Feet: do they ever stop being sore?

[damnhawk]

Problem: Sore/achy feet after hiking some distance

• Weight/pack
  
  • 20-30 lbs in REI flash 45
  
  
• Shoes
  
  • Altra Lone Peak 2.0
  • New Balance minimus trail runners, mt1010v2
  
  
• distance
  
  • 8-9 miles in to a 20-25 mile hike
  
  
• trekking poles in use
• Hiking weekends currently
  
  • 10-20 miles a day
  
  
• Florida trails
  
  • soft sand to hard pack to road walk

Does this slight bit of soreness go away, it really saps energy in the later miles. or is this simply my feet building strength as i admit, i've been slacking on hiking this winter.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

-Hawk

[MuddyWaters]

My feet have been sore before after high mileage days in a row. They always feel 100% the next morning

[ChrisJackson]

Temperature is a big factor for me. All winter long my feet were pretty good 'till it began to warm up. On warmer days in my winter socks...feet began to ache terribly. So, for me, this is a definite signal to change my sock type for the season.

[damnhawk]

Never thought that socks would have an impact!


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[gbolt]

Some of it is conditioning the Feet and general soreness does go away like any other part of the body. However, you may want to switch to another more supportive pair of footware and see if that helps.

New Balance minimus are not really training shoes but more competition runners. They rely on the build and pull of the laces to support the arch and foot structure. I loved the feel of them but knew that if I didn't train in another pair of shoes, I would probably end up with "shin splints" just hiking in those to start after the decreased miles of winter. My feet are pretty normal but age has caused me to place "Green Feet" into some of my shoes to battle a case of "Plantar Fasciatis". I moved away from the NB Minimus for the time being; yet, they will remain in the back of my mind as a possiblility for mid states on a Thru-Hike.

My opinion (not really insightful, lol) is to start with a more standard footbox for the first 100 miles or so of the season. I was impressed with Red Beards video that discussed the Brooks Cascadia 8. I myself have always been partial to Merrils and if my old ones finally bite the dust, I had my eye on the Moab series. Also, looking at the Chemeleon because of the lighter weight.

Shoes choice is so personal, try them on and make the best decision you can and maybe don't give up on the New Balance but shift them to a later time period. It is one thing I have learned that is different between "Runners" vs. "Hikers"; runners keep track of miles on each pair of shoes they own and they usually have more than just one pair.

P.S. Hiking 10-20 miles is no small feet!

[ChrisJackson]

Never thought that socks would have an impact!


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Yeah, I think if my feet aren't ventilating...they will swell, and the ache starts. Great thread. We'll probably get a lot of good advice on it.

[damnhawk]

The NB are trashed after about 100 miles. The Altra lone peaks are the current choice. I have a too small pair of Moab's. They are supportive!


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[damnhawk]

P.S. Hiking 10-20 miles is no small feet!

Thanks! Florida is flat... I maxed at about 13 miles on a section hike of the AT.


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[Spirit Walker]

Changing shoes and/or getting insoles could help. How old are your shoes? After a while, all shoes lose support, even if they don't look trashed. For some that's after 500 miles, for some only 200 or so. As your feet get stronger, you'll be able to go more miles without serious pain. You may always have some pain at the end of the day, but as long as you can do most of your hiking pain free, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you are in constant pain, then you'll need to look at what else might be happening.

[damnhawk]

The altras might have about 100 miles on them. And I'd say it's more soreness than pain or anything.

I was mostly wondering if the soreness starts later in the day the more I put the miles in.


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[wornoutboots]

Sounds like a zero is needed? Or back the mileage down a bit until your feet adjust. Good socks are very important! Good Luck!! ~Boots~

[Pedaling Fool]

My feet always hurt every time I started a new activity. When I first got into cycling my feet started hurting after my first 60-mile ride and the pain didn't go away until about 2 years later. I was an occasional hiker until 2006 when I started my thru and the foot pain lasted until about the 700-mile point. Then when I started running in 2007 the foot pains returned...

All you can do is what the coach says: Walk it off.

[Smokestack]

Lots of good advice - and not so good - in response to your question. Every foot is different, yada yada yada. But I do a ton of day hiking down here in PB county (10-20 miles each trip) and maybe can help.

Socks: After trying the usual options, I've found that sock liners work best. That won't make the soreness go away, but they sure feel good as the temperatures start going up.

Shoes: I've done a few hundred miles with the NB mt1010v2. Thought my feet would "grow into shape" with them. WRONG! The tongue constantly shifts, pulling the uppers out of line and causing your feet to twist. Also, there is not enough underfoot protection for our hard pack / broken asphalt trails (ie the Apoxee parking lot!). Best I've found that covers everything from canal walks to marsh wading to the O2L is the Saucony Xodus (and CHEAP, too) - but I usually carry Keen sandals and put them on for longer wet work. Merrell Moabs are ok, but too hot and rigid.

Poles: Absolutely! You need something to chase the raccoons and ferrel pigs away - and to pick your path through the pig patches.

