Drita Bronkey earned a BA in speech therapy from California State University, Long Beach. Prior to that she took up paralegal studies at the University of La Verne. She then went on to become a sales professional. During her leisure hours Drita Bronkey likes to practice yoga, read, and hike.
One of the essential pieces of equipment in hiking is footwear, specifically, the hiking boot. Here we will look at some myths surrounding the hiking boot and define some characteristics of the ideal hiking footwear.
The first myth about hiking boots is that they must totally encase the foot in a rigid cocoon, and be high enough to provide ankle support. The fact is many people successfully do long hikes, at times carrying significant loads, with very light footwear. Keeping the foot rigid during a hike negates its ability to adjust to the terrain. Rigid foot support also prevents the structure of the foot from adjusting naturally to the changing terrain and risks injuring the foot. The ideal hiking boot is lightly constructed to allow the foot to be able to flexibly adjust while walking.
Another myth is that hiking boots should have very thick soles with deep lugs. The thick soles prevent the feet from sensing the ground and adjusting accordingly. The lugs are meant to increase the traction of the boot and prevent the hiker from slipping. The reality is that deep lugs are not necessary to traverse most hiking terrain. The ideal sole is thin so that the feet can feel the surface of the ground and adjust to the trail instead of being rigid, provided it has enough tread to grip any surface.
Given this information, the ideal hiking boot would most likely be a sports sandal or a light athletic shoe, rather than a thick-soled heavy duty hiking boot.
One of the essential pieces of equipment in hiking is footwear, specifically, the hiking boot. Here we will look at some myths surrounding the hiking boot and define some characteristics of the ideal hiking footwear.
The first myth about hiking boots is that they must totally encase the foot in a rigid cocoon, and be high enough to provide ankle support. The fact is many people successfully do long hikes, at times carrying significant loads, with very light footwear. Keeping the foot rigid during a hike negates its ability to adjust to the terrain. Rigid foot support also prevents the structure of the foot from adjusting naturally to the changing terrain and risks injuring the foot. The ideal hiking boot is lightly constructed to allow the foot to be able to flexibly adjust while walking.
Another myth is that hiking boots should have very thick soles with deep lugs. The thick soles prevent the feet from sensing the ground and adjusting accordingly. The lugs are meant to increase the traction of the boot and prevent the hiker from slipping. The reality is that deep lugs are not necessary to traverse most hiking terrain. The ideal sole is thin so that the feet can feel the surface of the ground and adjust to the trail instead of being rigid, provided it has enough tread to grip any surface.
Given this information, the ideal hiking boot would most likely be a sports sandal or a light athletic shoe, rather than a thick-soled heavy duty hiking boot.
