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Post by micknyc on Aug 29, 2016 11:13:38 GMT -8
I'm looking for some shoes and/or boots I can wear here in NYC both on the sidewalks and in the park on trails. The two most important things to me are an extremely stuff, rigid, non-bending sole... i.e. if you picked up the shoe/boot and tried to bend it with your hands with one hand on the heel and the other on the toes, you CANNOT bend it upward at the forefoot where the toes start. I need to be wearing these without my toes bending. I am dealing with a bout of Sesamoiditis which is a pretty awful and scary inflammation at the ball of the foot behind the big toe. Similar to Hallux Rigidus. The idea is that if the big toe doesn't bend, it can heal. When it's constantly bending all day or on a walk/hike, it remains inflamed and angry and cannot heal. I may be going into one of those removable walker boots you see on people with foot injuries, and this hiking shoe/boot would be the first thing I'm allowed in once I don't need the boot.
The second thing is that it needs to come in a WIDE size. I need it wide especially in the forefoot and toebox so my injured toe area can splay without being cramped, and I can add some orthotic padding in certain places under my foot. I understand this is difficult because most hiking shoes do not come in wide.
I am looking for both a shoe and a boot, or just one. Bonus would be if it is built in such a way as to withstand not-so-nice weather (and not slipping) in NYC trudging around the sidewalks and when I get braver on some light trails in central park. I've heard that actual backpacking boots are the best since they are built stiff to withstand the weight, but I am not sure I understand that part. I'm also not well-versed in the Gore-Tex pros and cons and how that would fit into my situation.
I'm looking at LLBEAN, Asolo, and a few others but thought some kind folks in here might be able to help. I think Hoka makes some decent ones but I am not sure how stiff they are.
I'm not terribly concerned with looks, but very concerned with how my feet feel.
Thank you!!!!
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Post by UpperPeninsula on Aug 29, 2016 11:43:15 GMT -8
Mick, you have some reading to do. I suggest you start here with Andrew Skurka's blog which has a section on footwear: link. His posts and the many comments will kind of provide you a base of understanding what most packbackers are doing with feetware these days, which is to say "light" is better, largely, which is exactly opposite of what you need. Personally I own a pair of Vasque Summits, which are very stiff the first few months. Flex in the sole is slow to come, but it does eventually come. Honestly, I'm not sure "backpacking" shoes or boots are going to be of much assistance to you. Wish I could offer more insight. Maybe others here will join in. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 12:25:34 GMT -8
The thought that comes to mind that fits with what you, micknyc , wrote you are looking for is a European made mountaineering boot (crampon capable). Mammut makes some nice roomy boots and with a full length shank, boot stiffness will not be an issue. Other companies make mountaneering boots as well, I just find the European ones tend to be on the wide-side. I know REI, especially in the larger REI's, have mountaineering boots that you can try on. Also, it is nearing the season for crampon capable boots so the likelyhood of the boots being in stock will be going up. Shanks come in lenghts of either 3/4 length or full length. Alos shanks can be made of fiberglass or steel. Steel shanks tend to be a bit colder on the feet but are stiffer then fiberglass shanks. I am sure, from your description, you'd want a full length shank. |
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Aug 29, 2016 12:33:38 GMT -8
I have worn "mountaineering" boots. The soles provided very limited flex. If I recall, the flex was a 6 or a 7. They were made by Asolo. Interestingly, I had a 9.5 wide. I've considered going back to such footwear. I had to relearn how to walk as your foot naturally wants to flex. In my boots, I had to deliberately walk heel to toe. I doubt you would find such stiffness in a shoe. Any which way, a boot fitter like Limmer is who I would be talking to first before starting the quest. A custom boot fitter is going to have better knowledge and point you to the proper footwear for your issue.
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Post by micknyc on Aug 29, 2016 19:54:56 GMT -8
Thank you very much for the helpful replies to my inquiry, I really appreciate it. I am going to look deeper into everything you responded with. I was wondering what you all thought of these..? They seem to be pretty highly rated, but I'm thinking the folks such as yourselves in these here Backpackers Basecamp forums are the more knowledgable. LL Bean Cresta Hikers (my ability to link in here seems restricted) www.llbean.com/llb/shop/629?page=footwear-mens-footwear&freeText=cresta+hikers&nav=ln-sr |
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daveb
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Post by daveb on Aug 31, 2016 6:27:56 GMT -8
Pete Limmer has an 18 month waiting list and about a $700 price tag. (worth the wait from what I've been told).
His cousin Karl has already made boots in stock for about half the price but you'll still need to measure your feet with an outline included to verify fit.
Danner military and police boots come in a wide range of sizes and a fairly stiff shank in some of the military boots.
