off the batAnnie, I'm not a fan of boots either, but everyone has different needs. I'm not sure how it works in the UK but in Australia podiatrists are very well qualified - rigorous science based university degrees followed by post graduate training. If you have similarly qualified people in the UK I would go and see one - preferably someone with experience in sports medicine - and get professional advice. Don't rely on this forum. Or salesmen in a hiking store, no matter how good they seem. It is important to explain to the podiatrist what you need the shoes for - but that involves a look at your feet and gait and an accurate picture of the Camino. It is not mountain climbing. It is not rock hopping. It is not nearly as difficult as a bushwalk here. Very few people need boots. For the most part you are walking on well formed paths in reasonably gentle country. It is the distance and repetitive movement that makes the Camino arduous, not the ground. There are a few more difficult bits with loose scree, and for those I'd advise you to get some walking poles and learn how to use them properly. They are far more likely to save your ankles than boots or shoes.
And for the record I've never understood how boots gave "ankle support" unless they come up so high they completely enclose the ankle - and that could lead to tendonitis which definitely will stop your Camino.
I go back to my old advice - if you already have walking shoes you find comfortable, take them!
David, as for your comment about "shoe shops", I haven't darkened their doors in decades. The internet has been my friend for many years, catalogs for years before that.
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