This isn't Tammy's first year klimbing Mt Kosci, and if there's one thing she's familiar with, it's breaking in some new hiking shoes.
When you have cerebral palsy, your balance and strength is often impaired. The track to the summit of Mt Kosci varies from rocky gravel to cobblestones and quite uneven terrain. So this week we talked shoes.
Shoes on a mountain are really important. You want them to be comfortable and supportive with a rigid base and good grip (Sticky rubber works well), but at the same time not too heavy - we will be walking up to 8 hours. At then end of 8 hours, in a thin sole, you can start to feel every stone on the final couple of km.
So I brought in my shoe collection to demonstrate the variety. I was then talking shoes with other colleagues and they have also asked for advice as well. I've put together a bit of a post all about shoes. Now I have had my fair share of blisters from an ill-fitting pair of leather boots that I persevered with for years. My husband will attest to this and the amount of time I have spent on my taping skills.
The most supportive shoes are Hi top hiking boots.
Hiking boots are the cream of the crop if you find the right pair for you. They give most support to the ankle, have a rigid sole and lots of knobbly bits to grip to the trail. Mine are waterproof and sooo comfy - no blisters for this little black duck anymore. If you have bad ankles, a history of sprains or need a bit of extra control due to spasticity - these may be an option. The downfall of hiking boots is they can get heavy especially if they get wet.
Hiking (or Approach) Shoes: These are hiking shoes have great midfoot support, a rigid sole and use vibram rubber. Vibram rubber makes the shoes stick to the rocks and you have less slippage. Approach shoes are lighter but have less support around the ankle. This is my choice of shoe on the mountain.
Joggers/Sneakers/Trainers:
Depending on what part of Australia you grow up with they all have a slightly different name. The technology in joggers are great and getting the right shoe is important for the way you walk. Joggers are light, can have midfoot support and a flexible sole. The downfall is they are usually designed for walking on concrete, grass and footpaths, so there isn't alot of grip. You can feel lots of stones underneath your foot which can be a downfall to joggers.
Whichever shoe you decide on, don't buy them a couple of weeks out from Kosci. Buy them and train in them to wear them in. If you are going to blister it is better for this to happen in training than on the mountain.
Where to buy them?
Your local outdoor centre or camping store are the best. They are experienced in fitting shoes for inclines and uneven surfaces. Specialist athletic shoe stores (eg The Athlete’s foot) are also beginning to stock trail runners and hiking shoes. Try on all the kinds and walk around the store - a reputable store will also have an incline to stand on - make sure your toes don't hit the toe box at the top (otherwise this will happen on the mountain coming down and it is really painful). Sometimes, just like running shoes you may want to buy a size up.
There are often some great bargains coming into Christmas and a good pair of shoes would make a great Christmas present and keep you motivated to train hard.
Keep going!
Tam
