will the nike wildhorse 3 solve all of life's problems?

Nick, your shoe had a face!

Wait, that seems off. I had something for this about outrunning a flat footed vegetarian in flip flops …

ben – I think we’ve reached a consensus. Try them on.  : )

Time for a cheeseburger.

hey all

well, i bought a pair of the aforementioned wildhorse and finally had a chance to give them a try.

they fit me well: snug-ish in the heel and midfoot while open and comfortable at the toes.

they have aggressive lugs and handled different surfaces well.

they feel substantial, and like they will last many miles.

i don’t love stiff rock plates, and the plate, or “air”, or “zoom”, whatever it is that makes these stiff was a bit of a downer for me. that’s entirely personal preference.

for some reason i couldn’t figure out, i was started to get a hot spot on the bottom of my left toe after 8 miles or so. maybe a bit of dirt or rock?

ultimately, i did not fall in love with the wildhorse, but they are well thought out, fit my feet well, and will be perfect for folks that want a stiffer/more protected feel.

Ben – Thanks for the notes from the field. I wonder if a seam or some adhesive was rubbing that toe?

Justin said “The issue with the brannock device is it measures width at the ball of the foot, not at the ends of the toes. So you can get wide shoes with aggressively tapering toe boxes that are terrible for foot health. In my experience most people with “wide” feet need it mostly in the toe area and not as much in the heel or midfoot.”

That is my problem exactly.  A brannock tells me I am size 13 standard width or possibly 2E width.  But my toes are squared off and much wider than standard or 2E.  I typically buy 14 4E to get the toe box large enough to support my toes.  But when I do that, I have to cinch down on the lacing to keep the ball of my foot from sliding back and forth.

I’m currently using the NB Leadville V3 in 14 4E and have been having good results.  Anytime I have tried on Altras or other wide-toe-box shoes, they have not been wide enough though.  Still trying.

A brannock tells me I am size 13 standard width or possibly 2E width.  But my toes are squared off and much wider than standard or 2E. 
That is the problem with trying to use a single number (OK, 2) to describe something as variable as a foot. Personal fitting is needed as well.

But, you may be missing a small detail here. After you have been walking for a few hours your feet will swell up a bit. This is a very well known fact. So we always recommend that you measure your feet and then go up one size. Sounds as though you did just that. We also recommend thick wool socks, with the Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks (available through Amazon) being a favourite. What socks were you wearing?

Cheers

I’m wearing Darn Tough Light Hikers, but also use very thin coolmax Injinji’s as liner socks due to my propensity to get blisters between my toes.  This has worked very well lately, along with some pre-taping of known problem areas (on my little toes and my pronounced pointy heels).

I’m sizing up mainly for extra volume in the footbox, though the extra length/volume is helpful after long days.  My toes curl in on themselves (probably from years of fitting in to an undersized toe box) leaving a crease callous on the bottom pads of my little toes.  This can be a painful blister prone area when I get blisters under the callous, or just over the entire little toe.

Ahh what fun.  I have often considered making my own footwear for fun and profit.

Socks: I use the thickest Boot Socks with thin nylon Wigwam Gobi liners. Not sure about the Coolmax Injinjis as they have extra stuff between the toes, and that has always given me problems.

a crease callous on the bottom pads of my little toes.  This can be a painful blister prone area when I get blisters under the callous, or just over the entire little toe.
In my experience, blisters there mean the shoe was too narow in that region. Skin is being squuezed and rubbed too much. Definitely painful!

 I have often considered making my own footwear for fun and profit.
Fun, maybe. Profit ? ? ? ?

Cheers

Mike – I started applying Bonnie’s Balms Healing Salve the evening prior to hiking to mitigate blisters and maceration. It’s a big help. Also, you might try using a pumice stone to gently remove those callouses during your home time.

Roger – On the sock topic, I’ve tried thicker socks, but I switched to thin merino wool blend socks as they help keep my feet drier, and are much quicker to dry after washing in the field. I guess my feet are tough enough that whatever cushioning I’ve lost isn’t missed. How do you deal with thick, wet/dirty socks on the trail?

Hi Hilight

Thick socks: I like thick wool socks: they protect my feet.
Wet socks: I wear them until they are dry (but see ‘dirty’)
Dirty socks: I wash them in a creek to rinse any dirt or sand or mud out. This is fairly important, as dirt damages the socks and can damage my feet.

Dry feet: we never worry about this at all. When we are river walking – walking up a river bed IN the river, it is meaningless.

Cheers

Roger – Thanks for the reply. I know you like thick wool socks, or you wouldn’t wear them. : )

I’ll still wear thick woolies in winter, where I need the insulation, and my feet are less prone to sweating. I think part of the reason thin ones work well for me in 3-season conditions is that my feet do tend to sweat a lot, leading to wet stinky socks, or wet clean socks – I’ve waited a few days to dry a pair of them on my pack.

Maybe those Darn Tough socks dry faster than what I’ve used. What socks do you recommend for winter?

I too, use Bonnie’s Balms each night and each morning. I wear a thin synthetic wicking layer against my skin, and a thin, short merino sock on top. This helps it to weigh less and dry faster.

For shoes, I have stayed exclusively with zero drop, and I find that only the shoes with a wide, stubby toe box works for me. My second toes are almost as long as my big toe and I like to spread my toes out as I walk. As a result, anything with a taper at the toe area causes purple toenails and blisters.

My go to shoe has been the Merrell Trail Glove (17 oz for the pair)…was very happy with the Glove 2, but I wore a couple pairs out and bought the new Glove 3 and have had problems with purple toenails again because they are more tapered than the previous. It’s quite frustrating. I’ve tried two other shoes and only had to wear them for 30 miles before I realized I was about to lose some toenails. I do feel the rocky ground and every once in awhile it can be a touch painful, but I do like the feedback.

I’m not sure how to solve this issue honestly. I’d love suggestions.

What socks do you recommend for winter?
Well, we usually use one of these most of the year around (yes, inc summer):
Darn Tough Vermont Men’s 1/4 Merino Wool Cushion Hiking Socks
Darn Tough Men’s Merino Wool Hiker Boot Sock Full Cushion Socks
Darn Tough Men’s Merino Wool Hiking Socks
These days we get them from Amazon: gear shops only sell the cheapest they can buy.

In winter we would wear the same, unless we are skiing or snowshoeing. Then we might replace the thin nylon liner socks with something a bit thicker and woolen. But that means we sometimes have to go up a half shoe size (still 4E) to handle the thicker socks.

Cheers

I have the possumdown socks. I’ve hiked with them in the winter. They are warm and puffy, but I worry that my feet slip around in them. I’m thinking they are better for sleeping in.

Thanks for the sock tips. I need some new winter footwear, so finding better winter socks was on the list.

Darn Tough for me as well. Fantastic warranty. Found in all the gear shops here.