High Sierra Topix

I was soooo fortunate to have been married to "saint" Diane for 39 years until see died of cancer five years ago. Now I am extremely fortunate to have another excellent wife, Mari. We've been married for 3 years.

A hiking shoe/boot might be great for one person and terrible for another.

Yes, we are unique. But a shoe that was perfect a few years back, may no longer fit as great any more, our bodies, including are feet go thru changes: arches drop, injuries, age/gravity causing our feet to get longer and wider, bunions and hammertoes can develop, the fat pads or cushioning on the bottom of the feet can get thinner, less shock absorption, diabetes (circulatory issues), and arthritis are just some of the issues that affect us.

sirthunderfluff wrote:I'm wondering: How did you find my teeny tiny blog in the vast ocean of Internet?

Thank your trail friend. I check out the PCTA blog aggregator now & then; she had an interesting gear review post covering tents. She referenced your diatribe here:

https://www.walkingfromthelaw.com/post- ... ear-tents/

I thought it was both funny and insightful and would provide a good anchor for discussion.

maverick wrote:...a shoe that was perfect a few years back, may no longer fit as great any more, our bodies, including are feet go thru changes: arches drop, injuries, age/gravity causing our feet to get longer and wider, bunions and hammertoes can develop, the fat pads or cushioning on the bottom of the feet can get thinner, less shock absorption, diabetes (circulatory issues), and arthritis are just some of the issues that affect us.

Very true. Age does take its toll on these bodies.

Speaking of bunions, my dear wife has the largest bunions I have ever seen and had to wear men's boots. She is able to get New Balance women's walkers in 4E, but has to replace them as soon as they begin to wear, as her hips and back begin hurting unless they are in almost new condition.

A really funny thing I have discovered since I stopped hiking is that the huge calluses on the outside of my big toes just grow right back no matter how many times I shave them down, even though they get very little friction any more.

Loved the Altra review and the others on his blog. Very entertaining. In addition to various boots, I've tried Asics trail runners that were comfortable but wore out after about 300 miles. I tried - and still have some New Balance trail runners that have lasted a long time but aren't as comfortable. And, my current go to trail shoe are LaSportiva Wildcat 2.0s. Have lasted well and while not as comfortable as the Asics are way more durable and comfortable enough.