So how do you know when it’s the right time to replace your walking shows?

Yesterday I was horrified to see how run down the soles of my walking shoes were when I took them off and they fell over on their side.

You would think that someone like me who does a lot of walking would be really conscious of keeping my shoes up to scratch, but because I put them together neatly when I take them off each day, I don’t tend to look at the soles!

I knew they hadn’t been feeling as comfortable as they’d once been, but I hadn’t really noticed that one heel in particular was worn down at an odd angle, and overall the soles were starting to miss a bit of tread!

I’ve read you should replace your walking shoes after about 500 miles (or 800 kms) but if you’re anything like me, you have no idea how many miles or kms you’ve walked!

So, what are the (obvious) signs that it’s time to replace your shoes:

• they start to feel a bit less comfortable
• walking seems to take a bit more effort
• you don’t seem to be walking evenly on both feet
• you have a tendency to slip on wet or uneven surfaces
• you may be experiencing pain in your foot, ankle, shin or knee
• your shoes seem to have lost their sponginess

Fortunately I have another pair of the same shoe in storage so am happy to retire this particular pair to the gardening/working around the house category.

It’s easy to put off lots of things in life, but please don’t be like me and risk possible injury or accident by walking on soles which have lost their soul!

Happy walking 🙂

The Banks Peninsula Track is a 31km circular track located on the east coast of the South Island and is a mixture of forest and farm. A friend of mine, Diane, did this walk earlier this year and kindly agreed to write something about her experiences:

“If you are looking for an easily accessible, 3-day track with variety, interest and great (stunning) views then my recommendation is the Banks Peninsula Track.  It is especially good for the shoulder season – I think that high summer in Canterbury would be far too hot for this walk.

The track sets out from the township of Akaroa and travels up and over the edge of an extinct volcano. The steep terrain covers sheep paddocks before merging into rocky, boulder-strewn hill-top from where, on a good day, Aorangi/Mt Cook is visible in the (far) distance. The journey back down to sea level is through familiar NZ bush alongside a stream complete with waterfalls and swimming holes.  Cook yourself dinner at the comfortable, but not luxurious, accommodation and then as dusk falls head around to the farmhouse for a guided tour of the penguin colony and perhaps be lucky enough to see the penguins making their way ashore and heading ‘home’ for the night.

Day 2 is a short day, walking along the cliff-tops looking down at seal colonies, and watching shipping pass far out to sea.  Pleasant walking with enough up-and-down to make it a challenge. A particular highlight – and another new experience – is the long-drop with no door.  It is situated so you can look straight out to sea and vaguely resembles an arm chair.  The proprietor has a whimsical sense of humour.  Tonight’s accommodation is a range of bunkhouses, cabins, a hot-water shower built around a massive tree, and an outside bath heated by building a fire underneath it.  I found it absolutely magical to have a penguin roosting box, complete with penguin and chick, outside my cabin door and could have stayed another night or two here just to enjoy the exuberant and joyful atmosphere of frivolity the owner has created.

On the third day we reluctantly leave this idyllic place and head back up over the crater’s rim.  It’s a 700 metre climb and fairly gnarly in places but straightforward enough.  Take lots of breaks to look back down the valley to the sea and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing how far you’ve climbed.  A stroll takes you back down to Akaroa and transport back to Christchurch. 

All in all it’s a wonderful experience and one that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.  I loved it and I hope you do too.”

Banks Peninsula Track info

Thanks Diane. It sounds amazing

If the shoe fits …

It’s worth spending the time looking for the right pair of walking/trail shoes for your feet. And the only way to do this is by trying lots of different brands.

For some lucky souls this is a straightforward exercise but for others like me, there are many things you may need to take into account when seeking the ‘perfect’ shoe.

Firstly, if you are prone to getting blisters you may need to look for shoes which allow your toes to spread out. I didn’t think I had wide feet but there are a surprising number of shoes which are made for narrow feet and just don’t allow any toe movement.

Secondly, you may need to avoid shoes which have any uneven joins in the seams ‘cos sure as little green apples (as my mother used to say) the join will rub on your foot and lo and behold, a blister will miraculously appear!

The shoes I’m wearing at the moment are Oboz Sawtooth Hiking shoes, as they are great for wide feet and tick all the boxes for me.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that many walking shoes have quite stiff insoles with rough edges. To avoid this you may want to invest in some gel insoles such as Scholl’s which are cushioned and comfortable and also have soft edges.

Another thing to look out for is to make sure there is a decent tread on your shoe which will provide grip on various surfaces and stop you from slipping.

If you’re walking long distances over many days (on a walk such as the Camino) I would recommend a shoe rather than a boot as when you get tired, boots can feel too heavy on your legs, plus they tend to get too hot.

