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Backpacker Magazine – August 2011
How to Walk
Yes, there's a better way to put one foot in front of the other. Improve your stride, trek farther, and end leg and back pain with our guide to the new science of healthy hiking.
Ups and Downs
When the slope changes, so should your gait. Here’s how to adjust your stride on hills.
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 WRONG |
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Uphill |
Downhill >> Bend your knees to absorb shock, and keep steps short to minimize impact. A study by the University of Salzburg found that, for downhill walkers, a 50-percent increase in stride length resulted in 220 percent more force on the knee and 360 percent more force on the hip. >> Although the downhill slope prevents a full heel-to-toe gait, strive to land on your heel or midfoot (not the ball of your foot), then transfer your weight to the forefoot to decrease pounding on joints. >> Keep feet, knees, and hips aligned and pointed in the direction of travel. Avoid flaring knees and feet. Walking with your feet angled outward might seem like a way to apply the brakes, but it can cause injury as the body attempts to compensate for skewed alignment. >> Lengthen trekking poles so you can reach forward and absorb and redistribute downward pressure.
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Choose the Right Footwear
Too-heavy boots and too-light insoles cause some of the most common foot problems.
Boots The best backpacking shoes are as light as possible while still providing adequate arch and ankle support and protection against the elements. Heavy boots, besides weighing you down, can restrict the motion of the foot and actually alter your foot strike as the added swing weight (picture three-pound bar bells strapped to each ankle) could cause your feet to drag and/or land unnaturally. What you want: a shoe with a partially rigid midsole that flexes at the ball of the foot and is roomy in the toebox. That allows a natural gait, so your arch (not the boot’s) absorbs shock and the metatarsals and toes provide stability and evenly distribute body and pack weight. When you shop, you’ll know a shoe is too rigid if, when you’re walking around the store, you literally hear a ker-thunk sound because the boot isn’t flexing at the ball. (Very stiff boots often have a rockered, or curved, sole to give the feel of a more “natural” stride, but that’s not the same as flex.) How do you know if it’s too light? Hold the heel of the shoe in your hand and push the toe down against the floor or table. “If the sole collapses anywhere but at the ball, it’s probably not supportive enough for backpacking,” says Brandan Hill, a designer at Chaco. In the store, exaggerate a strong toe-off to make sure the natural flex point of the ball of your foot matches the boot’s flex point. Try going up and down in half-size increments to get a feel for how the flex point shifts.
Insoles Shoemakers use the words “insert,” “insole,” and “footbed” interchangeably to refer to the same thing: a contoured platform that’s supposed to provide additional cushion and stability, and keep your foot in a neutral position (level, with arch raised). The problem: Most shoes come with thin foam insoles that do squat. The solution: Get an after-market insert made specifically for hiking or running; most feature a molded, hard-plastic base for arch support, and resilient foam for all-day cushion. Most BACKPACKER editors swap out thin, noncontoured footbeds for a supportive insert like this:
>> SOLE Signature EV Ultra A 3.2-mm-thick layer of dense foam sits atop a rigid plastic platform that molds to the foot with wear. A deep heel cup and pronounced arch support cradles the foot, providing excellent lateral stability. Our flat-footed tester found this insole ideal for reducing overpronation. This model is also a good choice for hikers who suffer from knee pain or ankle rolling caused by an uneven foot strike. $50; yoursole.com
Fall/Winter Gear Guide
261 reviews and camping tips
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GREAT article. I leave basically untrained - for the Camino de Santiago next week - this will at least give me things to think about whilst walking:)
GREAT article. I leave basically untrained - for the Camino de Santiago next week - this will at least give me things to think about whilst walking:)
Confirmed: Check Barefoot Running for the Complete Idiot. When Foot strikes, first thing that happens is an outside heal strike. Further as this article demonstrates foot then rolls to the inside heal while almost at same time engaging little toe-mound, then back momentarily to the inside heal while progressing to big toe mound to a big toe lift-off. Each of the four corners of the foot engage a complete kinetic chain from foot to top of head. Hands follow same sequence as foot while running. A complete fluid flow of the body in motion occurs. This is very important stuff to review in both walking and running to identify compensations culturally induced, or through injury or stress.
Why am I hearing bagpipes when I look at your "take the test" guy?
The description of how to walk reminds me of racewalking. It is not that the stride on level ground is short, but that there is less of the stride is in front of the body and more of the stride is behind the body. Also when you are using your hips as described the effect is your overall stride length is longer.
Why no mention of shin-splints and stress fractures and how to prevent them? It's a very common long distance hiking injury.
Also, enough with the barefoot fad already.
I have been hiking barefoot consistently for a couple years, and can generally do it every season but winter (and as long as the ground isn't very wet, a pair or two of wool socks help). I have always hated shoes and wear then as little as possible. I guess it isn't for everyone, but I find the sensation of feeling the trail is just as exciting as the sights and sounds. I also feel like I am making less of a negative impact. I have to be conscious of where I step rather than clumsily tromping through the bush.
Short strides can lead to blisters due to overheating. So it's best in my opinion to find a good balance, not just start taking baby steps as recommended here.
You're kidding...??? Maybe backpacker will teach me how to dress myself as well...
You're kidding...??? Maybe backpacker will teach me how to dress myself as well...
i snow ski barefoot and find it to be a more in tuned way to enjoy the nuances of the snow. this is something you have to build up to for maximum thermal value.
The third picture downhill "right" is an error. Tell me someone else caught this? Ha.
I personaly walk around barefoot as much as I can, but I almost never hike barefoot. Anyone who goes barefoot will agree with me, gravel sucks. In the article it says to hike barefoot to strengthen your tendons. I don't think you need to go totaly barefoot, but have shoes that let your feet move the way they are supposed to. While I don't hike barefoot, a well made pair of mocasins and a pair of good socks get the job done great.
Walked in woods for 50 years, Tried the Vibram rubber foot gloves but are using them mainly for workouts indoors.Still married to good shoes and boots for outdoor treks and activity.
Very good analysis, but I think you could also mention stride frequency and oxygen debt. I am a former distance running coach, who constantly advised athletes to "start slow". On a Nepal trek I observed fellow hikers begin the day excited and striding quickly--only to begin gasping within 30 minutes. Oxygen debt should concern everyone, but especially hikers at altitude. Aside from starting every day at a slower & controlled pace, benefit will also result from deeper breathing--and even more so from yoga breathing.
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