A sample of research articles: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6064070/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9614715/ karger.com/ger/article/61/4/381/148107/Biomechanics-of-the-Ageing-Foot-and-Ankle-A-Mini
A viewer posted a question about whether zero drop shoes hurt plantar fasciitis in the comments on my older hiker's video. Hopefully she will see your comment here. I hope you do get back to hiking, for me, it is one of the pleasures of life.
I agree with you, I started hiking steadily about 30-plus years ago, and my hiking shoe size went from 10 1/2 steadily up to 12 1/2 with sometimes size 13 and a wider toe box, now (Ultra). I got tired of blackened toenails. The start of old age will vary from person to person. my strongest hiking was in my mid-fifties I am 77, now ask any teenager what age is old and fifty is ancient. I have to comment on the sock you appear to be wearing, looks like cotton, I wear Smartwool socks year around always much better than cotton, but each to their own I enjoy your RUclips channel.
If I had not done the research, I would have thought I was the only one with growing feet, it will be interesting to read comments from other viewers to see if they experienced the same thing. I was on a train in Asia one time that had a sign recommending yielding seats to people over 40, which I got quite a kick out of, since I was in my 50's and still yielded to older people. . . I guess a definition of what is old can be variable. I wear wool socks when I hike, actually mostly a combination of a silk sock liner and a wool sock liner. But I am frugal, well, actually I am cheap, and around town I wear cotton socks for walking since they are so inexpensive, and the wool socks seem to wear out a lot more quickly. Thanks for your comment.
Thank you for sharing this information. I am just starting out with hiking on soft trails. I’ve been walking in sidewalks and streets to get into shape. I’m going to look at these shoes.
I don't walk much on paved trails, but it seems to me the benefit of maximal cushioned shoes would be even stronger on the hard pavement--of course, they might wear more quickly in such an environment. With the free trials, it makes sense to me to give them a try! I had maximal cushion shoes for local walking, but not for hiking, but one time I took my local walkers on my "pre-hike hike," and they really made the stepdowns more comfortable, which lead me to buy maximal cushioned hikers as well, which are now working out great, except that I am holding off final judgment until I can fairly evaluate their durability. Thank you for your comment.
I have a pair of those moccasin dress shoes! I still seem to have the same shoe size I did 30 years ago. If I've gone up at all, it's about half a size (8 1/2 to 9). Then again, I ride a bike much more than I hike. I'm wearing New Balance 608's and they work fine for me.
Thanks for that input. I guess everyone is different, but it seems the vast majority of older people see a size increase. At least I did. . . Thanks for your comment.
I go to a REAL shoe tore. I get my fee3t measured twice a year. I am 67 and in the past 3 years I have gone from 10D to 11 EE. My foot braces also take up room. Thank you for the instruction
It is surprising that no one really talks about the foot "growth," although it is a very real thing. I was tickled to find out that I was not the only one experiencing it.
Hello again. Another great video. Yes, altra 5.0 Olympus in a trail runner size 12. My mid boot 12.5. A complete 2 sizing larger since I retired. Hiking sfart from the FOOT up. Smartwool, merino socks to match the shoes haver NEVER let me down. At 71yo I can still knock 25 to 30 mile days with a full pack, up or down the peaks. Thanks again
Impressive performance from my senior. I hope I can do as well in a few years. Socks are a separate and interesting issue, maybe I can address them sometime in the future. Thanks for your comment.
This is something new that I have never ever heard of. I am so glad that I watched your video. I agree with you. My feet, for some reason are growing and I thought maybe I am imagining. But after seeing your video, I am convinced that my feet are definitely growing. This video is very helpful to me and thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information. Great work, GC.
This is really valuable information, as I have experienced foot rowth and did not know it was an expected thing. Thank you for sharing this information.😮
Neither did I! I am surprised this information is not more widely available, as the lack of knowledge leads to many more older people wearing ill-fitting shoes and having increased fall risk.
Great video. One caution with the very popular Hoka Speedgoat. If you flip it upside down and look at the heel you will see a large gap with no tread. When the back few side lugs wear even a little (and they wear quickly) it causes the shoe to become slippery in the heel on steep dusty/rocky down slopes. I have lots of experience with different shoes and it is the one shoe I recommend people avoid.
