FITTING SHOES

james, i have the same problem with my boots fitting great on the flat and uphill, but when i start hiking alot of down hills i have problems with my toes hitting the fronts of my boots. i don't ever get blisters as i use 5 day anti-perspirant pads from walgreens, on my feet before i start, to keep them dry. if it's just (just, i guess isn't the right word) with blisters try that. otherwise, not sure besides putting an extra insole or better one in your boots. i know i really don't want to have to dish out more money for a new pair of boots either…

Where do you get blisters at?

The big thing is that your feet change shape on long walks. If you thru-hike, they will change more or less permanently.

That said, the biggest change will be the length of your feet. Most folks gain about one size. And that happens pretty fast – a few long days.

Toe bumping is a direct result of shoes that are too short or that let the feet slide forward – usually the former.

The second change is in the width of the foot across the ball. The ratio of heel width to ball width will change. Unfortunately, getting wider shoes rarely helps because the heels of the wider shoes will also be wider while your heels will not. Some brands and models will fit better than others, so you may need to change brand or model.

The arches could be sagging and the feet flattening. I have yet to find any shoe or boot that prevents this.

Good insoles can help. They should be in the $30-40 range off-the-shelf. I use Superfeet and bought a new set yesterday.

Movement in the foot is somewhat complex. The Superfeet website actually has some decent info. I imagine info on self-help physical therapy should be easy enough to find. The next step may be a visit to the podiatrist.

I find that many more musculo-skeletal issues can improve than conventional wisdom may claim. Keep trying.

Chris,
I was using Inov8 Roclite 315’s and Wool-e-ator socks. I cleaned my feet nightly, and applied Hydropel in the mornings before starting out, and then to hot spots during the day. First, what appeared to be toe-bumps showed up. Various toes on each foot were affected. I bought the Inov8’s one half size larger, and pretty much know that I need to go ½ size larger still.
Then I got one blister on the side of my foot just behind where the big toe attaches, and one on the outside upper edge of my heel. The toe bumps I wrapped with Leukotape, and the latter blisters I treated with 2nd Skin. Those two blisters grew as the trip progressed, with the heel blister growing beyond the 2nd Skin.
Reading all of the excellent replies leads me to believe that I just need to experiment and learn my feet. The problem is getting the time to do 2-3 consecutive 20’s mile days in order for the phenomenon to repeat.
Jim

I understand. It took me a while to find the right combination of shoes and socks and sizes to the point to where I never get blisters when it's dry of course I've only done 2 consecutive high mileage days so far. Failure to coat my heels with Hydropel in downstorms and I still get them there but that's the exception. The shoes I wear are actually 1.5 sizes larger than what those foot measuring things say my size should be but they fit great.