Taste test

[Lisa Forman]

Hi Rae-
  I walked last summer (July and August) and wore New Balance Trail running
shoes.  Great traction, but I found  them to be too low.  Much of the trail
(I started in St Jean Pied du Port) is uneven and rocky and I had many
"almost" turned ankles.
The shoes were soft, breathable (very important!) and water resistant.  SInce
we had about two hours of light rain in the whole month,  this was not
essential.
I guess it depends what time of year you plan to go.
Blister wise I was lucky for the first seven days - I wore these shoes (a
half size larger than I normally wear) with very cushy hiking socks, low, and
had no foot troubles until day 8 when I developed the blisters on the ball of
my foot (similar to almost everyone else, it seemed)  These blisters became
my downfall and eventually led to my right foot swelling up so badly I could
hardly fit it into a Teva sandal.  I took a lot of buses and trains at this
point, much to my despair.
Hopefully I can make the Camino next year, and definitely in fall or spring!
lisa