Thanks for that tip. I have tried Hokas a couple of times and ended up returning them during the trial period. They seemed to have been favored on the trail for a while, but faded. To me, the Altra Lone Peaks seem to be the dominant shoe now, they are a bit too thin for me, but I see why younger people like them.
My shoe size has gone from a 9 to a 10 or 10.5. Interestingly enough, when I lost weight, I was able to go from a wide width to a normal width in some shoes. REI did a great job of fitting me trail runners. As you mentioned in your video, the sales person came out with this giant pair of shoes that looked to me like clown shoes. However, no blisters, no banging my toes against the front of my shoes when I go downhill, and interestingly enough, other women have complemented me on these shoes! Who knew that they are a fashion statement!
Love Altras! Love Topo, but I had a pair separated on the sole after less than 12 wearing, not even on trail. Topo wanted me to send them in with a receipt which I wouldn’t have kept. They look new but Topo didn’t care, I’ll never buy another pair of Topo because of this. I have maybe 6 pairs of Hokas and I would submit that the variance in their line is much greater than Altras. Some Hokas are just not wearable for me. Also, can confirm the older foot growth theory. I was 12 forever, but now I am 12.5 or 13. I also love my Solomon shoes, but they are certainly not as wide as the other mentioned brands.
I am concerned to hear about Topo avoiding its warranty responsibility. I have learned with the high failure rate of shoes to save the box and tape the receipt to it--it has saved me money over the long run. I manage to fit well into the Salomon wides and I like them quite a bit, although I have found the quality has declined recently. I have a more detailed shoe video uploading now: ruclips.net/video/jujMe-3R9Sw/видео.html The foot growth thing was enlightening for me to discover, I thought it was the manufacturers, not me. I guess you learn something new every day. Thank you for your comment.
@@RationalTalk I too, blamed the shoe manufacturers, but what convinced me was when I noticed that I didn’t fit into any of my Brooks Brothers shoes. They have made shoes longer than I have been alive and I think their quality control is excellent. Conversely, Rockport shoes are made in at least 5 different countries. I vary from 12 to 13 (U.S.) with them.
Ah, Brooks Brothers, I remember them well. Learning about the growing foot was a fun event for me, one of my sayings is, "you learn something new everyday." I haven't visited a Brooks store in years, but I do remember when they shifted from British to Chinese factories on the cashmere scarf, the quality suffered. I think internationalization keeps prices low, but quality control can often be abysmal.
@@RationalTalk Oddly, I just put away a Cashmere scarf that my daughter took to Europe for her study abroad. I think I got it when I was in high school in the late 70’s!
I wear altras and topos but not the maximally cushioned models. Deep cushioning leaves me feeling like I’m tottering around on platform shoes. The very soft cushion shoes feel like walking on loose sand. Half the energy of every step is wasted on compressing the cushion. Depending on where I plan to hike, sometimes there’s nothing more comfortable than barefoot shoes from Xero or Vivobarefoot. I really like Merrell trail gloves on some hikes. I have always had low arches. I was told I would need orthotics with high arches to correct that “defect”. What I’ve learned is that high arches were the cause of numbness in my toes and plantar fasciitis. Since switching to shoes with lower arches I’ve stopped pressing on the blood vessels in my feet, allowing for better circulation, more sensation and less pain. I’ll admit that I refused to accept that my feet were getting bigger but now I understand that I went from 10 1/2 to 13. Sometimes I wish manufacturers made 13 1/2s.
Thanks, at least we agree on the foot growth. . . Everyone is different, and perhaps I spoke overbroadly. The issue of the height of the maximal cushioned shoe is a real one, and "falling off," before one adjusts is a risk. Remember the "stacks" shoe from the 70's? At least we were young then. Thanks for your comment.
A sample of research articles:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6064070/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9614715/
karger.com/ger/article/61/4/381/148107/Biomechanics-of-the-Ageing-Foot-and-Ankle-A-Mini
The zero drop Altras have been a life saver. They cured my plantar fasciitis. All your info is encouraging me as I get back into hiking - thank you!
A viewer posted a question about whether zero drop shoes hurt plantar fasciitis in the comments on my older hiker's video. Hopefully she will see your comment here. I hope you do get back to hiking, for me, it is one of the pleasures of life.
