I had arranged an overnight hike and wildcamp on Dartmoor. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test out the new footwear.
I was very apprehensive purchase trail runners and moving away from my tried and tested boots.
I was obviously worried about the lack of ankle support and how feet would cope with this and a heavy pack.
How would the shoes hold up and more importantly how would I hold up.
I don't know if it will be the same for everyone but my ankles felt fine and with some additional ankle strengthening exercises should be well prepared for long distance hiking.
It definitely takes a bit of adjusting going from Gore-tex boots to trainers and it requires a some adapting in your walking style.
I found that to start with I tried to treat them the same way as boots and following the same paths and routes. Once your feet start getting wet and they will, you soon realize that crossing fords and the like can be treated completely different.
No longer was it necessary to pick a careful route over the rocks desperately trying to keep the boots dry. I was able to walk straight through the crossings and amazing the water drained quickly from the shoes and was comfortable to walk in. I found that they dried fairly quickly and even when it is cold my feet warmed my wet socks and helped them dry and stay warm.
I found that for me the support on the ankle was good with a firm back to the shoe and the rock plate prevented any sharp rocks from bruising my feet and the shoes provided in my opinion a lot more grip the my boots especially on wet surfaces.
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