Boots

[Ana Young]

Hi,

I wore Eccos for my first Camino in July-August 2000,
men's boots one size too big for me which turned out
just about perfect, as your feet swell and expand
while walking. Two pairs of socks, one liner and one
thick (Coolmax) outer pair did the trick.

Eccos are softer than normal hiking boots and require
almost no breaking-in period as they come virtually
broken in already. Make sure there's enough toe space
to move toes around comfortably - but without letting
your feet slide when walking down inclines. Try
walking on inclines while testing them at home.

The insoles that come with the boots, though, are
insufficient in my opinion. I just walked 15 km. this
past Sunday on a Japanese mini-pilgrimage wearing the
same insoles I had worn throughout my Camino over a
year ago now. And believe me, my feet knew it
afterwards. They hurt this time three timse as much as
they did on the Camino. Definitely new insoles and
better socks next Sunday when I continue the Japanese
route. (I wore the same socks, too.)

I don't know if I'll use these same boots or get new
ones for my second Camino next spring. I love Eccos
for their comfort but I do wonder if the outer soles,
too, are sufficiently tough for climbing. My boots are
still in excellent condition after all that walking
and they are Goretex. But I wish I could get the same
Eccos with a slightly thicker outer sole.

I've also been advised to take off the boots, air out
my feet and change into new socks at midday each day.
Sounds lke good advice and I'll try it next Sunday to
see if it works better for prevention of blisters. I
got no blisters on Sunday but on the Camino I made the
colossal mistake of setting out with blisters already
formed from walking in new shoes right before leaving
...

Hope this helps,

Saludos,
Ana

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