I finally figured out why my feet were always killing me after day two on the trail

For years, I'd pack my boots super tight, thinking it gave me better control and stopped my feet from moving. I was doing the Wonderland Trail last September and by the second afternoon, my toes were numb and my heels were raw. Another hiker at camp saw me wincing while taking them off and just said, 'Dude, you're lacing them like ski boots.' He showed me how to leave the top two hooks loose to let my ankles flex and my feet swell. My next trip, a 4-day loop in the Sawtooths, felt like a whole new world. Has anyone else had a total game-changer with something as simple as how you tie your shoes?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_patel1mo ago

Man, the lacing thing is huge. I used to crank down my trail runners on every hike, thinking it locked my heel in. Did a 20-miler in the White Mountains and lost a toenail from the constant pressure. A guy at the hostel showed me the heel lock lace, where you skip a hole to make a loop. It sounds dumb but it totally changed downhill sections for me, my foot just stops sliding forward.

wells.olivia28d ago

That heel lock trick @elliot_patel mentioned is a game changer for sure. It's wild how many people don't know their shoes have that extra hole at the top just for that. Makes you wonder what other simple gear hacks we're all missing.

martinez.kim1mo ago

My old scoutmaster used to say your feet will swell a full size on a long hike. I read a blog by a guy who did the PCT and he swore by re-lacing his shoes at lunch every day, just loosening everything for a few minutes. It lets the blood flow back before things get too tight. Have you tried that on your longer trips?