You've been SLACKING this winter? You mean you like to pound ground in the SUMMER? Here? My kind of hiker! These mountain hikers don't realize how tough it is to do 3 miles in knee deep water at 95 degrees!

[damnhawk]

Sounds like a zero is needed? Or back the mileage down a bit until your feet adjust. Good socks are very important! Good Luck!! ~Boots~

Cant really zero on the type of hiking we do in Florida, generally just weekend stuff. and im actually planning a 3 day thru of the ocean to lake in Florida this weekend, 63 miles!

All you can do is what the coach says: Walk it off.

thats what im gathering!

...I do a ton of day hiking down here in PB county (10-20 miles each trip) and maybe can help...

Socks: After trying the usual options, I've found that sock liners work best. That won't make the soreness go away, but they sure feel good as the temperatures start going up.

Shoes: I've done a few hundred miles with the NB mt1010v2...

You've been SLACKING this winter? You mean you like to pound ground in the SUMMER? Here? My kind of hiker! These mountain hikers don't realize how tough it is to do 3 miles in knee deep water at 95 degrees!

Smoke, drop me a PM and we can link up the social groups I hike with.

• Socks: im using a mid-weight wool sock, worked well in the winter, but i guess i need to get some lightweight versions.
• Shoes: the NB have a torn lug on the heel, they only exist in my closest for an emergency spare, or to do big cypress and get really beat up.
• Slacking: I've been a bit of a crash test dummy since buying a mnt bike and an unrelated sprained ankle.

[Lyle]

In my experience, Backpacking = Sore Feet at the end of the day. Doesn't matter how long you have been hiking, or how conditioned you are. Since trail runners have become the norm this is MUCH LESS of a problem. Old-style, full leather boots were notoriously brutal, no matter how much you paid for them.

That is one of the things I miss from backpacking (but not willing to go back to ) is the absolute ecstasy one felt when one took off their boots at the end of the day. Nothing today compares!

Today, I find if at breaks I remove my boots and socks, air/dry/massage my feet throughout the day, the end of the day soreness is greatly reduced. Along with the lighter packs we carry, your feet should not be agonizingly sore. Try some better insoles. Original equipment insoles in most shoes are crap. I believe the manufacturers must assume folks will replace them.

Good Luck.

[Traveler]

For what its worth, when my feet start to hurt its usually associated with flat ground walking. This can be on pavement, hardpan, or just flat treadway for miles. When there is some modest up and down involved, it seems I don't get that level of foot pain. The pain (more an ache really) tends to go away overnight when I get it. Could be if you added some climbs and descents you would fare better.

[colorado_rob]

Obviously everyone is quite different, but for another data point in my case at least, even though I hike all the time, probably closing in on 20,000 trail miles total, the answer is, and pretty much has always been: No.

While hiking my feet are always a little sore, sometime fairly sore, but always manageable. Thankfully, never ever any blisters (in the last 20 years, at least), I think this is the one foot aspect that you can eliminate, simply by hiking a lot and wearing proper socks and shoes/boots.

FWIW: for a couple years I had fairly extreme soreness, getting worse, I finally got it checked out, it was Metatarsalgia (inflamed metatarsals, the tendons running along the bottom of your feet). Actual medical orthodics (as opposed to over-the-counter inserts) nearly instantly cured that extreme soreness, after that it was back to "normal soreness".

I don't seem to notice any difference in foot soreness when I wear my "trail runners" (most of the time) vs. fairly substantial boots (for snow climbs and general winter hiking). My "trail runners" have a fairly substantial stiff sole (merrell chameleons). When I try to wear "regular" trail runners (like NB trail runners), my feet do get substantially more sore on long days. The stiff sole Merrells seem to help a lot, again, just my own situation, and just another data point.

[colorado_rob]

For what its worth, when my feet start to hurt its usually associated with flat ground walking. This can be on pavement, hardpan, or just flat treadway for miles. When there is some modest up and down involved, it seems I don't get that level of foot pain...

this is so very true for myself and lots of my ultra-hike friends as well, in fact our typical training regimen for upcoming ultra hikes (for example, our Grand Canyon Rim-rim-rim in early April) involve walking long miles on completely flat trails around our city (Denver, flattest city I've ever seen). We've found 20-25 flat miles (extremely tough to do) equals 35-40+ hilly miles in terms of foot soreness. Hard to believe, but true (in our case).

[damnhawk]

Over the weekend I hiked 48.2 miles of the Ocean to Lake Trail in Florida. 2 days where in the 20 mile range and my feet killed at the end of the day, but seemed perfect by morning. Got picked up by a trail angel around mile 10 for the day, as my pace was putting the end time way later than I needed.

Funny thing this morning was how sore my feet were on the tile of my apt. I totally must've bruised them pushing like that.

Need to press on with day hikes to build the strength in the feet it seems.


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[fredmugs]

I tried switching from Moab Ventilators to lighter NB models and find they are no good when carrying any weight. I have several models including 1210s and they are pretty much only good for slacking. You should check out the Hoka line of shoes. Very comfortable but unfortunately for me they do not come in wide widths. Speaking of wide widths you may want to get a wider width shoe that you would normally wear for just walking.