I didn't really need to go bigger on Altras. You will want to test them and make sure your toes can't hit the end. If you don't have a ramp of some kind, you can sit in the chair and press your feet toward the end of the shoes and see if your toes can touch the end. If they do then you might want to go a half size bigger. Also, since making this particular video, I'm leaning towards a different shoe. On my last Camino I used Brooks Adrenaline GTS & liked how they held up. They don't have quite as much room in the toes, but the slight lift on the heel seems to keep my forward momentum going a little better So that walking is less effortful. There's not really a perfect shoe for everyone. You want to make sure the shoes are right for your feet and everyone's a little different. I mainly advise not wearing boots because they tend to give blisters. Lightweight trail runners or even simple running shoes work very well on the Camino, as it's mostly just flat ground.
@@TheCaminoGuide i bought Altra olympus5 and at the store was advised to go 2 sizes bigger because i already had a big black toe from a hiking shoe and almost a second black(right). Unfortunately yesterday after a walk with the new shoe I got another black toe(right)but maybe also I did not tie the strings at best. Now am scared that would be bad for me to do the primitivo in middle of may and loose 2 big toe nails any Advice please?
Maybe wear hiking sandals? A lot of people do that on the Frances when their feet have blisters. I walked a couple of weeks in sandals on my first camino. Some people like Tevas or Chacos... REI has a lot and here's a review of some popular ones: www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-hiking-sandals/
Not sure what month you are going. Most people who bring boots end up carrying them the whole way. I would say the exception is someone who wears boots all the time, like every day, either spending all of their time hiking or maybe someone who works construction and lives in boots. Camino walking is different than what you would imagine. It's not really hiking so much as it is just walking along flat roads. In my opinion there's just something about boots that doesn't work well with the long strides you take while walking on flat road. 9 times out of 10 you will end up with pretty serious blisters. What you really want is a walking or running shoe. You want something soft and lightweight and flexible so that the stiff shoe is not rubbing. Regarding waterproofing, I never really worry about it. People who wear Gore-Tex shoes are split on whether it's worth it. The waterproof shoe doesn't breathe as well and your feet can end up sweaty in warmer weather. I actually don't mind if my feet get wet. The shoes dry out easily overnight if you are wearing lightweight running shoes. You just pull out the liners and I usually stand them up on end against the wall to let gravity drag the water down. They're generally dry by morning. I suggest walking several days in a row if you have the time and doing at least 10 mi a day wearing the shoes you are considering. It usually takes a few days for blisters to hit. I'm not sure there's any particular brand that is better if you do decide to go waterproof/gortex. The main thing you want to be sure of is that there is enough room in the toes and that the heel does not slip. Those are the two points where blisters are most common, the back of the heel and between the toes. For people who wear boots, usually the ball of the foot is a problem. Altra shoes have a wide foot shaped toe box, so they are generally better for avoiding toe blisters and the heel cup is usually a bit narrower than other shoes, so you may be less likely to have blisters there as well. Remember, the Camino is just a series of short walks. You will walk 12 to 15 mi a day, broken up over about 6 hours and stopping every few miles at cafes. You will have the opportunity to take off your shoes, change your socks and let your feet dry out a bit. So if you were going to walk from your house to the nearest cafe, it might be a few miles and your choice of footwear would likely be walking or running shoes rather than boots. So just imagine walking out your front door and going a couple of miles and then turning around and coming back and then doing that maybe three times a day. I suggest watching some of the TH-cam videos to see the terrain. 90% of it is flat dirt roads, sidewalks, etc. Not really hiking terrain.
@@TheCaminoGuide thanks for the info. We have been hiking with backpacks to get some knowledge on how things will work out. Bringing hiking poles (don't use them all the time but figure day 1 may be beneficial lol. I just get lower back pain (thank you old age) so hoping the backpack does not make that worse...ug.
Is that so bad? Sitting in cafes is the best part. There aren't really any Starbucks, of course, except in the major cities. But still, it's so relaxing to just wander and not worry about where you're staying on any given night, having coffee with friends throughout the day, a glass of wine in the evening while you watch the sun go down.
You missed the humor in it. Messaging does miss the cute mannerisms in talk and inflections. Try not to take offense. Listen to yourself again. It was cute your spoken equation. And I looked up the brooks shoes. Thank you for the tip.
Great insight mate. What did you do to manage your shoes when they got wet, on the next day? Did they dry out well enough overnight? Did you sit out the wettest days?
thanks for the video very informative. would you go 1/2 size bigger on the Altra?
