{"id":11769,"date":"2017-08-24T03:00:46","date_gmt":"2017-08-24T09:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/?p=11769"},"modified":"2017-08-24T03:00:46","modified_gmt":"2017-08-24T09:00:46","slug":"ask-me-how-do-i-stop-getting-battered-toes-when-hiking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/ask-me-how-do-i-stop-getting-battered-toes-when-hiking\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask Me: How Do I Stop Getting Battered Toes When Hiking?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\tMike,<\/p>\n

I know this is a really random question, but when descending mountain trails my big toes suffer immensely. Besides tying the laces up really tight, is there a trick to protecting them without losing a toenail or having them feel beat up?<\/p>\n

Geoff
\nRexburg, ID<\/p>\n

Hi Geoff,<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not an uncommon problem. It\u2019s probably that your boots don\u2019t fit quite right. Does your heel or midfoot move around at all when you hike? Does your heel slip even the slightest? Do your toes slam into the front of the boots?<\/p>\n

If you have narrow feet or the boots are otherwise just kind of wide or big for your feet, and your feet slip even slightly, over the course of several miles your toes can take a beating\u2014especially going downhill, of course. One way to check the fit is to see whether, when you tighten the laces up, those laces are snugged about as tight as you can make them; in other words, you wouldn\u2019t be able to snug the laces tighter over the boot no matter what size your feet were. If you\u2019re maxing out the lacing, the boots are too big for your feet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong>Hi, I\u2019m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several\u00a0top outdoors blog<\/a> lists.\u00a0Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter<\/a>, or enter your email address in the box in the left sidebar or at the bottom of this story. Click here<\/a> to get full access to all of my blog\u2019s stories. Follow my adventures on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, and Youtube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Long-term solution: Get boots that fit. Go to a shop where they know how to measure your feet and size boots correctly. Try on several different brands because they all fit differently, and by experimenting, you\u2019ll find the brand that fits your feet best.<\/p>\n

Short-term solution: Try custom insoles in your boots, replacing the typical thin, stock insoles that come with the boots. Decreasing the inside volume, to create a more snug fit, may prevent your feet from slipping. Also, I always carry some athletic tape when I\u2019m hiking or backpacking, because it sticks to feet pretty well even when you get sweaty. As soon as I feel any rubbing or discomfort, I put two or three overlapping strips of tape over the spot. You could even preemptively tape around the toes that tend to get beat up before you start the hike.<\/p>\n

Does that sound like it might help with your problem? Also, check out my \u201cPro Tips For Buying the Right Hiking Boots<\/a>\u201d and “7 Pro Tips For Avoiding Blisters<\/a>.”\u00a0See\u00a0my reviews of backpacking boots<\/a> and lighter hiking boots and shoes<\/a> at The Big Outside.<\/p>\n

Michael<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tell me what you think.<\/h3>\n

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons below, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I\u2019d really appreciate it.<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thanks Mike! I appreciate the advice.<\/p>\n

It usually happens when the toe slides and bangs into the front of the boot. I like the hiking boots I have so I am going to give the custom insoles and tape a whirl first.<\/p>\n

Thanks!<\/p>\n

Ciao,
\nGeoff<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I can help you plan the best backpacking, hiking, or family adventure\u00a0of your life.<\/h3>\n

Got a question about hiking, backpacking, planning a family adventure, or any trip I\u2019ve written about at The Big Outside? Email\u00a0it to me at\u00a0michael@thebigoutside.com<\/a>. For just $75, I\u2019ll answer your questions via email or in a phone call to help ensure your\u00a0trip is a success. See my Ask Me page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Michael Lanza<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You live for the outdoors. The Big Outside helps you get out there. Subscribe now<\/a> and a get free e-guide!<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mike, I know this is a really random question, but when descending mountain trails my big toes suffer immensely. Besides tying the laces up really tight, is there a trick to protecting them without losing a toenail or having them feel beat up? Geoff Rexburg, ID<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[784,18,19,611],"tags":[2143,2116,1081,314,724,1083,1080,283,1082,2054],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/07004719\/Cas7-251-Sahale-Arm-North-Cascades-NP.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Michael Lanza","author_link":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/author\/michaelalanza\/"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/07004719\/Cas7-251-Sahale-Arm-North-Cascades-NP.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paNGJs-33P","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11769"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}