Did your feet grow?

[Dirty Nails]

After a long hike, or just after years of hiking, have your feet grown???? I've heard reports of feet growing a full size or more after long distance hikes...permanently! I believe my feet have grow by a good half-size or more. I once could wear size 12 shoes, some models would need a 13. Now I can't wear anything smaller than 13, and in some lines or models they're not big enough.
I wondered if it's poor quality control now that everything is made over-seas (it seems). I found a very old pair of hiking shoes in the garage. They are 12, and I hiked well in them some 4-5 years ago. Now I can hardly get them on.
I worry about foot growth because any bigger, and I won't be able to buy "off the shelf". It's already tough to find 13 sometimes. I rarely ever see a 14 in the stores.
Have you experienced this???

[Rasty]

After a long hike, or just after years of hiking, have your feet grown???? I've heard reports of feet growing a full size or more after long distance hikes...permanently! I believe my feet have grow by a good half-size or more. I once could wear size 12 shoes, some models would need a 13. Now I can't wear anything smaller than 13, and in some lines or models they're not big enough.
I wondered if it's poor quality control now that everything is made over-seas (it seems). I found a very old pair of hiking shoes in the garage. They are 12, and I hiked well in them some 4-5 years ago. Now I can hardly get them on.
I worry about foot growth because any bigger, and I won't be able to buy "off the shelf". It's already tough to find 13 sometimes. I rarely ever see a 14 in the stores.
Have you experienced this???

My feet widened from standing at work. Went from a 10 to 10 double wide in a five year period.

[garlic08]

My feet grew a full size and went extra wide on my first thru hike, the PCT. Subsequent thru hikes did not cause any more expansion.

[Velvet Gooch]

Nope, but my heart grew three sizes

[shelb]

Nope, but my heart grew three sizes

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww

[ndwoods]

Ditto....Awwwww

Yes! Feet grew and widened!

[wcgornto]

No foot growth for me.

[stranger]

After a long hike, or just after years of hiking, have your feet grown???? I've heard reports of feet growing a full size or more after long distance hikes...permanently! I believe my feet have grow by a good half-size or more. I once could wear size 12 shoes, some models would need a 13. Now I can't wear anything smaller than 13, and in some lines or models they're not big enough.
I wondered if it's poor quality control now that everything is made over-seas (it seems). I found a very old pair of hiking shoes in the garage. They are 12, and I hiked well in them some 4-5 years ago. Now I can hardly get them on.
I worry about foot growth because any bigger, and I won't be able to buy "off the shelf". It's already tough to find 13 sometimes. I rarely ever see a 14 in the stores.
Have you experienced this???

Some people's feet swell on long hikes...some don't. My feet might swell a tad but nothing noticeable.

[Monkeywrench]

I went from a 14AAA to a 15A during my thru-hike. I thought I would escape this as my feet had already grown and widened a bit from several years of distance running, but they grew and widened even more during my thru.

Whatever. It's still better than sitting on the couch.

[soilman]

Went from a 10.5 D to a 11.5 E during and after my thru.

[Don H]

After my first few section hikes of 100 plus miles several years ago my feet had increased a full size. My thru-hike last year did not increase my foot size any further.

[English Stu]

I went up from UK 7 to 7.5 when I started marathon running now in 8.5 after long distance hiking. I think more accurately my feet only feel comfortable during day long hiking in something larger than I used to wear. My view is that your feet get more muscular and spread some, then when warm swell a bit.

[Miner]

My feet grew on the PCT. After a few months at home after finishing they shrank back some. I now wear a 1/2 size bigger and prefer a wider shoe then I did before my hike. It was interesting to come home and find that none of my shoes would fit. Replacement cost (many were dress shoes) is something that most people don't consider when calculating the cost of their hike.

[Tenderheart]

Mine grew a full size during my thru, and they were already so long that I had to go to the airport to turn around. Very annoying.

[Hoofit]

My feet grew a whole size in 1200 miles.....
Now , eithteen months later, they're still closer to twelve instead of eleven.
And my width has expanded too
Could be the Viagra of course......

[Minnitonka]

My feet have grown a 1/2 size and widened as well. Now I have really wide feet! Hey, maybe buying men's boots will be easier now that my feet are longer and wider.

[Cookerhiker]

My girlfriend's feet have grown 2 sizes since she first hike long-distance - Springer to Harpers Ferry in '04. Over the years since, she finished the AT, hiked the Superior Trail and other shorter hikes The growth has been gradual but quite pronounced.

On a long hike, I notice that my feet swell overnight such that putting on my shoes in the morning is a stuggle but within an hour, they're back to normal.

[SawnieRobertson]

It is so amazing. I would love to grow taller from my 5'0," but all growth has been in my feet (well, also hips, etc., but that's another story). When I got married at age 21, my shoe size was 5-1/2 B. After three babies and standing, teaching, for many years, my feet had "grown" (groaned) to 7-1/2 W. After hiking on the AT for 4 months, they became 8 to 8-1/2 W. --Kinnickinic

[moldy]

We need a foot doctor to ring in here. I don't think it is possible for perminent foot growth no matter what kind of testimony we have here to the contrary. I have read somewhere that steroid use can cause foot growth....but hiking?

[Blissful]

I wear big trail runners anyway, but my feet shrunk back to its normal 9 1/2 size a few months after my hikes.