On the care and feeding of feet

By Terry Burr

We who are involved in the great range of outdoor activities that include camping, skiing, hiking, trekking, and climbing are concerned with physical conditioning. We place a lot of emphasis on cardiovascular health, strength training, body weight, stamina, and various other things that affect our ability to perform safely and effectively. We all know (or should know) about using sunscreen to protect our skin from exposure to dangerous ultraviolet light, wearing sunglasses to protect our eyes, staying properly hydrated, and practicing good nutrition.

However, in spite all of our good habits both before and during our activities, we overlook the very foundation that allows us to do all of these things that we love. We ignore our feet.

When our feet don’t hurt, we seldom think about them unless, during a casual conversation, a considerate spouse, life partner, or good friend is kind and uninhibited enough to tell us we need to consider bathing more frequently or suggest a brand of foot deodorant.

I, for one, have always considered a good comfortable hiking boot a necessary/mandatory piece of equipment. In fact, like many members of the CMC, I own several pair for various situations. Light trail; medium duty; and heavy duty for those extended trips while carrying the sixty-five pound pack that every time I swear I’ll never, ever wear again.

Recently, however, I discovered that good boots/shoes are not the complete answer to good foot health. As I child, I learned that I am cursed with arches high enough to drive a moderate-sized SUV under. The insteps of my feet resemble nothing so much as that tunnel through that big old redwood tree somewhere out in California that people can drive their cars through. This condition allows my foot to flex inside any boot/shoe and contributes to excessive calluses and, on occasion, blisters. Nobody ever told me that “store bought” arch supports—which are also called orthotics—could alleviate this undesirable situation.

Additionally, Mother Nature’s gift of weird feet has blessed me with a tendency toward a condition called “plantar faciaitis.” The condition feels like a stone bruise on the heel, and it is caused by a partial tear of the tendon that connects the heel to the ball of the foot. In extreme cases (such as mine) the tendon actually separates from the ball of the foot as well and results in excruciating pain. Forget hiking. Forget climbing. Forget skiing.

To be sure, the warning signs were there. I was playing full-court basketball three times a week, and the “sore heel thing” popped up from time to time. I ignored the pain until one painful Friday morning. But I figured I was a fast healer, so I went out and did a couple of quick “fourteeners” the following Tuesday. That was when I blew the tendon from the ball of my foot as well.

So much for instructing WTS last fall and this spring. Three sessions with a podiatrist and $360 worth of orthotics (that insurance won’t cover) later, I am able to function, but I sure miss out on a lot of fun these days.

The moral of this story: pay attention to your feet. Treat them with the care and respect they deserve. You’ll be glad you did.

See you next fall on the mountain. I hope.

Terry Burr is a volunteer Wilderness Trekking School instructor with the Denver Group.