Wednesday 18 April 2012


Tip 1
Footwear Part 1 Buying And Fitting

1st week- buying the correct boots

The most important piece of kit your going to need for your challenge is suitable footwear. Choosing the correct footwear can be difficult,  but I have a few recommendations to get you started.

Suitable footwear will include Boots or walking shoes, I do not recommend trainers.

Giving you a practical example, the beginning of the 10 mile challenge starts you at kings wood, in Winscombe, this particular area is very rocky, and uneven, so I recommend a walking boot which will give you good ankle support. It would be unfortunate to begin your challenge, and twist your ankle only 1 mile in. A boot that ties up to the ankle would be ideal, restricting the range of movement and providing you with the support you need.

For choosing the correct size, I recommend wearing the same walking socks that you will be using on your challenge day, this way you will get the correct fit first time. For beginner walkings I recommend double layered socks, helping to reduce blisters, and for more experience walkers I recommend merino, or coolmax walking socks.

You will need your footwear to be a comfortable fit for you, usually with enough room to wiggle your toes.

You should easily be able to find a good pair of walking boots for £34.99, anything less than this will in my experience sacrifice quality and comfort. Most good Outdoor clothing stores should also be able to provide you with a few types of socks to try on before you buy. 

Matt-Ryan



Tip 2
Footwear Part 2-Breaking In

Forget old wives tales, the best way to break your new footwear in properly is by wearing them. Try Walking up and down the stairs to begin with, and continue to wear them for about 1 hour, then give your feet a rest. Continue to use your footwear on short walks, ideally as part of your practice. A good recommendation would be the short walking routes located around westons woods/worlbury. At first your footwear may give you slight discomfort, but this will usually pass once you have fully broken your footwear in. If however you continue to feel uncomfortable, stop wearing them, give your feet a few days rest and then continue to break them in.

Always try to wear the same socks, which you would be wearing for your challenge, this will ensure your footwear is broken in properly for you socks, and will also allow you to get a feel for your new socks, and then be able to decide in good time as to wether or not the sock you have chosen are comfortable for you.

If you really are worried about getting blisters, then you can simply wrap your feet using zinc oxide tape. You can buy Zinc Oxide Tape for around £3.99 from most pharmacies. It is an excellent solution if you feel discomfort or rubbing in your footwear. Simply wrap around your heels, and anywhere your feeling rubbing. You can then wear your chosen socks over the tape. I personally tape my feet as a second precondition, your feet may not rub on a 5 mile walk, but after 10, 20 or even 30 miles even the toughest of feet can get blisters.

For any more advice, visit me in store at Mountain Warehouse Weston.
Matt-Ryan