I didn't really need to go bigger on Altras. You will want to test them and make sure your toes can't hit the end. If you don't have a ramp of some kind, you can sit in the chair and press your feet toward the end of the shoes and see if your toes can touch the end. If they do then you might want to go a half size bigger. Also, since making this particular video, I'm leaning towards a different shoe. On my last Camino I used Brooks Adrenaline GTS & liked how they held up. They don't have quite as much room in the toes, but the slight lift on the heel seems to keep my forward momentum going a little better So that walking is less effortful. There's not really a perfect shoe for everyone. You want to make sure the shoes are right for your feet and everyone's a little different. I mainly advise not wearing boots because they tend to give blisters. Lightweight trail runners or even simple running shoes work very well on the Camino, as it's mostly just flat ground.
@@TheCaminoGuide i bought Altra olympus5 and at the store was advised to go 2 sizes bigger because i already had a big black toe from a hiking shoe and almost a second black(right). Unfortunately yesterday after a walk with the new shoe I got another black toe(right)but maybe also I did not tie the strings at best. Now am scared that would be bad for me to do the primitivo in middle of may and loose 2 big toe nails any Advice please?
Maybe wear hiking sandals? A lot of people do that on the Frances when their feet have blisters. I walked a couple of weeks in sandals on my first camino. Some people like Tevas or Chacos... REI has a lot and here's a review of some popular ones: www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-hiking-sandals/
i am bringing a hiking boot but also wanted to bring some sort of gym shoe but waterproof just in case it rains - any good ones out there?
Not sure what month you are going. Most people who bring boots end up carrying them the whole way. I would say the exception is someone who wears boots all the time, like every day, either spending all of their time hiking or maybe someone who works construction and lives in boots. Camino walking is different than what you would imagine. It's not really hiking so much as it is just walking along flat roads. In my opinion there's just something about boots that doesn't work well with the long strides you take while walking on flat road. 9 times out of 10 you will end up with pretty serious blisters. What you really want is a walking or running shoe. You want something soft and lightweight and flexible so that the stiff shoe is not rubbing. Regarding waterproofing, I never really worry about it. People who wear Gore-Tex shoes are split on whether it's worth it. The waterproof shoe doesn't breathe as well and your feet can end up sweaty in warmer weather. I actually don't mind if my feet get wet. The shoes dry out easily overnight if you are wearing lightweight running shoes. You just pull out the liners and I usually stand them up on end against the wall to let gravity drag the water down. They're generally dry by morning. I suggest walking several days in a row if you have the time and doing at least 10 mi a day wearing the shoes you are considering. It usually takes a few days for blisters to hit. I'm not sure there's any particular brand that is better if you do decide to go waterproof/gortex. The main thing you want to be sure of is that there is enough room in the toes and that the heel does not slip. Those are the two points where blisters are most common, the back of the heel and between the toes. For people who wear boots, usually the ball of the foot is a problem. Altra shoes have a wide foot shaped toe box, so they are generally better for avoiding toe blisters and the heel cup is usually a bit narrower than other shoes, so you may be less likely to have blisters there as well. Remember, the Camino is just a series of short walks. You will walk 12 to 15 mi a day, broken up over about 6 hours and stopping every few miles at cafes. You will have the opportunity to take off your shoes, change your socks and let your feet dry out a bit. So if you were going to walk from your house to the nearest cafe, it might be a few miles and your choice of footwear would likely be walking or running shoes rather than boots. So just imagine walking out your front door and going a couple of miles and then turning around and coming back and then doing that maybe three times a day. I suggest watching some of the TH-cam videos to see the terrain. 90% of it is flat dirt roads, sidewalks, etc. Not really hiking terrain.
@@TheCaminoGuide thanks for the info. We have been hiking with backpacks to get some knowledge on how things will work out. Bringing hiking poles (don't use them all the time but figure day 1 may be beneficial lol. I just get lower back pain (thank you old age) so hoping the backpack does not make that worse...ug.
zamberlan ultra light...
So the camino is walking from starbucks to starbucks
Is that so bad? Sitting in cafes is the best part. There aren't really any Starbucks, of course, except in the major cities. But still, it's so relaxing to just wander and not worry about where you're staying on any given night, having coffee with friends throughout the day, a glass of wine in the evening while you watch the sun go down.
You missed the humor in it. Messaging does miss the cute mannerisms in talk and inflections. Try not to take offense. Listen to yourself again. It was cute your spoken equation. And I looked up the brooks shoes. Thank you for the tip.
@@traciannveno Nah, I wasn't offended. I figured it was meant to be funny.
Oh good ❤️
Great insight mate. What did you do to manage your shoes when they got wet, on the next day? Did they dry out well enough overnight? Did you sit out the wettest days?