Boot opinions?

[Karl Blanchard]

Do you do alot of hiking outside of hunting season? Or running? Are you on a trail or alot of sidehill?  Proper footwear will only get you so far, if your feet are going from strolling in the park to tackling the mountain no amount of support will prepare them for the beating they are recieving. I hate running, but it does wonders for my feet as far as soreness and fatigue go. I don't pound out cameron hanes mileage but even an easy jog a few times a week will keep the bones and tendons strong. If you are conditioning frequently and  been running a well fittting system, then a custom orthotic sounds like  the next logical step.

  very good advice.  One of the big reasons I still run.

[JLS]

What is the location of the pain, specifically?  Ball, heel, insole, nerve, tendon?

Mostly the ball. I get a little on the back of the heel once in awhile but I think that is due to a little bit of slippage. usually put mole skin on that if it acts up. But the ball really gets sore especially when hiking down.

The Superset might be lifting your heel a bit too much, or the arch is too high.  Is the soreness a hot spot or an ache?

[BULLBLASTER]

I have ankle and foot issues and tried and tried boots year after year and nothing worked correctly. I tried all kinds of foot beds and I soles also.
My feet pronate badly and I have tendinitis in my arch.

I finally bit the bullet and called lathrop and sons and did their custom boot system. They put me into lowa bighorn hunters and their synergy foot soles. I am very pleased with the service and the boots. When I got the boots I opened the box laced them up and immediately went on a 4 mile hike with 65# pack and my feet were great.
May be another option. I know it worked really well for me. 

[180-GRAIN]

What is the location of the pain, specifically?  Ball, heel, insole, nerve, tendon?

Mostly the ball. I get a little on the back of the heel once in awhile but I think that is due to a little bit of slippage. usually put mole skin on that if it acts up. But the ball really gets sore especially when hiking down.

The Superset might be lifting your heel a bit too much, or the arch is too high.  Is the soreness a hot spot or an ache?

The soreness usually ends up being both.

[180-GRAIN]

Do you do alot of hiking outside of hunting season? Or running? Are you on a trail or alot of sidehill?  Proper footwear will only get you so far, if your feet are going from strolling in the park to tackling the mountain no amount of support will prepare them for the beating they are recieving. I hate running, but it does wonders for my feet as far as soreness and fatigue go. I don't pound out cameron hanes mileage but even an easy jog a few times a week will keep the bones and tendons strong. If you are conditioning frequently and  been running a well fittting system, then a custom orthotic sounds like  the next logical step.

  very good advice.  One of the big reasons I still run.

I don't run at all to be honest unless im chasing my 2 year old  . My main workout is on a stairmaster stepmill I bought from golds gym when they closed down. It gets me in shape for the mountains and helps me shed any extra weight I want but I don't think it builds any foot toughness 

[180-GRAIN]

I have ankle and foot issues and tried and tried boots year after year and nothing worked correctly. I tried all kinds of foot beds and I soles also.
My feet pronate badly and I have tendinitis in my arch.

I finally bit the bullet and called lathrop and sons and did their custom boot system. They put me into lowa bighorn hunters and their synergy foot soles. I am very pleased with the service and the boots. When I got the boots I opened the box laced them up and immediately went on a 4 mile hike with 65# pack and my feet were great.
May be another option. I know it worked really well for me. 

Man sounds like just what I need to try. I have put a lot of money into boots over the last few years it starts to really get frustrating. The wife is not to impressed anymore when I tell her I need a new pair of boots  . I may try these guys out.

[Wetwoodshunter]

Lathrop and Sons do a custom sole that you can have made that will map your feet, they help to a point, but you might not have time to get them done if you are looking for insoles by September, additionally they are around $100 to have made. If you put a lot of miles in on rough terrain your feet will start to hurt, almost feel like a bruise on the bottom regardless of what you do to train them. I did the High Divide and 7 Lakes Basin last weekend and my feet were like you describe, that trail is really rocky. For me its weird, as long as I don't have blisters by the time I wake up my feet are back to 100%.

The right socks also help quite a bit, I will probably be doing a sock review sometime after elk season. I have been switching through Smartwool PHD lite hikers, Smartwoll PHD Outdoor Relia Wool, Darn Tough Socks Via Ferrata Boot Cushion, Lorpen Midweight Hikers, and ordered some from First Lite yesterday. In short, the Darn Tough Socks Via Ferrata and Smartwool PHD Relia may help you out, they both have awesome cushion, but both are warm socks and you may need to switch pairs mid day. My personal favorite are the Smartwool PHD lite hikers, they are a thin sock with a little bit of cushion in the toes and heel with minimal in the arch. Personally, I would stay away from the Lorpen socks, the wool blend that they use is course compared to the others and give me blisters when the others do not.

