A colleague has organised a new WHI walk around Hilton (South Derbyshire). It'll start soon and be on the first and third Wednesday evening of each month, starting (and finishing!) from the Hilton Brook pub at 6:30 folks!
It was great timing as I needed a nice short walk to start breaking in my brand new boots!
According to this blog, my ratty old boots have trodden at least 684 miles of South Derbyshire and beyond! Some of it very muddy, some of it scrambling up hills.
I had to concede that they'd bitten the dust as I nursed a blister last time out because the slowly-growing split (that you can see in the top photo) was allowing the left one to fold differently and dig in. A look at the soles, however, tells me that a) they're worn down past the tread in places and b) I've been supinating (or anti-pronating) which means walking on the outside of my feet a bit.
Note how the tread on the heel is worn right down on the outside but not the inside.
When I had some knee trouble last year, I started walking with a stick, took a look at the soles of my boots, read a bit and decided that my supinating was causing the trouble. If you walk on the outside or the inside of your foot, then it twists your knee. Try rocking your foot gently from the outside to the inside and feel how much your shinbone twists!
Even though I've tried to correct the habit, wearing boots worn on the outside hasn't helped, I guess, and so I'll be keeping a close eye on the tread of these new ones!
The old ones are Meindl 'Jamaica Lady'. I tried on a brand new pair of JL's, which unsurprisingly felt just like the old ones. They've certainly done me some service and I'm very happy with them, but they are listed as being suitable for more gentle work than I've given them. It was obvious when trying on new boots that the slightly heavier-duty models gave more support around the ankle, had stiffer soles and some felt decidedly more comfy around the foot.
My new 'Asolo Flame GTX' boots got a rave review from LFTO ('Trail' and 'Country Walking magazines'). Time will tell whether they get a rave review from me, but it's looking good so far.
I went for the man's version because a) they felt more comfy on my wide feet and b) the lady's version comes in heinous colours - WHY???
The soles are as stiff as a board, they fit very well, feel great around the foot and hold the ankle really well. After a few miles splashing through puddles in the rain, my feet were very warm and dry!
(Yes, boot manufacturers, I'm still angling for some sponsorship or some freebies!!)
This is them after just a few miles in very soggy Hilton.
1 comment:
Jeez!
You can't keep girls away from shoe shops.
Hee hee hee.
Post a Comment