All things denim, heritage, streetwear, surf & outdoor related. Clothing/footwear history & heritage wear. Open to consult if asked nicely. 😎.
Having fitted outdoor footwear for many years now it is a subject close to my heart and Inever cease to be amazed at how careless and casual many people are when it comes choosing outdoor footwear and looking after their feet in general. This blog post from Ian Taylor of Ian Taylor Trekking LLC deals specifically with footwear suitable for trekking Kilimanjaro and is a must read if you are heading that direction any time soon. Ian…an Everest summiteer…has vast experience of leading challenging trekking & climbing expeditions all over the globe and if you are even considering such an adventure he should be near the top of any list when considering an expedition company. That aside the broader point regarding the choosing of appropriate and well fitting footwear for all types of outdoor pursuit remains critical. There are a preponderance of on line /social media forums brimming with well meaning advice on outdoor footwear but when it comes to actual fit, such recommendations from others are pretty much meaningless…in fact they can actually be detrimental to foot health as there is nothing more specifically individual than feet…no two persons are the same and that’s putting it mildly. When you add in the myriad different last fits within even the same footwear brand it should be fairly clear that the only way to effectively choose any…but especially outdoor related…footwear is to go into a specialist store and get a shoe/boot fitting. With outdoor footwear in particular this should always involve measuring your feet…ideally weighted and unweighted…as a starting point followed by a general analysis of foot shape etc together with detailed consideration of what activity is planned etc. Any comprehensive fit should not be rushed…on average you should leave at least 30 minutes aside as a minimum (dependent on what is involved obviously …i’ve spent well over an hour fitting certain customers with more technical requirements). The biggest problem at times was getting people (especially those new to the outdoors) to take their time and focus on the fitting…accurate feedback is vital and that requires a bit of concentration. I hope to follow up on some of this with a blog post but the basic message is fairly simple…get a proper fitting in a specialist store even if that means a bit of effort and inconvenience. You can of course buy online but i’d advise against it …you might hit lucky but the odds aren’t great. Better websites will advise on how to measure your own feet etc and what to look out for with fit but in my experience that’s no substitute for going into a specialist and getting a full foot assessment …it’s chalk and cheese. What you absolutely shouldn’t do is go to a store and waste a trained boot fitters time going through a full analysis so you can get fitted with a style then thank them very much and go order online now confident of your size…if you can’t see why that is being an utter d**k then it’s pointless me even trying to explain. 😎🙏
Managing Director, International Speaker, Expedition leader, Ambassador for Fields of Life, Ambassador for the Goli Village Trust, Everest Summiteer.
10moMuch appreciated!!