Boots chewing back of heels

[carsonkeys]

Been there, new boots are in order.

 

[Firehawk]

Leukotape is your friend. And you mention the boot fit better after it got wet and warm from wearing it for a couple of days? Maybe you are in a situation similar to mine. After I start hiking for a bit, I always find the boots fit looser. I have to retighten up the laces and then then I am good to go for the rest of the day usually. But I have gotten to where I use Leukotape as a pre measure always. Only takes one hotspot to ruin a hunt or hike etc.

I have also had to wear insoles. I liked the ProStep and SOLE after market better than the SuperFeet for my feet. But the custom insoles from Sheepfeet have been terrific and pretty near perfect.

Good luck. I like my Guides, but only when there is measurable snow on the ground. The rest of the time, I prefer a shorter boot like the Nevada or Colorado. My Lowa Tibets were great for that too.

FH

 

[sewbadithurts]

Try using enough lueko tape that it fills the extra volume so two or three layers probably. And find some trail runners you like. I have the world's narrowest heel and have a ton of success with the mnarrow last la sporttiva shoes and boots. Run ultra raptors 99% of the time until it is cold enough to be in a full mtn boot

Also look at engo tape to fill some of that volume. Occasionally I'll be able to make the heel stickers work to take up the volume on the sides which is where I need it filled out usually

 

[kpk]

Following as the Salomons fit be best also....

I don't get heel rub but get a spot on my big toe. Last trip I used a layer of leukotape and then put a layer of 3m duct tape over it. The 3m tape has a very slick shiny surface. Best fix I've found for hot spots.

 

[menhaden_man]

Green super feet helped me with the same issue

 

[sewbadithurts]

Check out engo strips, they're basically uhmwpe stickers that go on your shoes where you get hot spots, works pretty well imo if a tad spendy for what it is

 

[BobbyMac]

I know a lot of people have said it already....but lueko tape is good stuff. My heels can get chewed up in a pair of crocs if I don't watch it! I never get blistered heels with the leuko tape! It just flat works. Do not apply it if blisters are already showing. It will peel skin when you take it off!

 

[Ron.C]

Play around with various footbeds / sock combinations to figure out the best fit.

Experiment with lacing techniques. ( I used to scoff at this). But it's amazing how this can affect the fit/comfort of a boot, especially a stiffer hunting boot.

Lastly, use a product like most have said (lueko tape is awesome) on known problem areas to prevent hot spots.

 

[JeffRaines]

Like you guys, I've had issues with boots myself. I'm self diagnosed with Haglunds(after comparing pictures of my heel to haglunds pictures online its a no-brainer and very obvious)... needless to say I've had my fair share of boot issues... here's what I've learned:

1. Gait. This was some of my issue as I wanted to walk in stiff boots the same way I walked in sneakers or lightweight hikers - it doesn't work! You shouldn't have to change your gait in a major manner, but adjusting how your foot falls with boots vs. sneakers is a game changer and IMO, a lot of issues with boots come down to this. I was taking way too long of strides and trying to force the boot to flex with my foot. With a lot of stiff boots your foot is gonna flex before the boot, resulting in the heel slipping.

2. Socks. Big deal here - you need some good quality well fitting socks. Just because guy A thinks Darn Toughs are perfect doesn't mean they're perfect for your feet. I've had decent luck with them but my personal favorite is Smartwool PHDs. They fit my foot perfectly. Don't be afraid to try different socks and add liners. You shouldn't need them but they may make the difference. Also keep in mind moisture management - my feet(and whole body honestly) sweat a lot. While Darn toughs worked great fit-wise, for me they became sweat magnets, which in turn added to the blister capabilities of whatever footwear I was wearing... another reason Smartwools won out. I also found F2F worked well, but again, sweat magnets.

3. Leukotape. The stuff is magic, but I didn't want a boot I needed to wear leukotape every time I put them on. Its a band aid(literally) - if you need it every time, something else is wrong.

4. Hulk lacing. I'm not saying your boot needs to be loose - but I think a lot of people lace their boots way too tightly(at least I did). Some slipping is acceptable as long as it doesn't have a ton of pressure along with it. The pressure + slipping is what ends up being blisters. If you have your foot cinched down hulk-style and the heel starts slipping, its gonna be a hell of a lot worse than if it were allowed to slip loosely. If you wear your sneakers or lightweight salomons around you'll notice, more often than not, your heels actually slip in them in a very loose/friction-free manner. This realization really got me thinking because I could wear those shoes and boots in the mountains with no blisters even though they were slipping.

5. The right insole. Lets face it - most boots these days come with throwaway insoles. Spend the money and time finding the right insole for your foot and boot. Yes, you may use a specific insole with one boot, and it may not work at all with another boot. Also, don't be afraid to find and use spacers - small pieces of cardboard/whatever, under your insoles. It may make the difference as well. You can typically find these for ski boots. Look at tognar.com for these or search “texton boot spacers” or “ski boot insole shims”.

