Hiking shoes

So far this season I have been quite active on the hiking trails.  It has quickly become apparent, however, that I did not begin the season with adequate footwear nor the funds to purchase new hiking boots.  So, instead I have been progressing through my current shoe supply searching for something adequate to get me through in the short term.  Results have been less than successful.

  The first and most logical option were the hiking boots that were given to me at the end of last summer.  Been wearing them all winter so they oughta be broken in and any issues should have been discovered already.  Right?  Not a chance.  A 15 mile Stiles Creek Cabin hike plus 5 miles on the road to get back to the truck resulted in both feet red, raw, and covered in blisters.  I did have a pretty sweet limp to show for it though.  These have since been retired from hiking duties.

Option #2 also hand me downs from the same guy that gave me the boots.  Wore these on the 15 mile Granite Tors hike and sure enough also gave me blisters, not quite as many as the boots but definite, painful blisters.  A pattern emerges.  Second option is retired.  I"m beginning to run out of options.

Option #3 has been with me for years but had never seen a trail until the Angel Rocks to Chena Hot Springs hike last week.  After 8.7 miles of trail the soles of each shoe detached from the toe but not a single blister.  Could have a winner but first shoe goo, lots of shoe goo.  One draw back to these was too soft of a sole so definitely started to notice a little foot soreness by the end but nothing near so bad as the experience with either of the previous options. 

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Option #4 are Teva's and there are some noteable drawbacks.  Everything from rose bushes getting caught between soles of feet and soles of sandal and ripping out before you can notice anything but sudden pain; to your feet getting wet and then sliding around on the sandal's sole.  Luckily feet are tough.  And there's very little material to cause blisters.  My feet made it through this 13 mile hike on the Chena Dome trail in the best condition yet this spring.  Unfortunately my left knee was causing me quite a bit of pain and I'm not sure what to blame that on.

  So after four hikes and four different pairs of shoes it looks like Teva's win until more appropriate footwear is attainable.  I did guide day hikes at UAF Outdoor Adventuers in Teva's but I was carrying very little weight on my back.  Recently I've been working on getting into better shape and thus carrying a weekend pack on each hike.  Causes a little more wear and tear on the old feet. 

I think that if it weren't for adversity life would be pretty boring.  If everything was smooth, nothing would be noteable and life itself would be monotonous.  Instead shit goes wrong every single day and we get to laugh at our own misfortune and enjoy the memory of slogging through the occasional swamp of misery life provides. 

Personally I can't wait to experience what kind of destruction my next hike provides for my feet.  Maybe they'll be unscathed and if so, the sheer bliss of painlessness will be a euphoria unequaled.