Hiking.
Whether Passion or Pastime, the Right Footwear Makes a Huge Difference
Do you find yourself drawn to the great outdoors by nature’s undeniable pull?
The call of the wild?
Weekend treks in state parks make us feel at one with nature. Embrace your undeniable passion for exploration. Now's your chance to plan excursions to stunning vistas that end in cabin refuge after a day of trudging through the cold.
No matter your experience or enthusiasm, one thing is the same:
WEAR THE RIGHT BOOTS!
First and foremost, hiking boots must fit properly. Anyone who has ventured out in shoes that are too big or too small have paid the price of discomfort, blisters, and smashed toes (to name a few).
|
|
HOW TO SELECT THE BEST HIKING BOOTS FOR YOU:
1. Try them on with the socks you’ll be hiking in.
2. Go later in the day, when your foot will be a bit swollen.
3. Put in any insoles that you use when hiking.
4. Walk around (indoors) for a while so you see how they feel.
5. Toes hitting the ends? You need a half size bigger.
6. Heel slipping when you walk? First, try tying the boots a bit tighter, and if that doesn’t work you may need a half size smaller.
7. Width is important, too. Do you have a wide or narrow foot? Don’t try to adjust the fit based on the number size, find a brand that makes multiple widths and select the size AND width that is right for your feet.
8. If you don’t know what size and width you should be wearing, visit a full-service shoe retailer and have a trained professional measure your feet.
Once you have found a pair of hiking shoes or boots that are comfortable, take them out on multiple short hikes before embarking on a several-day adventure. The last thing you want is to have your Hikers High ruined because your feet are in pain!
Regardless of the distance, terrain, or weather conditions you encounter on your hike, your foot comfort should be as epic as your journey!
|
|
Drew has four excellent hiking boot/shoe choices:
|
|
*Rockford and Boulder are waterproof and Thermolite® insulated.
All four include:
• Waterproof linings which keep your feet dry, helping to reduce rubbing and blisters.
• Two removable footbeds for added and double depth
• Tempered steel shank which helps to keep your feet flat when walking on uneven or rough ground, giving the boot enough stiffness so it flexes at the ball of the foot even when loaded. This stability helps to reduce foot fatigue, discomfort, and bruising, especially for those long days on tough terrain.
• Firm heel counter to lock the foot into the boot and prevent the foot from slipping inside the shoe. This molded cup cradles your heel and increases support, helping to avoid blisters that could result in an unplanned zero-day and needing to use moleskin to help ease the pain.
• Slip-resistant, oil-resistant soles. This is essential to reduce slips, trips, and accidental falls. The grippy treads on the outsoles keep you stable on your feet while walking on wet and slippery terrains.
• Moderate rocker bottom. This helps propel the foot forward with less effort and removes some of the strain off the feet.
|
|
There are many stories from hikers that are inspiring, terrifying, funny, enlightening and sometimes almost unimaginable. We hope you enjoy the stories below.
|
|
Mt. Everest Basecamp Hikers, May 2010
|
|
Drew's Rockford Hiking Boots, signed by the sherpas at Mt. Everest Basecamp
|
|
May 2010, Mt. Everest Base Camp, 17,598 ft.
The Rockford boot in Wheat was worn by the hiker in the first photo above, who hiked to the basecamp of Mt. Everest. At the base camp, each of the sherpas present at the time signed the boots, and the boots were returned to Drew as a testimonial to the high-altitude trek.
|
|
Drew customer, Howard, wearing Trek in Brown Leather.
|
|
2017, Flagstaff, AZ, too many miles to count
Howard is with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit, where he has been for 21 years. His unit is in the second largest county in the United States. Howard swears by the Drew Trek Boot.
“Over the years I have been on many hundreds of searches throughout our county. We cover many different types of terrain. From 13,000-foot mountains down to the Grand Canyon and every type of terrain you can imagine in between. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many miles I have covered over the years. On many occasions we may have to carry an injured person out, sometimes for many miles. Believe me, you definitely don’t want foot problems when you have to work at my job. I just purchased my 3rd pair of boots through your company over the years. They get a tremendous amount of wear and take one heck of a beating during a search. It is the only boot for this type of activity I would ever purchase.”
|
|
Jayesh Choski, wearing Drew Rockford in Camo Suede Leather
|
|
Jayesh Choski, during a training hike, wearing Drew Rockford in Camo Suede Leather
|
|
2018, Mt. Kilmanjar, Tanzania, 19, 341 ft. and 2019, Mt. Elbrus, Russia, 18, 510 ft.
