If the Shoe Fits: Finding the Right Shoes for Hiking
If the Shoe Fits: Finding the Right Shoes for Hiking:
Hiking is one of the adventurous hobbies one can have. It comes with lots of excitement and thrill. Having the best quality hiking shoes is a must. One should never compromise on the quality of them. The reason is, during hiking, there puts lots of stress on your feet.
So it’s necessary to provide them comfort. Low-make shoes can increase the stress on them, and you would face pressure, which will make hiking challenging. The smallest difference in padding and the manufacturing materials can make a big effect on your hiking experience.
Other than this, hiking shoes help you keep yourself protect through terrible weather conditions. But the question is how to choose top-quality shoes for hiking?
You may be overwhelmed with the plethora of information available on the internet. It could be tough to break all information down into useful points. But worry no more, we at Freakyshoes.com has made this for you. We have structured the information which you can perceive easily.
How to Find the Right Shoes for Hiking
So without further ado, let’s get started!
Shoe Type
Make one thing clear; not all shoes are made of the same quality. You could find multiple types and styles at the market when it comes to hiking shoes. However, the only difference you would face is the design and functionality. But design and functionality is something not important much in comparison to support and padding. Yes, your hiking shoes should provide ultimate support and weather-resistance.
The two shoes of the same level of construction and padding can still feel different due to functionality and design. Maybe the one is wider enough as compared to the second one. This completely changes your experience. For instance, mountaineering boots are specially designed to provide enough insulation and grip. And above all, they go well above your ankle for extra protection. But the problem is they feel rigid and less flexible.
While on the other hand, day hiking boots are made with lightweight material and provide great comfort to your feet during hiking. The material use in manufacturing is breathable, which keeps your foot at comfort. But the con here is they lack in providing ultimate protection and physical durability.
The Fit
In my opinion, what matters the most is how a shoe fits on your foot. Yes, regardless of the design and functionality, if your shoes don’t fit well, they are useless. An uncomfortable shoe fit can affect your shoe and induce pain. However, if you don’t be careful enough, it might even end up causing damage to your feet. So not a chance to go with tight, and unfit shoes.
Just ignore the numbered sizes of shoes if you actually need a good fit. Although these provide a great guideline, this could slightly be inaccurate for hiking gear. Yes, it’s all due to the ponderousness of the hiking shoes, which could take up some of that space.
Similarly, padding plays an important role. If your new shoes feel stifling, and you might wearing warm material socks, then it could raise further problems.
Moreover, not all shoes are designed for your foot shape. Mostly people face this problem. The problem could be of any type, like the wrong kind of arch or heel support, etc., which could harm your foot.
Even if you have got a normal arch, you could still choose the wrong type of supporting material, which could make it tough for your foot to perform.
If you go with the bad fit, it could make it tough for your feet to breathe, so it’s wise to make a decision based on the right fit and right material.
Durability
Hiking is much intense than walking. You will put enormous stress over your feet while climbing high. Your feet would need to perform more in ruthless weather or on bumpy surfaces. A good quality hiking shoe will provide you great cushioning without damaging your feet. But keep it in mind, a soft material not always provide great protection and durability. You may have observed most rain-resistant boots use a lot of rubber; this provides shield to face harsh weather and cross difficult paths.
A perfect hiking shoe will provide your feet with safety without damaging it. However, it’s not only the material that requires to be durable. But you need to look for the stitching and the other things that hold the shoes together. The more prominent seams may result in fall apart while you are in the middle of a hike. Hiking shoes are needed to be durable enough to take on the demanding conditions than the most casual footwear.
Water-Resistance
Water is the biggest enemy of hiking shoes, and don’t ask me why. Water can change your game. It can harm your hiking shoes until they get to fall apart, can soak your socks to make your hiking experience terrible and uncomfortable. Other than this, it can cause damage to your skin. So looking for the best water-resistance hiking shoes is of utmost importance.
But remember, the terms ‘water resistance’ and being waterproof’ sound analogous, but don’t always mean the same thing. You could find various manufacturers who claim their products are water-resistant while referring to the materials. However, it means that the hiking shoes themselves won’t suffer water loss and may till outflow through onto feet.
Remember, if your hiking shoes wouldn’t be water-resistant or waterproofing, then you would end up getting blisters under your feet. So protecting your feet is necessary to enjoy your hiking experience. It is necessary to consider if you live in a wet or cold climate.
Your Skill Level!
It may sound irrelevant to the topic, but this is the most important thing to consider. Your experience and skill matter a lot. The hiking itself is all about great skills. No matter how expensive boots you own, if you fail at basic skills, then you end up having fractures or cramps. The most experienced hikers work on strengthening their certain body muscles to provide themselves natural foot support.
Beginners have to struggle for the arch and get extra cushioning from their hiking shoes, which results in wear and tear. Moreover, this unintentionally leads beginners to settle towards heavy, bulky boots, while the experienced ones will opt for lighter alternatives.
Conclusion:
There is no particular method to decide on the best style of shoe. It’s always good to understand the features and elements which are essential to you before making any purchase. You need to consider all points mentioned above before making a purchase. We hope this article will help you find the best hiking shoes.