In my quest for a wide size I'm favoring my keen liberty ridge in 14EE. They fit like a 4E in the toe box. I've been breaking them in with lawn choirs this summer but the soles aren't what I would consider overly stiff so...
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Aug 31, 2016 8:47:34 GMT -8
I was wondering what you all thought of these..? They are standard hiking boot. They would be no stiffer than any other regular backpacking boot. Are you looking for a full shank (equals truly stiff boot) or just something that looks rigid? Also, do you need rigid ankle support like those found in a mountaineering boots or is ankle flex something that is not of concern? |
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Post by micknyc on Aug 31, 2016 11:34:42 GMT -8
tigger, a full shank would probably be best since from what I understand (and that's a limited area), the shank is what's needed for the stiffness in the forefoot. As far as looking rigid, I am not concerned with how it looks, just that my forefoot bends as little as possible. Ankle flex is not a concern since my injury is in the forefoot - but I am not sure how the Ankle flex would or would not affect walking through a crowded urban sidewalk.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 12:26:18 GMT -8
An example of how 'stiff' a mountaineering boot with full shank should be:
Notice the ankle flex or lack of as he digs the front pointing crampons into the ice?
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Aug 31, 2016 16:06:52 GMT -8
It's time to get some specific recommendations from a Podiatrist. I can't imagine wearing full shank boots on the streets of NY. That would not be comfortable. They will often make custom insoles for a specific set of shoes/boots that they recommend for your specific condition. Simply picking up a pair of mountaineering boots for walking around town sounds like a waste of time.
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Post by UpperPeninsula on Aug 31, 2016 16:54:17 GMT -8
...full shank boots on the streets of NY. Here's what I like about the idea. Wear crampons. Show up at protests to save the whales. Step on some toes. Make a big impression. Save Willy. |
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Post by micknyc on Aug 31, 2016 20:11:16 GMT -8
tigger you make a very good point... I am actually working on getting recommendations from Podiatrists but also doing my own research. You might actually be very surprised at how somewhat out-of-touch many Podiatrists are when it comes to specific shoes that are currently on the market. Many of them will say "Get a stiff-soled rocker bottom walking shoe" or "Look into a stiff-soled hiking boot with enough width to accommodate your padding" but when it comes to suggestions about actual brands or types, they are not knowledgable enough to provide specifics and patients are left to their own wits to find what works.
Couple that with the fact that the trend in shoemaking is to make what consumers want, not necessarily what is good for people's feet (hence all the flexibility you see as a trend even in dress shoes these days).
It's actually, in my opinion, a MAJOR problem in the field of modern Podiatry. There is a great disconnect between the docs and the shoemaking industry. I never had a foot problem in my life prior to this and had no concept of just how significant the disconnect is.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Sept 1, 2016 10:24:14 GMT -8
I do wonder if you could get an orthotic stiff enough, maybe paired with a pair of trail shoes (much stiffer/thicker soles than regular shoes). My custom orthotics have the stiffener only through the arch, but it's pretty much impervious. OTOH, I don't know how it would hold up if the shoe under it was flexing.
I have some of this problem myself--I need a stiff shoe and good padding under the fore-foot because my big toe joints have issues. It's not easy to immobilize that part of the foot, and I don't try, but orthotics are a thought, anyway. They'd cost at least as much as heavy leather boots, though, which is fine if this is going to be a lasting issue (orthotics will outlast many pairs of shoes--I've had mine resurfaced a time or two, but the molded part has been in service for 20 years now), but looks like a lot of money if you're only going to need them for a few months.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Sept 1, 2016 19:41:26 GMT -8
For distance runners, the classic adaptation for sesamoiditis is a small, carefully-shaped pad that sits just behind the metatarsal heads. That's mainly a short-term solution for an injury, though. (I've done that one myself with good results). If you have a structural problem, custom orthotics are probably the long-term solution. The ones I wear in running shoes and hiking boots are semi-rigid from the heel to just behind the ball of the foot, and fairly flexible from there forward. The ones I wear in all other shoes are almost absolutely rigid, but only go as far as the ball of the foot. With something like that, you could probably wear just about any shoe you want, provided it has enough volume to accommodate the orthotic.
I selected my podiatrist with great care. He's very well known and his clients are mainly runners and other athletes. He's about an hour from NYC.
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Sept 1, 2016 20:01:19 GMT -8
Have you bothered to google rocker bottom shoes?
Hokas might be your ticket. I wore out a pair and it helped my neuroma infinitely -- I no longer have to cover my forefoot with anesthetic to walk around. they also kept my toes from flexing, significantly reducing the growth of the bunions.
I don't think you should even be looking at hiking boots. You don't need a stiff shank to get that no-flex action. The really thick bottomed running shoes like the Hoka One One brand accomplish the no-flex cushion without a shank.
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