6. Trying out boots. What I learned was boots would feel good walking around my living room or the store, and as soon as I got into the mountains with them I'd have issues. I tried building an incline board, walking on the treadmill on max+ incline(I made blocks to cheat it up higher) - didn't matter, on the trail is the real test. Problem is... most retailers won't let you take them outside. I completely understand their attitude. What you need to do is buy you a set of boot covers. The ones I used available on Amazon were called "myshoecovers". Now look, don't buy a set and then take your boots on a hunt. While they'll probably hold up, its not really fair to the retailer(or the next guy) to be sending in a pair of nasty sweaty used boots to be sold again to someone else... BUT... these covers will allow you to get out in the mountains and give them an honest try, and still be able to return the boots in new condition. I put ~40 miles on a pair and they're just starting to rub through. At 20-30 bucks it was a damn good investment to find a boot that worked for me. You shouldn't need more than a couple miles in the mountains to figure out if a boot works or not.

I ended up settling on Superfeet Trailblazers, Smartwool PHDs, and Schnees Beartooths.

Again, this is what worked for me. Your experience may vary.

Edit: added search information for insole shims.

 

[coconutman]

A few tricks I picked up in ultra-endurance trail racing many years back that have saved my life (feet) countless times in the mountains since:

1. Go get a pedicure. Okay, if you can’t stomach that just buy one of those foot scraper things and make your feet (heels, pads, etc.) as smooth as a baby’s bottom. BUT WHAT ABOUT MY PRECIOUS CALLOUSES? Callouses can actually aid in the creation of blisters by creating a rough surface from which the sock/ boot can grab. I laughed when I first heard this but have been doing this for over 10 years and won’t go back

2. apply a generous coat of vasoline to your feet before you put your socks on. Creates a friction barrier between your foot and sock. (Don’t use footpowder except at camp while sleeping, your feet will sweat and be wet no matter what and powder creates friction

3. Wear a sock liner. I wear Injinji toe sock liners. They look stupid but they work extremely well by hugging your foot and toes very well.

4. Size up 1/2 to 1 full size. I do this in all my distance running shoes and hiking boots. Your feet will swell, period. Too small of footwear is a high probability cause of blisters.

5. Tape is a great solution but for me, this is a LAST CASE option when I’ve already started to develop a hotspot (pre-blister).

Hope this helps. Cheers

 

[j33]

A few tricks I picked up in ultra-endurance trail racing many years back that have saved my life (feet) countless times in the mountains since:

1. Go get a pedicure. Okay, if you can’t stomach that just buy one of those foot scraper things and make your feet (heels, pads, etc.) as smooth as a baby’s bottom. BUT WHAT ABOUT MY PRECIOUS CALLOUSES? Callouses can actually aid in the creation of blisters by creating a rough surface from which the sock/ boot can grab. I laughed when I first heard this but have been doing this for over 10 years and won’t go back

2. apply a generous coat of vasoline to your feet before you put your socks on. Creates a friction barrier between your foot and sock. (Don’t use footpowder except at camp while sleeping, your feet will sweat and be wet no matter what and powder creates friction

3. Wear a sock liner. I wear Injinji toe sock liners. They look stupid but they work extremely well by hugging your foot and toes very well.

4. Size up 1/2 to 1 full size. I do this in all my distance running shoes and hiking boots. Your feet will swell, period. Too small of footwear is a high probability cause of blisters.

5. Tape is a great solution but for me, this is a LAST CASE option when I’ve already started to develop a hotspot (pre-blister).

Hope this helps. Cheers

Great ideas, learned this year to size up my foot wear.
How close before hunting season do you get a pedi? Wife often asks me to go but way too manly for that… but if it’s gonna help I might just have to surprise her…

 

[Jimss]

Sometimes my boots aren't locked in due to loose laces. The bottom=most lace prongs are what prevent movement in my Crispis. Sometimes I don't have these tight enough. There is usually a fine line between having room in the toe-box and other areas and too much movement that creates chaffing. As mentioned some of this can be overcome by proper fit and insoles that are perfect for your particular feet. Socks also help. My preference is either thinner or thicker socks and insoles that have additional padding in the balls of the feet (I have a neuroma). Sometimes this can be trial and error. Things are good when you find the right combo!

 

[JeffRaines]

Great ideas, learned this year to size up my foot wear.
How close before hunting season do you get a pedi? Wife often asks me to go but way too manly for that… but if it’s gonna help I might just have to surprise her…

I don’t even care if I sound like a baby back bitch, pedicures feel great. I don’t get them often, but I’m secure enough to be completely honest about it.

 

[coconutman]

Great ideas, learned this year to size up my foot wear.
How close before hunting season do you get a pedi? Wife often asks me to go but way too manly for that… but if it’s gonna help I might just have to surprise her…

You could do a pedi as close as 1-2 weeks out and be okay if your boots are already properly broken in. There is a lot to be said for just getting your feet used to boots and the conditions you will be hiking in. These tricks work for me but I really only go this far when I'm going to be moving very fast and going heavy or for ultra-distances. If I'm just doing a normal hike or not moving very fast over long distance, I just throw on my boots and go. I guess that is the goal to work toward with your feet.

