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Shoes/Boots For Walking in England and Wales
- Thread starter artnbarb
- Start date
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
Poles are certainly popular and the sort of thing that can be easily bought once over here.
FWIW the brains of the operation had a pair of poles confiscated at an airport security check, despite having been allowed on the outbound flight. Thus finding a pair that collapse down far enough to fit inside your hold luggage would save you suffering the same fate.
FWIW the brains of the operation had a pair of poles confiscated at an airport security check, despite having been allowed on the outbound flight. Thus finding a pair that collapse down far enough to fit inside your hold luggage would save you suffering the same fate.
Cameron
500+ Posts
Hi Patrick,
My late husband had the same issue when hiking downhill. To help prevent this, look at this website and scroll down to "Heel Locking Position" for how to tie your laces to keep your foot in place. Also, you may want to replace your insoles before you hike downhill again, in case the arch support is now flatter from your last downhill hike. There are also hiking socks with more padding on the toes. I prefer Thorlos (due to wool allergy), but my husband preferred SmartWool. Hope this is helpful.
How to Lace Walking Boots (also helpful for lacing narrow and wide feet)
Joana
10+ Posts
When we went to Scotland last September, I wore my Clarks "Wave Walk" walking shoes. They're sturdy and provided good traction and arch support for all the walking we did. (If we had been hiking mountains, I might have chosen boots.) The bonus was that the shoes took up less luggage space than boots.
PatrickLondon
100+ Posts
Yes, I've done the lacing thing already. I like Clarks generally for my broader feet, so I might check those out. For the kind of downhill walking we're doing these days, high-sided ankle supports might not be so necessary.
jonathan
100+ Posts
I'm just reviving this walking poles/footwear thread from a few months ago because, thanks to a retweet by @veronicafrance , I've just read a useful blogpost by Steve Cracknell which nicely fits in with my own beliefs:
http://www.pyreneanway.com/2017/06/zimmer-frame-takes-flight/?lang=en
http://www.pyreneanway.com/2017/06/zimmer-frame-takes-flight/?lang=en
PatrickLondon
100+ Posts
FWIW, I'm just back from my walking holiday in Austria, doing much the same walks as gave me bruised toenails last year - but not this year. The combination of foam toe protector tubes, and a new pair of softer-top shoes with those lacing tips, seems to have done the trick.
veronicafrance
100+ Posts
Thanks Jonathan. Have a read of the funny article about walking poles that a commenter on the blog post linked to as well
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
I like the idea of walking sticks and lighter shoes!
jonathan
100+ Posts
WonderfulThanks Jonathan. Have a read of the funny article about walking poles that a commenter on the blog post linked to as well
(BTW, I'd never realised that SC was Mr VY...)veronicafrance
100+ Posts
A state secret :-DWonderful
Pauline
Forums Admin
That is the shoe that Steve wears and he loves the boot version. Merrell just came out with a redesign of that shoe. They did this with the women's Siren also, but I don't like it as much as the old design (which I wore for years and years until they stopped making my size). I did buy it and am wearing it.
PatrickLondon
100+ Posts
I'm all for walking poles in the right circumstances - you can use them to give yourself a bit more of an uphill push, and they are invaluable as an extra pair of brakes downhill, especially on steep and loose surfaces - even the widest forest road in Austria can turn out to be lethal if the gravel/scree on it is looser than it looks. But one does feel a bit silly on a more ordinarily level path.
jonathan
100+ Posts
Agreed - especially the aspect of greater security on tricky descents. As I've said before, any mountain goat will testify that four points of contact with the ground give more stability than two...
And yes, poles can look a bit silly on level ground (where I tend to collapse mine and hold them in one hand). There is, however, the growing tribe of 'Nordic Walkers' to be seen in many urban parks these days, using their poles with pride!
And yes, poles can look a bit silly on level ground (where I tend to collapse mine and hold them in one hand). There is, however, the growing tribe of 'Nordic Walkers' to be seen in many urban parks these days, using their poles with pride!
veronicafrance
100+ Posts
PatrickLondon
100+ Posts
Hmm.. that looks a bit over-aggressive for the kind of downhill walking I've been doing - risk of going too fast and ending up going base over apex. Whereas Nordic walking on the level tends to look a bit like what someone once described as "Here's me, me bum'll be along in a minute"; but elegance tends to be the last thing on one's mind in such situations.
Pauline
Forums Admin
I've recently discovered Oboz hiking shoes/boots and love them (made in Bozeman Montana). Rohan and Millets sell them in the UK. I have a hard time finding my size (women's 8.5 - it seems like very few UK women have feet larger than 8 which is 10 in the US) but managed to find two pairs on Amazon. So I have a good pair for winter and a lightweight one for summer.
I really wanted their Sawtooth summer model but none were in my size. Yesterday, scrolling around Amazon for the 100th time, I found a pair in my size. Today I wore them. Fabulous! A bit more sturdy, but still a light shoes. These are going to Switzerland in August!
You can see that they are a bit wide for me (I have laced them tight to make them more narrow) but all shoes are like this for me.
Merrells are great and both Steve and I have worn them for years, but in the past few years they have been inconsistent and they stopped having my size in the models I wore. I still have 3 pair that I wear all the time and one pair that lives in the garage because I can't throw them out - they were the most comfortable shoes I've ever had (and they stopped making them).
I really wanted their Sawtooth summer model but none were in my size. Yesterday, scrolling around Amazon for the 100th time, I found a pair in my size. Today I wore them. Fabulous! A bit more sturdy, but still a light shoes. These are going to Switzerland in August!
Pauline's feet
You can see that they are a bit wide for me (I have laced them tight to make them more narrow) but all shoes are like this for me.
Merrells are great and both Steve and I have worn them for years, but in the past few years they have been inconsistent and they stopped having my size in the models I wore. I still have 3 pair that I wear all the time and one pair that lives in the garage because I can't throw them out - they were the most comfortable shoes I've ever had (and they stopped making them).
SusanSeattle
100+ Posts
I went to college in Bozeman! I'll have to check these out.