One of the best items you can buy when wanting to start hiking is a pair of good quality hiking boots. However, they are made from sturdy materials and may not be 100% comfortable to wear on a long hike when they are fresh out of the box. You need to break them in and mold them to the shape of your feet. That way, they will be perfectly comfortable and supportive for your feet whilst you are out exploring. If you don’t break your hiking boots in, your shoes may rub and cause blisters, and generally not be comfortable whilst you are on a walk. So, how do you break in your new walking boots?
Wear thick socks
Socks are a great way to help protect your feet from any blisters and rubbing when breaking in your hiking boots. But you need to make sure they are the same as what you plan on wearing to hike in. Any thicker socks will stretch your shoes too much, and thinner socks won’t stretch them enough.
Lace them up
Unless you want to be falling over whilst breaking in your shoes, you need to lace them. This will also help you find out which lacing method is best suited for you and offers the most support. Your laces should be tight enough to hold your feet in place but loose enough so that they don’t stop natural foot and ankle movement.
Do it at home
When you first put on your walking boots, it shouldn’t be to go outside in them. You are best off starting to break them in at home. That way, if they start hurting and rubbing, you can take them off and not have to endure a full day of pain. Once they have started to mold to the shape of your feet, you can trial them out on short walks with varied terrain to prepare yourself for a long hike.
Be patient
Your shoes won’t be the perfect fit straight out of the box. They come in standard sizes and you then have to take the time to mold them to the perfect shape for maximum comfort. If they aren’t 100% comfortable after a week, keep breaking them in and they will soon be perfect for you.
With the help of these four tips, your new hiking shoes should be perfect for when you go out on a long hike.