My lower back seems to have improved after a few hours' sleep, but my right foot is no better this morning. It's not so much that my foot feels achy: it feels injured, as I found out just now when I got out of bed to use the bathroom. That being the case, I suspect it wouldn't be a good idea to keep walking on it, so for reasons of practicality, I'm calling it quits for this experimental walk. It sucks to do this, but with the real walk so close, I now need time to heal. What could have been the cause of this problem? Probably the Skechers. They're the only variable that's different this time around. I'll keep them as my backup pair of shoes on the big walk, but they'll only see the light of day if there's an emergency.
More later as I continue to ponder the problem.
7 comments:
Kevin,
Have you never thought about using real hiking shoes? To attempt a walk like you’re doing, in Skechers, seems crazy (I’m not intending to offend you btw). I use Salomon walking shoes, but there are plenty of alternatives:
https://www.salomon.com/en-gb/shop-emea/product/x-ultra-4-mid-gore-tex-21.html#color=47961
These type of shoe/boot are intended for the type of hike you’re about to undertake.
Well, saying "have you never thought" is a bit condescending, but to answer your question: I have indeed thought about what shoes I wear on long walks. Your question assumes I've been walking heedlessly all these years. I'm sure you can see how that might be insulting.
You might need to remember that the walk I'm doing is not really a hike in a classical sense: I'm not going over rough terrain. The path is a bike trail, so it's mostly smooth and paved. The Salomon shoe (I took a look at the page and the accompanying video) is not appropriate for that kind of walk: it's a trail-walking shoe. It'd be too stiff, and possibly too bulky, for my purposes. And as I've said many times over the course of previous walks, the only brand that has really worked with my feet is New Balance. I've tried many other brands and have learned not to trust them. So at this point, I would have my doubts about yet other unfamiliar brand.
Sorry to hear that you had to abort (just reading this now after the holiday weekend). I think I expressed my skepticism of Skechers previously. Not that they aren't great shoes for just generally walking around in--I have a pair that I often wear when I walk to and from the office (5k round trip)--but they're not really long-distance walking shoes, even over flat ground. I think you're doing the right thing in putting them aside (and presumably going back to the good old NBs).
Charles,
I think I inadvertently found the Skechers' limits. They're good for intermittent long distance, but not for day-after-day pounding.
Yep, apologies for the wording, my fault.
Pete,
For my part, I'm sorry for being testy. Peace?
I think I owe you a further explanation.
What you said re: Skechers reflects what other commenters have also said. While the Skechers started off as surprisingly comfortable (which hasn't been the case with most shoes I've tried), it seems they've reached a limit: I can use them for 33K walks as long as those walks are spaced weeks apart, but Skechers are no good for constant pounding happening days in a row. 64K over two consecutive days was too much.
Regarding the shoes you recommended: I don't doubt they're good all-terrainers for uneven trails, but I've tried trail-hiking shoes like Merrells before, and it's always ended badly, usually with the tops of my feet becoming severely irritated. Such shoes are meant for the greater demands of rough terrain, but what I'm doing isn't true hiking: I'm merely walking along a country-length bike path. All I need is a fairly sturdy-but-flexible walking shoe that'll last me the 633 km of the Four Rivers trail. New Balances have fit the bill every time since 2017.
(Skechers, by contrast, were a recent recommendation from my boss; I expressed doubts from the get-go, but he insisted that he swore by them. Problem is, my boss isn't a distance walker. Still, I kept an open mind and was initially surprised by how immediately comfortable the Skechers were.)
Full disclosure: even with NBs, I still end up with blisters, often within a week of starting my walk. But in terms of long-term pain, wear and tear, etc., New Balances still come out on top for me. I'm not shilling for the brand as if NBs were objectively the best shoe; I'm sure they aren't. But they've proven to be the best shoe for me, hence my brand loyalty.
So if it seems I'm rejecting suggestions out of hand, it's not that I'm trying to be an arrogant asshole (even if I come off that way); it's more that I've been through many different shoes, from Nike to Reebok, and have come to certain firm conclusions based on those experiences. If Salomons work for you, then God bless you.
No worries Kevin, my wording was not good, thank you for accepting my apology. I’ll be following your walk on the blog, and I hope it goes well!
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