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
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