One thing I love wearing when I take my shoes off at the end of the day are my Oofos Recovery sandals. They are like walking on lovely spongy cushions. They’re not the most attractive sandals you will find but they are so soft and cushioned they immediately make your feet feel better.

Let me know how you get on.

If you love walking, I highly recommend joining a walking group.

I’ve been a member of a local walking group through Meetup for a number of years and it’s given me the opportunity to go on many walks which I might otherwise never have heard of.

If you’re not familiar with Meetup, you can search for and join a group in your area and once you’ve become a member you get notified if a host posts a walk. You can then sign up to join a walk and if it’s full (there’s always a limit so numbers don’t get too big), you are put on a waiting list. My experience is that closer to the walk date people tend to pull out, so you can usually guarantee a space will become available.

One of the benefits of being in a walking group is that it’s far easier to go on a walk if someone else organises it! It’s really easy to say you’re going to go for a walk by yourself or with a friend and then not get around to it! But with a walking group you have no excuses as someone else has organised it and you can’t let them down!

Often there are different grades of walks posted so you can choose between easy, medium or challenging. This means you can ease yourself into walking when you’re first starting out rather than pushing yourself too hard and suffering afterwards!

Being in a walking group has also given me the opportunity to meet people I might otherwise never have crossed paths with, and because you share a common interest there’s always something to talk about. I have found out about all sorts of walks, both locally and internationally, and this has directly led to my walking in Spain and Italy.

So if you love walking but don’t have anyone to walk with, I definitely recommend joining a walking group.

Happy walking!

There’s something to be said for walking solo.

Even though it’s great to walk with friends, it’s only when we’re truly alone that we get the chance to have time to think with no distractions and lots of space. It’s not something we get the opportunity to do very often as usually we’re surrounded by people and noise and computers and phones …

I was really lucky when walking through Spain to have equal measures of walking by myself and with other people and both were valuable for different reasons. Walking with people who I had never have met before gave me the opportunity to have some really great conversations. Walking alone gave me the opportunity to think, to cry, to laugh, to stop when I wanted, to experience some wonderful things.

The Roman roads through Spain are very long and very straight and there aren’t many places to sit down comfortably and rest your swollen feet. When I was really tired I would ask for somewhere to sit and on more than one occasion I would see a shelter in the distance with seating and shade.

On another occasion I was walking on an isolated track and struggling a bit when I heard a vehicle approaching. I instantly got into fight or flight mode, particularly when it slowed down and then stopped beside me. Expecting the worst, I turned to see a lovely old couple in an old white van beaming from ear to ear. The woman then held out a basket of lollies and offered them to me. It was the nicest thing that anyone had done for a long time.

Walking alone also gave me the chance to forgive some people from my past who I needed to let go of. Sometimes you just need the time and space and open road to be able to do this. It was so cathartic.

So my advice is, if you get the chance to walk alone, take it. You never know what might occur.

Happy walking!

Yes, they do exist and yes I’ve managed to get them. Twice in fact, which I believe is twice too many times. You can recognise them as you get 2-3 tiny bites in an area in a triangle pattern and they’re really itchy. They are a real pain to get rid of and require lots of effort.

Basically you need to wash everything in your backpack in really hot water and put everything in the dryer. You also need to thoroughly clean your backpack, paying attention to things like seams where the little critters like to hide.

When I got them the first time, the manager of the hostel I was staying in knew exactly what to do. He made me take all my clothes off (including underwear) and put all my belongings into black rubbish bags which he then took straight to the laundry. He then presented me with some clothes which were clean but shall I say, had been around for a long long time. He also put my backpack in the freezer overnight which apparently kills the eggs.

The second time I got bed bugs I knew what to do so got onto them quicker, but even so I managed to bring them home with me back to New Zealand which was a whole different story. Let me just say, once you’ve got them in your house it’s REALLY DIFFICULT to get rid of them.

Interestingly enough I had soaked/sprayed my sleeping bag, inner sheet and backpack with ant-bedbug liquid before I left home but it obviously wasn’t effective. It’s really the luck of the draw as to whether you get them or not and doesn’t mean that a hostel is dirty as they have most likely been brought in by another traveler who hadn’t got around to dealing with them. (Note to self, don’t pick the bunk nearest to the door which usually gets the highest occupancy!)

Hi everyone,

I have created a space devoted to all things walking as I know there are heaps of people like me out there who also love walking long distances.

My aim is to cover all aspects of walking – from actual walks I have been on to equipment to dealing with blisters to training etc. I am also keen to have others add their stories of walks they have done around the world so we can all share our experiences.

I hope you will join me on my journey.

Happy walking!

Robin