OK, I know that no one cares about this but me, but I’m so giddy that I may have just fixed one of my crippling limitations, that I just had to document it here.

Winter boots, or really any boot that covers my ankles, become crippling quickly due to what appears to be Achilles tendonitis. I have big knots in my Achilles. I knew this must be related to how I’m moving, or not properly moving, while walking in more restrictive footwear. I’ve been troubleshooting it for years. Exercises, stretches, paying attention to my gait, my heel strikes, looking everywhere for clues.

Then, a couple weeks ago, I stopped wearing shoes inside the house. Year-round, I always wear Crocs or slippers or slides or flip-flops. My ankles and feet are always so stiff when I first get up from sitting for a while.

And now they aren’t.

I’m wearing winter hiking boots and my Achilles aren’t crippling me. The knots are gone!

My feet are strong and flexible and I don’t even miss wearing something on my feet during the day, while inside the house (although our floor is pretty cold).

I hope this “cure” sticks!

Also, I’m really enjoying my new winter hiking boots! I got these ones: Women’s Revel IV High Polar Waterproof Boot from Keen.

They are quite light, the tread is nice, and the laces allow me to cinch them in when needed (depending on my sock thickness). Keens have lovely big toe boxes and are typically pretty wide. My feet are on the narrow side, but these laces allow me to adjust them just right.

They are rated to -40. I would guess that is only possible if you move 100% of the time. I can feel the reflective feature inside the toe box, so if you have warm toes, it’ll keep the boots warm. But if you don’t, I think you’d have very cold feet – just like any boot in existence. You gotta move to stay warm! I think these are going to be absolutely perfect for my winter hikes!

Featured image generated by OpenAI’s DALL-E.