I additionally went around in circles this year looking for the right boot for my feet and I tried Crispi's Idaho GTX and I think I may be the only person who doesn't like them, they created pressure points on the top of my feet where the last eyelets are attached. Boots are one of those things where you cant take someone else's favorite pick and expect them to work out for you. That being said I currently am using Lowa Renegades, they are super lightweight, have great support and the wides fit my foot well. (8.5 EE)

Lastly, if you have heel slip there are multiple ways to combat this, it does not always mean that your boot is not the correct fit for you. There are multiple different types of binds that offer way more support to your heel than with a conventional criss cross lacing style knot. If I did it right here is a link to something on backpacker that shows some additional ways you can lace your boots to bind your ankles in place better.  Take some time and try a few of these out and see if it helps you out, I use the 3rd one when I want more support. (Boot Heel Lock)
http://www.backpacker.com/gear/footwear/hiking-boots/common-hiking-boot-lacing-techniques/3/

[Okanagan]

180-GRAIN, Sounds to me like you are a candidate for some custom boots.  You may have already spent enough to go that route.

A minority of people have feet shaped differently enough from the standard boot lasts and standard boot shape patterns that they will almost never find a really good fit, even with after-market inserts, foot pads, etc.  For years I worked with a wilderness hiking outfit where we led two week backpacking trips one after another.  One of my co-workers had constant foot trouble with blisters etc. until he finally had Danner build him a custom pair of boots.  Fabulous fit!  Foot problems over.  His feet were non-standard with dimensions like a size 11 front end and size 7 heel (or something odd like that) and each foot was a different size.  He went to the factory where they measured his feet every which way and built a pair of boots to fit the shape of his feet.  I don't know if Danner still does that but somebody does. 

[Don_D]

For me Danner boots have been pretty decent. I am disabled and my mobility is real bad though but they have been pretty good boots for the money and they were comfortable enough that I wore them quite a bit before the season.

[JLS]

180,

You didn't say what size you wear?  If you wear a size 13, buy the SOLE insoles and try them.  If they don't work, I'll buy them from you.

You might also be lacing your boots too tight across the instep.  I don't really snug mine up all that tight, if they fit right you shouldn't need to under most circumstances.

[b0bbyg]

Have you tried any light mountaineering boots. I wear the lowa GTX mountain pro. My feet are a little on the wider side and these fit well. I also have pretty tough feet. These boots are either bright red or green so I smeared charcoal on them to get ride of the brightness.

Good luck
Jason

I have not tried the lowas yet. Is there someplace I can try these on or do I have to order online?

I have been wearing lowas for the last 4 years. Got mine at REI and they swapped me out for free after the first pair started leaking.
Right now I have custom orthotics that I wear when working or around town, when I hit the woods no insert just the boots and they do fine.  I think it is the concrete jungle that causes me the most issues. In the woods I am usually fine without custom insoles.

[Shawn Ryan]

I'm not a boot expert, but have had significant foot problems solved by good advice.

 Stiffer shank in the boot? Might help with the foot bottom soreness. Hot spots are created by friction, which is usually a fit issue. Boot fit has as much to do with foot volume as it does with length and width. That is best solved by picking a brand whose general volume standards match your foot. You need a good boot seller to advise on that. Socks can help some, but have their limits.

I've never heard of anyone who used Lathrop complain. Probably out there, just not in my universe.

A temporary solution for hot spots is duct tape wide enough so the edges are not in the area that is slipping. Reduces friction, but is not a great long-term solution.

[Curly]

I haven't seen it discussed on this thread, but I'm wondering if the problems with hot and sweaty feet are increased due to the boots having Gore-Tex?  I know my feet do better in boots without Gore-Tex.  I know Gore-Tex is supposed to breath, but it seems to me that it doesn't really breath all that well and especially over time it seems that the pores would get blocked which would lead to hot and sweaty feet. 

Any thoughts on boots with Gore-Tex? 

[JLS]

Any thoughts on boots with Gore-Tex? 

I've worn both leather lined w/o Goretex and Goretex.  The leather lined w/o Goretex are definitely cooler and more comfortable.

[trapp01]

Have you tried any light mountaineering boots. I wear the lowa GTX mountain pro. My feet are a little on the wider side and these fit well. I also have pretty tough feet. These boots are either bright red or green so I smeared charcoal on them to get ride of the brightness.

Good luck
Jason

I have not tried the lowas yet. Is there someplace I can try these on or do I have to order online?

REI has them in stock. They're pretty spends from rei ($400) but after shopping around on eBay and seirra trading post I got mine down to $230