I recently started backpacking using inov-8 trail runners (specifically the roclite 280). I go running (up to 10 miles on my weekly long run) in these all the time and they feel great. I’ve done some intense day hikes (with a light pack) and they also held up well.
This past week, I’ve done quite a bit of backpacking using these shoes for the first time. My pack is around 28 pounds total.
I’m having a problem with toe bang on my left big toe. After 35 miles, the bottom 2/3 of my left big toenail is bruised and starting to blacken. The shoes honestly feel great while I’m backpacking in them, with the exception that if I stub my foot on a hard root or rock (happens sometimes when I’m going downhill), I’ll feel a really sharp pain (more than is normal for stubbing a foot on a rock) that subsided after a minute or so. I just chalked it up to the fact that the inov-8’s are much thinner than some of the approach shoes I’ve backpacked in.
But I was just at REI today and found out my shoes might actually be too small. I generally wear a size 8 (men’s) running shoe, with my regular shoes either 7 or 7.5. I know, I know I have tiny feet. I’ve never had a problem with size 8 running shoes before, and I run quite a lot. When measured barefoot, I was about an 8. This was a couple hours after I finished a two-day backpacking trip, so I don’t know if that plays into sizing at all.
I know the bruised toenail points to my shoes being too small, but I guess I’m just a bit confused. I’ve ordered a half size up in the inov-8 in the meantime, since I really do love them. In the meantime though, I’m just wondering how I could possibly have been wearing running shoes that were supposedly too tight this whole time. Like I said, I have zero problems running long distances in them. I have no pain or discomfort anywhere except the big toe on my left foot, which gets toe bang on descending. And, probably the most obvious part, it doesn’t FEEL like the shoe is too tight, though perhaps it’s been too tight for so long I’ve just adapted to it, that’s the only thing I can think of
I have a short backpacking trip this weekend and unfortunately the new shoes won’t be here in time, so I’ll have to make do with these. I’ll try lacing a bit tighter and actually using the extra lace hole that I haven’t been using.
Any tips or thoughts in the meantime, though?
