There have been a few problems in the foot department. My seemingly very comfy Salomon Slippers were, last weekend, not to put too fine a point on it, incredibly uncomfortable! At the coinciding point of the fold of the bellows tongue and one of the metal eyelet hooks I suffered from a fierce bit of pressure that just got worse and worse, no matter how I tied the boot or adjusted the tongue / sock combination. This made my right ankle very sore after only two moderate days of walking.
Not good. In fact no good at all with fourteen days of the TGO Challenge coming up.
I resorted to slipping on my comfy old pair of Scarpa Nepals, rescued from their hiding place in the downstairs loo (why on earth do I keep my boots in the loo? I don't know) to nip around the village delivering election leaflets. Just to get them back to the idea of a walk - it's been a while for the dears. But, No!
Disaster!
They seem to be a good full size too small! They squeeze and bunch up my tootsies! Have my plates suddenly taken on a new growth spurt? Now then; there could be one really good side effect to this sudden spurt of growth hormones, as everything is supposed to be in proportion to the size of your feet. I think that I was right at the back of the queue on that score when they were handed out... But no. A good look in the bathroom mirror suggests there has been no corresponding surge in growth on that front...
What to do?
So, it's lunch at Don Pasqualez in Cambridge, to strengthen and fortify my shopping genes and then I am straight off out to the outdoor emporia.
I find myself embarrassed: I have come home with some gurly plimsolls.
Lord Elpus is coming round with Miss Whiplash for a spot of lunch tomorrow. Hopefully by the end of the afternoon the ribbing may have subsided.
You should have got some waterproof Gore-Tex socks and unlined trail shoes. Apart from that good choice. You are positively going gear mad. Like the travel tap and must get one. Inov-8 always is a good choice. You will glide over the hills at this rate. Andy Howell will be worried his kit is too heavy the way you are going :)
ReplyDeleteFor what my comment is worth, because you are already in possession of the tootsie protectors.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with Martin. Gore-tex socks and unlined shoes is the way to go. Keeps the trench foot at bay and the shoes dry out faster.
The GT socks Sheila got from Rutland cycling are top dollar. Far better than Sealskinz.
The travel tap is First Class piece of kit. Great for peace of mind and stomach.
So you like walking with wet feet, Alan?
ReplyDeletePersonally I prefer waterproof boots and X-socks. Makes for extreme comfort. Waterproof socks are fine for a day out in leaky old boots, but they don't exactly dry quickly.
S'pose it's down to personal preference though; all the contributors to this post are hardly novices.
My experience with Inov-8 is diametrically opposite to that of the other Martin BTW - ie c**p.
I knew you'd come around sooner or later me old mucka! You will not be disappointed save for the rate of wear and tear perhaps?
ReplyDeleteI think you'll be fine with the lined version in my view but lined or unlined is usually a natural progression or personal thing.
Now to get out and give them some stick....
I love them girlie slippers! I completed the 2009 Challenge in those unlined Terrocs, plus a pair of Sealskinz. This combo enabled my elephant feet to stride effortlessly through swollen rivers and across soggy bogs, while those who were conventionally shod were doing that hazardous stepping-stone shuffle. And all this convenience was blister free as a bonus. The tread is a bit soft but at that price they're disposable!
ReplyDeleteI'll show you 'gurly'- see my bright blue Flyrocs on my blog!
ReplyDeleteMy God! The shock...
ReplyDelete*has to lie down*
Inov8s???
Well, bloody good choice, IMO :)
I confess I wouldn't have gone for the waterproof ones myself, but I know why you did. I must get my Terroc 308s, then, and we'll both be wearing new Inov8s on the Challenge.
I really hope you like them. Of course they're not perfect, and your feet will not always be bone dry, but I hope you'll feel that the benefits of really light, grippy trailshoes outweigh the disadvantages, in La Analysis Finale.
Martin, Alan: Thanks for your comments - but i have tried Gore-Tex socks and just couldn't get on with them at all - my gurly feet are too narrow for them and the socks end up in incredibly uncomfortable folds. I have tried all manner of makes and have also tried seal-skinz too - all a ghastly baggy fit! So; Gore-Tex lined shoes are the last option to try to keep feet moderately dry for a while, at least. The good thing abut the Terrocs is that they don't seem to have too much upper to dry out.
ReplyDeleteMartin: (Free Ranger...) Don't go sitting on any fences now. Say what you really think!
Dude: I shall be giving them some stick! Probably as much as I'll get from Lord Elpus when he finds out what I am gong to have on my feet...
Des: I guess you could never put me down as an 'early adopter'...
Gibson: My word! Those Flyrocs are very.... "pretty?"
PW: Exactly - it's all about compromise - I shall just have to see if my walk isn't compromised by this radical (for me) choice!
With my Salomon's I've taken for granted comfortable feet. Hope the Inov-8's work. If they are comfortable, that's all that matters. Good luck.
ReplyDeletep.s. Speaking of 'grippy'--or lack of it--I have a monster swollen bruise on the inside of my left knee that has 'dripped' almost all the way down to my ankle! Impressive. I have another one on the outside of my right knee, but that ones' not quite as large. I was lucky!
ReplyDeleteWord = mandlowi. I take that as a hint to make sure I've got some good old Barry M. on my Challenge mp3 player. G'won. You know you want some too...
Alan - all the best with the GTX Terrocs! Depending on how they fit ie. how roomy they are, you might be able to wear socks with a high percentage of merino wool for both warmth and padding. I'll be wearing Inov-8 Roclite 370 (unlined) boots again this year, with either merino wool socks or a pair of Sealskins depending on what the weather is like from day to day. Used this combo last year and not a blister throughout the Challenge!
ReplyDeleteRobin: Spot on, as usual. Thank you.
ReplyDeletePW: That was quite a purler you took! Take lots of Ardbeg to deaden the pain. I shall pass on the Manilow, if you don't mind though! :-)
HHTIID: I am wearing them with liners and full fat Merino socks. They have just taken me around the Hemingford Round safely! Phew!