One of the most important things, when we go to the mountain, is the footwear, but sometimes even if the boot fits perfectly to the foot, we notice that the ankle is loose or that the shape of our foot is too tight on the instep. Learn all about how to tie hiking boots in this guide.
There are Different Ways to Tie your Boots According to your Needs
Let’s get to know the different parts of your mountain boot:
Our boot is divided into two major parts: shank and instep. Both can be adjusted or tightened differently according to our needs.
Instep
It is the first part that we must adjust, so we start with the toe, from the bottom up. When it is well adjusted, it will prevent our foot from sliding down the boot, so we can prevent chafing or black toenails by rubbing against the toe. The foot has to be well adjusted but not too tight as this will cause discomfort.
Once we have the instep adjusted we pass the laces through the first buckle. The great majority of the boots have a blocking buckle with which we can make a different adjustment between the instep and the shank.
Shank
When adjusting the upper of our boot we have to take into account the type of route.
If the route is not very technical and on the terrain without rocks, we will tie the cane with little tension. With little tension in the cane, we will achieve more freedom of movement and less perspiration.
On the other hand, if the route is technical and rocky, we will need a greater tension in the cane, since this way we will obtain a great subjection of our ankle.
In both cases, the laces must pass through all the buckles or loops. We can continue with the technique of passing the lace through the buckles from top to bottom, but to add more support, after each buckle we can add a knot. The knot will help us to keep the boot tight even if the lace comes undone.
When we have the lace through all the buckles we make a double knot, this way we will prevent the lace from unraveling.
But what do we do with all the laces that are left over? We will never pass the lace around our cane or ankle, as this could cause an injury, nor leave the extra lace loose. The ideal is to pass them through the instep lace to hold them in place.
How to Tie Hiking Boots: Some Tips for Use
A hiking boot of an inappropriate size will most likely cause blisters, so it is important to try them on with the socks that we usually use for our outings, that they fit well to the foot and that there are between one and two centimeters of distance from our toes to the toe of the boot (after hours of walking our feet usually swell a little).
Keep nails short and neat when putting on hiking boots, because if they are too long we can hurt ourselves with the tip.
Tie the laces well so that the foot is well fixed, avoiding rubbing against the walls and, thus also, blisters.
Good socks are also essential, the best is that they are thick and made of a breathable synthetic fabric, besides, it is advisable to carry spares to keep the foot dry.
Walk as little as possible outside the path, the less we damage the ecosystem that surrounds us the better.
Remember that knowing how to tie hiking boots is very important for safety.
