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Comment by andr3w321 | Hacker News Reader

Ya but how many toenails does he have left? Every time I've hiked > 15 miles at a time they start turning purple

Get new footwear :). Get some flavour from somewhere like outdoorgearlab.com, then find a proper outdoor store that'll fit you properly. You'll find that you probably won't end up in whatever reviews best, but you can use the knowledge of what to look for in those reviews to make sure your choice is right.

Basically, everyone's feet (and walking style) are different. I discovered this when I started skiing last year; I got myself a cheap pair of boots when I started and absolutely hated it. After everyone told me I'd been an idiot -- that while you can cheap out on skis, pants, gloves, poles, whatever, and that boots are the only thing worth spending money on for beginners -- I went to a boot fitters and spent a few hours getting sized properly. Suddenly, skiing became one of my favourite pastimes.

Walking's similar. If you're walking in top of the line boots that don't fit your feet or your gait, you're going to end up injured pretty quickly. If you're walking in cheap boots, it's even worse. Find a shop with a wide variety of brands and decent staff who know how to fit you up properly (they'll often squeeze in orthotics to adapt for your gait too). Since doing that this summer, I've had a much more comfortable time hiking :).

Thanks for all the comments. I have a pair of keens - https://www.rei.com/product/772930/keen-targhee-ii-mid-hikin... - probably 5 years old and I haven't replaced the soles yet and put a good amount of mileage on them. I've only actually lost one toenail once, but it took about a year to grow back and my big toes do hurt like hell after most hikes and get some small bruising on the big toes after long hikes. I've never thought about the foot swelling when hiking you all are probably right! They're too small when hiking. I'll size up.

It's not just the swelling (the swelling mostly makes your feet wider, not longer) but when you are going downhill your toes are hitting the front of the boot and this is something most of the people don't test when they are trying them out in stores.

This should not happened if you sized and laced them correctly.

Also, keeping your toenails short is an important thing to do.

Keens are a good example because they're really nice. I really wanted a pair, but their footbed just doesn't fit my foot :(. Good luck for when you head back to the store.

There's always going to be wear and tear on your foot when you're out and about (and legs -- part of my problem is that the pair of shoes I had didn't adjust for the way I stand/walk, and now I've got ITB/knee problems), so there's no miracle cure. But a properly fitted pair of shoes goes a very long way :).

I've done lots of hiking, the longest being the John Muir Trail last summer, about 220 miles over 17 days, and never had any toenail problems. I haven't heard any complaints from fellow hikers either (although tons of complaints about blisters). Sounds like an issue with your shoes, perhaps they're too small or the footbox is too narrow. Feet swell a lot when you hike so most people size up.

I'm beating a dead horse here but other commenters are correct, your footwear sucks or you've got something else going in. I've done lots of hiking in the military, >20 mile distances, and we don't go light - I'm talking ~100 pounds of gear. I've lost lots of skin, but never a toenail.

Do you have any kind of circulatory problems or blood sugar issues or anything like that? Because the feet take it really hard from things like that. Gravity and the way the circulatory system is designed causes the feet to be one of the biggest victims of any kind of blood related disorder.

I do a lot of walking these days, and my foot health has improved dramatically. My toenails are also healthier and I have less edema in my feet and just a lot of changes.

There are other things that go when you hike a lot. But my guess would be that you have some kind of medical condition and blood-related in some way is the first thing that comes to mind.

Shoes for hiking should be sized to be roomy around the toe. All of mine are 1-2 sizes larger than my Brannock size. Toe bang is prevented this way.

Is this with toenails trimmed and shoes with enough room in the toe box?

For a couple of years, I hiked in shoes I thought of as really comfortable. On long walks (especially 35m+ in a day), I'd get blisters around my heel and sore toes. I just figured that was what happened when hiking a lot.

Changed shoes (same brand, but larger and better cushioning) and haven't had those problems since.

Too much room in the toe box can be a problem too, your feet slide around and your toes slam the front of your boots repeatedly. This is actually worse (to me) than having shoes that are too tight.

Don't you cover for this doing up the laces properly? That should at least help. Obviously terrain will influence how much of a problem smashed toes are.

Steep terrain will destroy you if your shoes are a little too big. Think going down a steep mountainside with a heavy pack on your back - all of that weight wants to roll down hill. Even if you lace up tightly, your feet are going to move around.

This should not happen. Your shoes/boots are likely too short and/or laced improperly (it's not enough that your toes don't touch the end when stationary under load, you need a good cm or more room).

Also make sure to keep the nails trimmed!

If you are fine with overpaying a little bit go to a local shoe store, or even a REI. They will help you get a good fitting shoe.

Sounds like you're doing it wrong...

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