How fast will my feet grow?

imported
#1

Planing on my first set of shoes. Any estimate on how fast my feet will grow in the first 150 miles / 2 weeks?

Lacking any other advise, my plan is to find shoes that fit comfortably now, and order them 1 size longer and 1 size wider.

Joe B.

Joe B.

#2

Hi again, Joe. For me i started at 9-1/2, and after about 300 miles i was 11-1/2 4E width. Now i’m about 10-1/2 2E width, years later. I bet it varies a lot from person to person, but if it’s your first long long hike you might expect to grow more than just 1 size.

markv

#3

Joe B., you are right to get one size larger in your shoe size for hiking long distance. I thru-hiked the A.T. in 2011 and did exactly that. Also, do the same for your camp shoes. Happy Trails:cheers

DreamWalker

#4

Hi Folks, has there ever been any scientific evidence of this? Or is this just anecdotal? Are we just speaking about the show sizes people ended up wearing, or the actual size of their feet as measured by someone who knows what they are doing? I ask as I have always been somewhat sceptical of this, attributing it more to the fact that for most folks ‘everyday life’ activity (very little real walking) a slightly snug fit may be perfectly acceptable and indeed maybe even preferable to a roomy fit; leading them to arrive on the trail with shoes a touch too tight.

So who just bought bigger shoes because the old ones were too tight and who got them measured both before their hike and at the time they ‘upsized’?

John

#5

Don’t count on any particular shoe size change. I figured my feet would get longer but they actually shrank about one shoe size and got wider. A fellow I hike much of the AT with in 2004 bought two pairs of boots the same size and the size he was currently wearing. It worked perfectly for him his feet did not get any larger. I think it is just the connective tissue in your feet that expand. My feet are exactly the same size now that they were before my hike. But, I was 62 years old when I did my thru hike. I bet young hikers feet grow and remain larger. So, be careful. Too large boots/shoes can promote blisters.

Art

#6

John,
I am equally as skeptical on the growing feet idea. Does a thru hike make your feet grow a size? Does two thru hikes make your feet grow two sizes? Does Scott Williamson were size 25 since he has more than 13 thru hikes?

Years ago, I wore size 10.5 when I decide I would run a marathon. Half way through my training I needed new shoes and was professionally fitted. I walked out with size 12. I had been wearing my shoes way too small for years and didn’t know how much room you should have up in the foot box. (This exact scenario repeated itself for my wife and a coworker, both also increase their shoe size by 1-1.5 when fitted properly.) I wore size 12, prior, during and after my hike, no foot growth here.

I do think that a thru hike will be unforgiving for ill fitting shoes and force folks to get the proper size. But I would not expect this foot increase to be scientifically backed up. I could see width due to partial arch collapse. This would actually be a great survey question for thru hikers along with whether they were properly fitted prior to their hike.

gg-man

#7

I like to start my hikes with a slightly loose fit, maybe 1/2 size above normal. I also use Dr. Scholl’s foam inserts for the first two weeks. The foam inserts pad the bottoms of your feet 'til they toughen up and fill the looseness 'til your feet swell. Throw away the inserts after about two weeks.

bowlegs

#8

After hiking several thousand miles in the last few years my shoe size hasn’t changed at all. But now one big toe overlaps its neighbor, and blisters are assured if I don’t tape it.

Al H.

#9

Thanks for all the thoughts. My focus is one the first pair of shoes, and specifically the first 150 miles or so. Don’t care about long term. Once I am on the trail, I’ll have plenty of time to listen to my feet.

I’m older - 58 - so that may factor in. I’m active, though not in a real hiker-with-a-load kind of way.

Still thinking of: maximum toe box, highly breathable, 1 size longer, one size wider. I can always start out with extra socks.

Joe B.

#10

Bowlegs - did you use the Dr. Scholls insets on top of or as a replacement to the normal factory inserts?

After you discarded them, did you go insertless in a shoe that originally had inserts, or did you have a no-insert shoe.

Joe B.

#11

Actual foot growth (lengthening and or widening) is not a sure bet by any means. Tissue swelling, rather, is more often the culprit in a developing shoe-volume crisis on the trail, especially in hot weather and if you’re dehydrated. But the odds of your feet actually growing in length might increase if:

1 - It’s your first long hike.

2 - You have high arches.

Ultimately, though, you’ll never know for sure until you start walking. That’s the key to all insight in this game. And the more you can get in some quality training miles beforehand, emulating the gear, clothing, and packweight you’ll actually behold come Campo, the more likely you are to adapt (somewhat) in advance and the less likely you are to be surprised by inconveniences related to adaptation in the midst of the journey.

Personally, I think any advice on shoe size is interesting to read for the wide variance of opinions and experience, but utterly worthless for planning purposes. That’s the real take-away here. Everyone has different experiences based on their anatomical and physiological lay of the land. One size does not fit all.

blisterfree

#12

What hiker’s feet often appreciate is a lighter load. This includes BOTH excess body weight and total pack weight… cumulatively. Foot problems almost seem to disappear when a solid level of fitness and low pack weights are entered into the equation. Good luck with your hike this season.

stealthblew

#13

Another thing which contributes to foot size is the way one walks. If you “over pronate” you will find that your feet will get larger. Speaking from experience here…unfortunately. :frowning:

Lady Di

#14

One case does not make a rule. I know, also from personal experience, how hard it is to live by that, especially when someone is bending your ear for advice. :slight_smile:

blisterfree

#15

I think how much if any your feet lengthen will have to do with your particulaR feet. If you have high arches and big feet, you may find your feet “grow” or lengthen but if you have very small feet and normal arches, you may not seen any appreciable change.

I have small feet with high arches, carried a medium load and found my feet didnt grow at all.

jalan

#16

What is the evidence supporting this assertion? Just curious.

Al H.

#17

Hi Joe, The foam inserts go on top of the factory thingy. Factory thingy stays in after the foam insert gets tossed. Other hikers start off wearing two pairs of socks, then drop back to one pair after their feet swell.

bowlegs

#18

I’ve never heard this high arch theory of foot growth, but sure enough, i have high arches and on my first thru-hike my shoe size went up by 2 sizes within the first couple hundred miles.

The potential problem with starting off by wearing 2 pairs of socks is that even in mild weather the SoCal trail tread is hot on the feet. I would think your feet would be too hot in 2 pairs of socks, causing swelling and blisters.

markv

#19

It’s not uncommon for feet to get longer and wider over time as the arches sag and other connective tissue loses tension. Hiking the PCT probably just accelerates this process.

Julia B.