Emergency last minute boot/shoe change! Size question...

[Sebastian Cohen]

So, this is turning into a little bit of an emergency. After walking in my Salomon GTX trail running shoes, it has become clear to me that my feet are not a good match to these specific shoes.

After walking them in gradually for three weeks, I have developed tendonitis in both achilles tendons to varying degree. The left is worse and I have developed the "lump" on it (which is a sign of tendonitis).

They are the low kind but they are higher than normal shoes and running shoes. The back heel is higher and the sole is similarly stiff as regular hiking boots. When rolling the foot, the stiffness in the show has "nowhere too go" and it ends up rubbing my achilles the wrong way. My guess is that it has irritated the area for some time before I actually felt anything. I'm confident I was able to stop before it developed into a full blown problem, at least that is what I am hoping for.

I have been taking Voltaren for one week and there is no longer any pain. I have been massaging the area and doing concentric exercises. They still feel "irritated" but there is no pain or swelling...or lump. This all helps and I'm no longer in total despair that I won't be able to start the Camino after all.

I have found shoes that :

a) does not seem be reviewers on Amazon and the likes to require a great deal of "walking inn".
b) They are also the high type and therefor will not affect my tendons in the same way as the other shoes.

THE QUESTION IS THIS : when it is advised that people walk the camino on one shoe size bigger then they regularly use, what EXCACTLY does this mean? Say if I use size 40 (euro) should I go for 41? Or is 40.5 sufficient? The same (but not correlating with the previous size exactly) in UK would be normal size 7 and use size 8? Or size 7.5?

Things like this happens, can't do anything about that. But I'll do my best to make it work.

PS : chip in if you have any thoughts on me starting the Camino at all this early in recovery. I'll be off Voltaren after tonight and plan starting the camino on tuesday. Is it sufficient?? That, is the question....

 

[C clearly]

This question about buying shoes larger than normal always causes heated debates. There is no exact agreed recommendation! Personally, I use my "normal" size, but I always wear shoes that are roomy enough. For normal use, if i wanted to wear a half size (US) smaller, I probably could.

I shop first for the right shape of shoe - the most important factor. Then I test different sizes with different socks, and buy the biggest size that seems comfortable without causing new problems by being too big (for example, slippage, or bending in the wrong place). I prefer lightweight socks, so I don't like to go extra large in the shoes.

There is no rule or easy solution. Take the general advice and apply it intelligently to your feet.

 

[trecile]

I think that rather than talk about how many sizes bigger the shoe should be it would be helpful to know how much room there should be between the end of the toes and the end if the shoe. Would one cm be good?

 

[C clearly]

I think that rather than talk about how many sizes bigger the shoe should be it would be helpful to know how much room there should be between the end of the toes and the end if the shoe. Would one cm be good?

That seems like a sensible approach, but feet come in different shapes! I have short toes for the size of the rest of my foot, so I always have plenty of room in the toes. Based on length alone, I could wear about 3 sizes smaller. Furthermore, some people have toes of different lengths so the question would have to address what extra length for each toe! So, there is no useful simple rule, except that you never want your toes to touch the end. You need to check that carefully on a downhill incline, and your choice of socks can be important.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I think that rather than talk about how many sizes bigger the shoe should be it would be helpful to know how much room there should be between the end of the toes and the end if the shoe. Would one cm be good?

Someone posted a video from a vendor a few months ago that showed how to find the right size. Perhaps someone knows where it is in the archives. If I remember correctly the idea was to pull out the insole, step on it and have ... and this is where I am not certain, a cm or half an inch in front of the longest toe. Does that ring a bell?

For length also step on those angulated boxes in the shops to see how the shoe would feel going downhill.

 

[alipilgrim]

It sounds like your feet would do better in a cushioned running shoe or similar shoe with a more flexible sole. But you seem to have recognized that yourself already.

Your feet will flatten and widen with hours of walking, and swell in hot temps. I live and hike in the desert - my hiking shoes have gone from a 1/2 size larger to now 1 full size larger than my street shoe size. But this is just what works for me personally.

 

[ouroboros]

My feet did not even fit in women's hiking boots...had to go to a men's size boot.
My left foot is one-half size wider than my right and my right foot is a full size longer than the left foot.
So I went with boots that looked like SUVs on my feet, and wore lambswool in the toe and heel until my feet expanded into them. Yes, my feet grew a full size on the Camino and I was grateful for the spacious boots. I always wore silk liners and socks of varying thickness, depending on temperatures. I walked the Camino without any blisters.

 

[MaidinBham]

Try to go to speciality shop and have them measure the length AND width of both feet. In addition to type of arch you have. Also the fit of the shoe may depend on the length between the heel and the distal part of arch. You just have to try them on to know whether they feel comfortable in the srch area and also accommodate the volume if your feet. Your feet will swell so account for this when you choose size and wear the socks you like when you are fitted. I went with half size larger, but my one foot is half size larger than the other. I also switched from mid weight socks to light weight socks (with liner) and feel better. There should be plenty of wiggle room for yours toes. I constantly tweak my boots and laces when hiking and this is very important for me also. It sounds almost like a rocker shoe with the heel raised? Hope you can get your money back or they will exchange
Good luck
Janice

 

[MaidinBham]

One other point - take a zip lock bag and ice tendon every time you stop at cafe.