I can count so many gifts and graces offered to me over the past years, and Gil is one of them. Gil is a spiritual director who helped me do some inner travel work but who has also led several outer travels in Ireland; pilgrimages along the Wicklow Way. As I began to consider going to Spain in 2019 to walk part of the Camino de Santiago, Gil’s instruction to me on foot care was everything. Off I drove to Thompson Shoes to find what would become like my best friends, my Keen boots. Second only to the boots were the Darn Tough socks that are a Merino wool and that saved my life. You would not believe what a close relationship you make with your feet and your footwear when you begin to walk hundreds of miles. You definitely want this to be a love, not a hate, relationship.
So, the routine?
1. Slather the feet with Aquaphor. That’s right, grease them up.
2. Put on a liner sock.
3. Put Darn Tough socks over liner socks.
4. Lace up the boots.
5. Walk.
6. Notice if you have any hot spots. I noticed that once I would get into walking more than 6 miles, I would get a few hot spots on my feet/toes. I ended up putting band-aids over those spots before the grease up with Aquaphor every time I planned to walk more than 6 miles.
7. Everyone’s different, but listen to your feet. I only developed one blister the entire Spring, and it was maybe midway in my training before I had learned about Aquaphor and treating the hotspots before they blistered. This one measly blister, though? It knocked me out of my walking routine for almost a week while it healed. Good life lesson: treat hot spots early before they blister and take you off the path.
P.S. I LOVE MY BOOTS SO MUCH!
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