Choosing: Footwear

One of the singularly most important items of equipment for most outdoor activities is footwear. An ill fitting shell jacket may just cause annoyance, but for those who spend long periods of time on their feet, ill fitting or unsuitable footwear can very quickly lead to severe discomfort and even injury (be it blisters, a twisted ankle, or even a slip leading to a fall).

Main types of footwear for outdoor use
Outdoor footwear can be roughly divided into four main categories, depending on style and intended use:

Type	Description
Sports sandals	Ideal for a wide variety of general outdoor uses. They are obviously excellent for hot conditions, but are also good for use in and around water, and pack down small, making them ideal for travelling or as spare footwear for backpacking. The styles with plastic footbeds and nylon webbing uppers are best suited to use in water, but tend to get rather sweaty. The leather styles are much less sweaty, but are not so good for use in water.
Trail/approach shoes	Essentially just ‘beefed up’ trainers, offering the same level of comfort, but much better grip and durability. They are light and nimble, and do not restrict ankle movement, so are generally the most comfortable types of footwear for walking in dry weather on easier tracks and paths.
Walking & trekking boots	Offer increased support to the foot and ankle, much higher levels of weather protection and increased durability compared to trail shoes. They are sometimes classified by seasons: 3 season being a boot suitable for spring, summer and autumn walking, backpacking and trekking in mountainous terrain, and year-round use at lower levels. 3-4 season boots are stiffer, making them better for more rocky terrain or scrambling, and allow occasional use with crampons, but they are heavier and 'clumpy' and generally not as comfortable for more general walking.
Winter & mountaineering boots	Very stiff or totally ridged in construction, they have additional insulation, and are designed for regular use with crampons in snow and ice covered mountainous terrain. Leather boots have recently become by far the most popular for use in 'milder' conditions (UK winter, alpine summer) due to the extra comfort they provide, and for really technical climbs due to the extra sensitivity and feel they offer. They can also make excellent boots for serious scrambling and low grade rock climbs. Plastic boots are still better from an insulation and waterproofing point of view, so are better suited to extreme cold/high altitude.

Materials and construction
There are several main components to walking boots and shoes:

Component	Description
Upper	Surrounds the foot and provides protection from direct injury and the weather. All-leather uppers tend to be more durable and supportive, where as combination fabric and leather uppers tend to be lighter and require less breaking-in. Boots with Gore-Tex linings are guaranteed waterproof, but retain breathability. Leather boots without a lining will be highly weather resistant (if properly cared for), but not fully waterproof.
Insole	Provides direct next-to-foot comfort. They are usually removable, and can be replaced by more supportive or cushioning products such as Sorbothane or Formthotic footbeds.
Midsole	A very important part of a boot, providing in various amounts the boots stiffness, support, and cushioning. In proper walking boots, it’s most usual form is the combination of a moulded nylon stiffener and then cushioning materials between that and the outsole. Trail shoes and sports sandals often rely on a single material (such as PU or EVA) to provide both the stiffness and cushioning, although there may also be a variety of different densities of material to provide different amounts of cushioning over different parts of the foot (e.g. under the heel).
Outsole	Provides grip and traction. The most widely used brand is Vibram, who provide an excellent balance of grip and durability. The rubber used to make outsoles is very dense and is one component where it can be possible to save a lot of weight when manufacturing a boot, by making the outsole thinner. However, a thinner outsole will wear out much more quickly, reducing the longevity of the boot.

Making a choice
The most important aspect of footwear selection is fit. We always suggest trying as many different brands of footwear as possible. This is because your feet are totally unique in shape, size, and volume, and all footwear is manufactured to fit ‘average’ foot shapes. These ‘average’ foot shapes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and the key is to find the ones that best suit your feet. If you find several models which are equally comfortable, then you can start looking at the exact design and construction of the boots to help decide which will be best for you and your intended use.

How much to spend
Always get the best boots you can afford! This is not an attempt to get you to part with more money – having the most suitable footwear, that fits correctly and is comfortable, will make an enormous difference to your levels of enjoyment.

Don’t forget socks
Using the right socks will make all the difference to foot comfort. Good socks will cushion and protect your feet, helping to keep them dry and blister free. The general recommendation is the combination of a thin, wicking, smooth-knit liner sock (which moves moisture away from the skin and provides next-to-skin comfort) underneath a well fitting, wool rich cushion-loop sock (which provides the padding and cushioning). Avoid socks containing cotton – they sock up moisture and hold it next to the skin decreasing comfort and increasing the chance of blisters.

Footbeds and insoles
Many people greatly benefit from the use of anatomical footbeds (e.g. Formthotics). By properly supporting the arch and heel, footbeds enable your feet to work far more effectively, providing greater cushioning, support, and balance whilst reducing fatigue and strain on ankles and knees. By improving posture, they can also help some back problems.

Boot and footwear care
Leather is a natural product and does require a certain amount of care and maintenance to ensure it's longevity. Therefore, boots or shoes with any type of leather on them (including the suede parts on 'fabric' boots) need treating periodically with a product such as Nikwax Aqueous Wax. For more information visit the Nikwax website. Remember that boots with Gore-Tex linings still require treating to feed and lubricate the leather.

Top tips when trying on boots:

Always try on boots with the walking socks you intend to wear.
Always try on both boots - most people have slightly different sized feet.
Don't go by the size written on the boot - sizing varies from brand to brand - go by how the boot actually feels.
Always have a good long walk around the store. If you are purchasing other items, try the boots first and wear them whilst browsing for the other items.
Try to buy boots in the afternoon. Throughout the day, gravity makes fluids pool in the feet, making them swell.
Always lace the boots up properly.
When laced, the boots should have enough room to allow you to wiggle your toes, but the rest of the boot should feel snug and supportive. Your heel should be held firmly in place (no movement).
Try the boots on an incline board or sloping surface. Walking up will exaggerate any heel movement. If you can feel your toes taking your weight on the way down, the boots are too small, and you will end up bruising your toes when walking down hill.
Certain lacing methods can often improve the fit of new leather boots.
The fit of boots that are the correct length, but have too much volume, can usually be improved by using thicker footbeds.
After purchase, try your boots indoors for a couple of days before wearing them outside. If they are not comfortable, escape2 will happily exchange them, as long as they have not been worn outside (please retain all packaging and your receipt).
Remember that just because a boot may be rated a 'best buy' in a magazine review, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be the best boot for you personally. The boot may well be fantastic, but if it does not suit your foot shape, or fit you properly, it is bound to cause discomfort and disappointment.

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