I agree with you, I started hiking steadily about 30-plus years ago, and my hiking shoe size went from 10 1/2 steadily up to 12 1/2 with sometimes size 13 and a wider toe box, now (Ultra). I got tired of blackened toenails. The start of old age will vary from person to person. my strongest hiking was in my mid-fifties I am 77, now ask any teenager what age is old and fifty is ancient. I have to comment on the sock you appear to be wearing, looks like cotton, I wear Smartwool socks year around always much better than cotton, but each to their own I enjoy your RUclips channel.
If I had not done the research, I would have thought I was the only one with growing feet, it will be interesting to read comments from other viewers to see if they experienced the same thing.
I was on a train in Asia one time that had a sign recommending yielding seats to people over 40, which I got quite a kick out of, since I was in my 50's and still yielded to older people. . . I guess a definition of what is old can be variable.
I wear wool socks when I hike, actually mostly a combination of a silk sock liner and a wool sock liner. But I am frugal, well, actually I am cheap, and around town I wear cotton socks for walking since they are so inexpensive, and the wool socks seem to wear out a lot more quickly. Thanks for your comment.
Thank you for sharing this information. I am just starting out with hiking on soft trails. I’ve been walking in sidewalks and streets to get into shape. I’m going to look at these shoes.
I don't walk much on paved trails, but it seems to me the benefit of maximal cushioned shoes would be even stronger on the hard pavement--of course, they might wear more quickly in such an environment. With the free trials, it makes sense to me to give them a try!
I had maximal cushion shoes for local walking, but not for hiking, but one time I took my local walkers on my "pre-hike hike," and they really made the stepdowns more comfortable, which lead me to buy maximal cushioned hikers as well, which are now working out great, except that I am holding off final judgment until I can fairly evaluate their durability. Thank you for your comment.
Totally agree, Altra’s have been a game changer for me, more comfort no blisters, love them! You have given good logical advice to us old codgers!
Thanks for the endorsement, the Altras work best for me as well.
I have a pair of those moccasin dress shoes! I still seem to have the same shoe size I did 30 years ago. If I've gone up at all, it's about half a size (8 1/2 to 9). Then again, I ride a bike much more than I hike. I'm wearing New Balance 608's and they work fine for me.
Thanks for that input. I guess everyone is different, but it seems the vast majority of older people see a size increase. At least I did. . . Thanks for your comment.
I go to a REAL shoe tore. I get my fee3t measured twice a year. I am 67 and in the past 3 years I have gone from 10D to 11 EE. My foot braces also take up room. Thank you for the instruction
It is surprising that no one really talks about the foot "growth," although it is a very real thing. I was tickled to find out that I was not the only one experiencing it.
It is surprising this information is not better known, thank you for sharing it.
Thanks!
Hello again. Another great video. Yes, altra 5.0 Olympus in a trail runner size 12. My mid boot 12.5. A complete 2 sizing larger since I retired. Hiking sfart from the FOOT up. Smartwool, merino socks to match the shoes haver NEVER let me down. At 71yo I can still knock 25 to 30 mile days with a full pack, up or down the peaks.
Thanks again
Impressive performance from my senior. I hope I can do as well in a few years. Socks are a separate and interesting issue, maybe I can address them sometime in the future. Thanks for your comment.
Love your video 👍
Thank you.
This is something new that I have never ever heard of. I am so glad that I watched your video. I agree with you. My feet, for some reason are growing and I thought maybe I am imagining. But after seeing your video, I am convinced that my feet are definitely growing. This video is very helpful to me and thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information. Great work, GC.
Mine have grown 2.5 US sizes, more than the 2 sizes when I made the video, so I guess it is an ongoing process!
This is really valuable information, as I have experienced foot rowth and did not know it was an expected thing. Thank you for sharing this information.😮
Neither did I! I am surprised this information is not more widely available, as the lack of knowledge leads to many more older people wearing ill-fitting shoes and having increased fall risk.
Great video. One caution with the very popular Hoka Speedgoat. If you flip it upside down and look at the heel you will see a large gap with no tread. When the back few side lugs wear even a little (and they wear quickly) it causes the shoe to become slippery in the heel on steep dusty/rocky down slopes. I have lots of experience with different shoes and it is the one shoe I recommend people avoid.