At age 56, Mr. Jayesh Choksi overcame foot and knee pain to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, and then a year later at age 57 became the first Indian to summit Mt. Elbrus. His 2024 goal at age 62 is to complete Mt. Everest, at an elevation of 29,032 feet.
During training, Mr. Choksi was experiencing knee and foot pain. But he didn’t let that stop him and had his foot and walking patterns assessed by Dr. Vilas, who advised him to wear wide width shoes, specifically the Drew Rockford hiking boot. In Mr. Choksi’s situation, his doctor also prescribed customized Bio-Advance insoles.
Grateful to be back into his training routine, Mr. Choksi is preparing for his greatest adventure yet, claiming “I will never give up, and I will do Mount Everest.”
|
|
Jennifer Fear and Dave Tilden on the Appalachian Trail
|
|
March 4 - October 12, 2023, Appalachian Trail. 222 days, over 2,000 miles.
Jennifer Fear (all contact info and links are at the end of this article) hiked all 2198.4 miles of the Appalachian Trial with multiple sclerosis. Diagnosed with MS in 2016, she feared that she would live the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Fast forward to 2024 and she defied all odds. Dave Tilden (aptly given the nickname Hero) joined Jennifer on this walk, and they encouraged each other throughout the hard days. Jennifer founded the non-profit organization, Fearsome and this hike was their first big project to raise awareness and funds towards finding a cure as well as to provide direct support to others living with MS, empowering them to remain as mobile, active, and independent as possible until the day the cure comes.
Together, they raised over $25,000 for multiple sclerosis during their hike. Jennifer continues her fundraising efforts with the goal to raise over $1 million and inspire others to work through their illness.
Dave had some words of wisdom on the importance of finding the right fit for shoes on the trail.
“Shoes and socks, what about shoes and socks? Shoes are one of the most overlooked pieces of gear for hiking. Your comfort when hiking starts with your feet, and the choices you make for your shoes and socks. The trick is to find what works for you. I learned the hard way while hiking the Appalachian Trail last year [2023]. After about 1,300 miles I changed brands of shoes. Boy did my feet let me know, and quick. A couple of terms I learned that changed the game for me. Stack and drop. Stack refers to height of the sole, this is where cushioning comes into play. The thicker the sole the more cushion. Drop refers to the difference between your heel and forefoot. Easy to explain, high heels have a lot of drop, barefoot has no drop. When I switched brands, the difference in the drop was 8mm, it made a world of hurt for my feet.
Socks are very personal to me now and I am very brand loyal. I hiked over 2,000 miles with Darn Tough Merino wool socks and never had a hot spot or blister. Wet or dry! I hike days with wet muddy feet. So, the correct pairing of your shoes and socks can make your day enjoyable or make it miserable.”
|
|
Jennifer Fear at the completion of her Appalachian Trail journey.
|
|
March 5, 2024. After Jennifer completed the 155-mile portion of the Appalachian Trail that was flooded during the original hike.
In November 2023, Jennifer headed back to Vermont to knock out the miles she had to miss when severe flooding hit the state.
“Had I been able to hike even a part of Vermont I think I would consider the hike finished. But given I had to skip the entire state, 155 miles, it feels sort of like a hangnail… it will just nag at me until I deal with it.”
Now, with her hike completed, Jennifer is reflecting on what it means to her.
“One year ago, today I stepped onto the Appalachian Trail to a 2,200-mile journey. I thought I knew where I was going.
Don’t we all? We set out with a goal in mind. We envision what reaching that goal looks like and that getting there is success.
My goal was to hike the whole trail. And to raise funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis along the way. I had my goal. My WHY. And when I reached it, I thought I’d come home and pick back up on my life as if I’d bookmarked where I left off.
Turns out it was impossible to foresee the transformational power of that hike.
From the moment I stepped foot on that trail I had, unbeknownst to myself, altered the entire trajectory of my life.
What a gift."
|
|
This information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
|
|
|
|
