A Good Pair of Hiking Boots

We're big on shoes around here - with the exception of Yoga, Pilates and swimming, physical activity requires the right kind of shoe or boot if you want to have a rewarding experience. Wear the wrong footwear, or footwear that does not fit properly, and you'll wind up with blisters, big toenails that get smashed, blacken and fall off (true story involving a poor-fitting aerobic shoe), and you could even invite serious injury. At the very least you won't enjoy whatever you're doing and you probably won't even understand why. Never is proper footwear more crucial than in hiking. Wear the wrong shoes or boots and you could wind up in the middle of nowhere with sore feet, almost incapable of hobbling back to camp. If a curious grizzly comes your way, you're in real trouble. Hiking is one of the most rewarding experiences when it comes to physical activity - you get up close with nature along with giving your legs and rear end a nice workout. More bad hiking experiences happen as the result of improper footwear than bee stings, mountain lions and stale, out-of-date energy bars combined (okay, maybe we don't actually have statistics on this, but it could be!). So what constitutes a good pair of hiking boots? They give your toes wriggle room - you don't want your toes squished together or jammed against the front of the foot when you're hiking downhill. The soles need to be sturdy and appropriate for the terrain of your choosing, whether it's just a hiking trail or if it includes rock climbing. Day and overnight hikers will probably be happiest with a low-cut, leather and fabric combination; backpackers and those who go in for longer, more challenging hikes will want more heavy-duty footwear - all-leather boots that come up over the ankle and that have extremely sturdy midsoles. Good hiking boots are not cheap, but they are worth every cent. This is one area where you absolutely much splurge, and splurge wisely.