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Having had some problems with painful feet after 10 mile hikes, I consulted a sport podiatrist and had some special inserts made to try and correct the issues. These however resulted in my boots not fitting quite as well as they should allowing my heel to lift causing painful blisters on the heel.
I did some investigations on the internet to see if there were any solutions to the problem. I was astounded to learn that there are lots of different ways to lace boots or shoes. In fact there is a website dedicated to the subject. www.shoe-lacing.com and here it lists 36 different ways to lace shoes.
However, one method I personally found to be very useful was on a site called "Hit the Trail" . The site is run by Denise Traver who has spent years working as a Grand Canyon National Park backcountry ranger and then as a field instructor for the Grand Canyon Field Institute. The site is at www.hitthetrail.com and there you can also find out more about Denise Traver and many more interesting tips.
I contacted Denise and she kindly agreed to let us replicate her technique on our site saying:-
"I hope that your users find it as helpful! I know it has saved many toenails in the Grand Canyon in my many years experience of leading hikes."
Boot Lacing Technique
The relentless downhill grades at Grand Canyon and throughout canyon country can be pure torture on your feet-and especially on your toes! How do you tie your boots so that your feet don't slide forward, causing you to hit your toes and toenails at the tip while still allowing some room for the swelling that naturally occurs? There is a way! Read on and view instructional images below...
You'll notice that there are generally two types of eyelets on a good pair of hiking boots. The ones along the top of the foot are usually closed metal rings, and the ones going up from the inside of the ankle are the quick-release type. What you'll want to do is lace your shoes with some give through the lower eyelets-not snug but not real loose either. Then do a single very snug overhand loop with the laces just before you start lacing through the quick release eyelets. Lace through the first pair of quick release eyelets and then do another snug overhand loop. Lace through the next pair, and again, do another loop. Do this all the way to the top of the eyelets. Once you've tied your bootlaces, I recommend taking the two loops and tying them together-just like you do kid's shoes.
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