Thanks for that tip. I have tried Hokas a couple of times and ended up returning them during the trial period. They seemed to have been favored on the trail for a while, but faded. To me, the Altra Lone Peaks seem to be the dominant shoe now, they are a bit too thin for me, but I see why younger people like them.
My shoe size has gone from a 9 to a 10 or 10.5. Interestingly enough, when I lost weight, I was able to go from a wide width to a normal width in some shoes. REI did a great job of fitting me trail runners. As you mentioned in your video, the sales person came out with this giant pair of shoes that looked to me like clown shoes. However, no blisters, no banging my toes against the front of my shoes when I go downhill, and interestingly enough, other women have complemented me on these shoes! Who knew that they are a fashion statement!
Thanks for your comment. I think comfort and safety are the greatest fashion statement!
Excellent advice, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video, I enjoyed it very much. At least now I know I didn't make it up when I told other people my feet seem to grown a bit.😊
Glad to be of service. I thought I was the only one as well!
Great video 😊
Thanks! 😊
Nice video and good job.
Thanks for watching!
Very interesting video. I like it.
Thank you very much
Love it, my family thought I was crazy when I told them my feet were growing, but I'm not, they are! Thank you.
I am unsure why this information is not more widely available.
Love Altras! Love Topo, but I had a pair separated on the sole after less than 12 wearing, not even on trail. Topo wanted me to send them in with a receipt which I wouldn’t have kept. They look new but Topo didn’t care, I’ll never buy another pair of Topo because of this. I have maybe 6 pairs of Hokas and I would submit that the variance in their line is much greater than Altras. Some Hokas are just not wearable for me. Also, can confirm the older foot growth theory. I was 12 forever, but now I am 12.5 or 13. I also love my Solomon shoes, but they are certainly not as wide as the other mentioned brands.
I am concerned to hear about Topo avoiding its warranty responsibility. I have learned with the high failure rate of shoes to save the box and tape the receipt to it--it has saved me money over the long run. I manage to fit well into the Salomon wides and I like them quite a bit, although I have found the quality has declined recently. I have a more detailed shoe video uploading now: ruclips.net/video/jujMe-3R9Sw/видео.html
The foot growth thing was enlightening for me to discover, I thought it was the manufacturers, not me. I guess you learn something new every day. Thank you for your comment.
@@RationalTalk I too, blamed the shoe manufacturers, but what convinced me was when I noticed that I didn’t fit into any of my Brooks Brothers shoes. They have made shoes longer than I have been alive and I think their quality control is excellent. Conversely, Rockport shoes are made in at least 5 different countries. I vary from 12 to 13 (U.S.) with them.
Ah, Brooks Brothers, I remember them well. Learning about the growing foot was a fun event for me, one of my sayings is, "you learn something new everyday." I haven't visited a Brooks store in years, but I do remember when they shifted from British to Chinese factories on the cashmere scarf, the quality suffered. I think internationalization keeps prices low, but quality control can often be abysmal.
@@RationalTalk Oddly, I just put away a Cashmere scarf that my daughter took to Europe for her study abroad. I think I got it when I was in high school in the late 70’s!
👍
Thank you.
Totally BS…
You are certainly entitled to your own perspective on the matter, but how about a description of what you disagree with and why?
I wear altras and topos but not the maximally cushioned models. Deep cushioning leaves me feeling like I’m tottering around on platform shoes. The very soft cushion shoes feel like walking on loose sand. Half the energy of every step is wasted on compressing the cushion. Depending on where I plan to hike, sometimes there’s nothing more comfortable than barefoot shoes from Xero or Vivobarefoot. I really like Merrell trail gloves on some hikes.
I have always had low arches. I was told I would need orthotics with high arches to correct that “defect”. What I’ve learned is that high arches were the cause of numbness in my toes and plantar fasciitis. Since switching to shoes with lower arches I’ve stopped pressing on the blood vessels in my feet, allowing for better circulation, more sensation and less pain.
I’ll admit that I refused to accept that my feet were getting bigger but now I understand that I went from 10 1/2 to 13. Sometimes I wish manufacturers made 13 1/2s.
Thanks, at least we agree on the foot growth. . . Everyone is different, and perhaps I spoke overbroadly. The issue of the height of the maximal cushioned shoe is a real one, and "falling off," before one adjusts is a risk. Remember the "stacks" shoe from the 70's? At least we were young then. Thanks for your comment.