About Footware, Socks and Lacing techniques
Measure your boots and gears so that your feet ara at best comfort while hiking upto 7-8 hours per day.Know about your foot
7 out of 10 hikers wear poorly fitted boots and don't even know it. That adds up to a lot of unnecessary blisters and sore feet for some, even sore knees and ankles. The solution is simple. Learn proper footwear fitting and you'll kiss sore feet goodbye.then Know about your Boots
Lots of trekkers practice five rules when choosing boots:
Dont forget to know something about socks
A quick primer on choosing the right hiking sock:You probably don't even consider it "gear," right? Well, think again. Would you put a set of wooden caveman wheels on your brand new Land Rover? Or, shingle the roof of your new house with cardboard? Then why jeopardize the performance of your fancy new boots with a pair of junky socks?
Good socks keep your feet happier and healthier. They provide cushioning, wick sweat, keep your little piggies warm and dry, fine-tune your boot fit, and reduce friction inside your boot (less blisters!).
Common Lacing Techniques
The standard lacing technique works well for many people but not everybody. Correct lacing is taut, but not too tight, from the toe up to the top of the boot or shoe. There should be no loose lacing and the lacing should contact the boot evenly and firmly.
Below are a few tried-and-true techniques. Use this as a starting point and experiment with your own.
Loop: If laces are slipping on a hook, lace "down" a hook instead of "up" creating a loop.
D-ring lock: By bringing the lace around through the eyelet from the top, pressure is applied on the lace.
Overhand knot: The most common means of locking off tension below the knot.
Surgeon's knot: this is a very secure means of locking off any chosen tension below the knot.
Marathon loop: Improves heel lock for low-cut shoes.
Other lacing techniques
Cuff Pressure
To eliminate lower skin irritation, finish the lacing by bringing the laces over the top of the hooks before tying the bow knot.
Low Volume
To improve performance with lower-volume or narrow feet, utilize on one or more of the "locking" techniques to hold the foot securely in place without causing excessive pressure or irritation.
High Instep
To reduce pressure over the instep, simply skip crossing the laces over the sensitive area sometimes associated with having a high instep. It's a good idea to use with a locking procedure before and after. As shown here.
Boot Heel Lock
To distribute pressure create a loop between two hooks and pass the lace from above and through, then continue upward.