 

[sblount]

I have the same issue and the best boot I've found was the Lathrop and sons.

 

[JeffRaines]

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to boot fit is that break-in isn't some magical thing.

Yes, for a good fitting pair of boots break in can be wonderful. My Beartooths have broken in quite nicely!

On the flip side - I have a pair of Hardscrabbles that fit great. I did 30-40 miles over two short backcountry hunts after doing ~40 miles of break-in on the treadmill and local trails - zero problems! Put them on the following December to start training and at that point I was starting to get blisters.

Key takeaway: Everyone always raves about break-in and how boots magically start to fit - beware that boots can also go the other direction as well.

 

[Highhuntin]

Another bony blister heeler here.. Lowa tore up my heels tape never helped, insoles Lacing etc nothing stopped the pain on uphills. They didn’t fit my foot. Tried some other boots same results. Got Schnees beartooth this year and they fit like a glove! No break in needed for the boot or my feet!

 

[born2kill]

Bought a pair of Meindl that gave me heel blisters. After reading these replies it seems an insole swap may cure my issues. The stock insole has a sewn portion on heel, right where blisters start.


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[Savage99]

Like you guys, I've had issues with boots myself. I'm self diagnosed with Haglunds(after comparing pictures of my heel to haglunds pictures online its a no-brainer and very obvious)... needless to say I've had my fair share of boot issues... here's what I've learned:

1. Gait. This was some of my issue as I wanted to walk in stiff boots the same way I walked in sneakers or lightweight hikers - it doesn't work! You shouldn't have to change your gait in a major manner, but adjusting how your foot falls with boots vs. sneakers is a game changer and IMO, a lot of issues with boots come down to this. I was taking way too long of strides and trying to force the boot to flex with my foot. With a lot of stiff boots your foot is gonna flex before the boot, resulting in the heel slipping.

2. Socks. Big deal here - you need some good quality well fitting socks. Just because guy A thinks Darn Toughs are perfect doesn't mean they're perfect for your feet. I've had decent luck with them but my personal favorite is Smartwool PHDs. They fit my foot perfectly. Don't be afraid to try different socks and add liners. You shouldn't need them but they may make the difference. Also keep in mind moisture management - my feet(and whole body honestly) sweat a lot. While Darn toughs worked great fit-wise, for me they became sweat magnets, which in turn added to the blister capabilities of whatever footwear I was wearing... another reason Smartwools won out. I also found F2F worked well, but again, sweat magnets.

3. Leukotape. The stuff is magic, but I didn't want a boot I needed to wear leukotape every time I put them on. Its a band aid(literally) - if you need it every time, something else is wrong.

4. Hulk lacing. I'm not saying your boot needs to be loose - but I think a lot of people lace their boots way too tightly(at least I did). Some slipping is acceptable as long as it doesn't have a ton of pressure along with it. The pressure + slipping is what ends up being blisters. If you have your foot cinched down hulk-style and the heel starts slipping, its gonna be a hell of a lot worse than if it were allowed to slip loosely. If you wear your sneakers or lightweight salomons around you'll notice, more often than not, your heels actually slip in them in a very loose/friction-free manner. This realization really got me thinking because I could wear those shoes and boots in the mountains with no blisters even though they were slipping.

5. The right insole. Lets face it - most boots these days come with throwaway insoles. Spend the money and time finding the right insole for your foot and boot. Yes, you may use a specific insole with one boot, and it may not work at all with another boot. Also, don't be afraid to find and use spacers - small pieces of cardboard/whatever, under your insoles. It may make the difference as well. You can typically find these for ski boots.

6. Trying out boots. What I learned was boots would feel good walking around my living room or the store, and as soon as I got into the mountains with them I'd have issues. I tried building an incline board, walking on the treadmill on max+ incline(I made blocks to cheat it up higher) - didn't matter, on the trail is the real test. Problem is... most retailers won't let you take them outside. I completely understand their attitude. What you need to do is buy you a set of boot covers. The ones I used available on Amazon were called "myshoecovers". Now look, don't buy a set and then take your boots on a hunt. While they'll probably hold up, its not really fair to the retailer(or the next guy) to be sending in a pair of nasty sweaty used boots to be sold again to someone else... BUT... these covers will allow you to get out in the mountains and give them an honest try, and still be able to return the boots in new condition. I put ~40 miles on a pair and they're just starting to rub through. At 20-30 bucks it was a damn good investment to find a boot that worked for me. You shouldn't need more than a couple miles in the mountains to figure out if a boot works or not.

I ended up settling on Superfeet Trailblazers, Smartwool PHDs, and Schnees Beartooths.

Again, this is what worked for me. Your experience may vary.

All of this is spot on. I will say that with my bony heels (especially my right heel) my Hoffman explorers seem to offer a deeper heel pocket then some others I tried (Kene’s, Crispi’s, Hanwag’s, etc). I’m also a Solomon man.


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[LostArra]

Get new boots. Not Crispi. Your feet don't like Crispi.